How To Get Rid Of Ear Pain In South Africa

Overview

Pain in the inner or outer ear that may interfere with ability to hear, often caused by excess fluid and infection.

Ear pain can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease. Examples include tight head wear, poorly fitting headphones, sleeping on a hard surface, ear piercings, grinding teeth or getting an object stuck in the ear. Earaches often need urgent medical care, and may be treated with natural home remedies, for example, warm compresses; OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol and others); olive oil in the affected ear, and essential oils.

How To Get Rid Of Ear Pain In South Africa

Home treatments.

Warm compresses held to the outside of the ear may help with some of the pain. Make certain that water does not get into the ear canal. As well, it is important not to burn the skin.
Alternatively, a cool compress may help if warmth does not. Holding a cool compress for 20 minutes at a time against the ear may be helpful. Be careful to not have it too cold to cause frostbite.
Over-the-counter pain medications may be helpful. These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol). It is important to remember that over-the-counter medications may interact with prescription drugs and may also have side effects. Always check with a health-care professional or pharmacist if needed. As well, in infants and children, these medications are dosed based upon weight.
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen may also be used for fever control.
Keep well hydrated and drink plenty of fluid.
Humidity may help sinuses and ears drain. It is important to be careful when using steam or hot water, especially around infants and children, to prevent scald burns.
Olive oil may be helpful for pain. A few drops in the ear canal may be soothing.

Swimmer’s ear treatment (otitis externa)

Most cases are treated with prescription eardrops for 7-10 days.
These drops contain an antibiotic to fight the infection, and often a steroid to reduce inflammation swelling.

Middle ear infection treatment (otitis media)

There are different ways of approaching the treatment of otitis media. Depending upon the situation, the health-care professional may prescribe antibiotics immediately. This is most often used for adults who develop otitis media.
Alternatively, in children, observation and comfort care may be appropriate, and if symptoms resolve in 2-3 days, no antibiotics may be necessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this two-step approach depending upon the age of the child, the certainty of the diagnosis, the severity of illness, and the ability of the child and family to have access to follow-up care.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What is the best medicine for painful ear?

Your doctor may advise the use of over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) to relieve pain.

What kills an ear infection?

Antibiotics can help clear the infection if it’s caused by bacteria. If you or your child are prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection, you must take the entire dose of antibiotics.

How do you flush your ears with water?

After a day or two, when the wax is softened, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal. Tilt your head and pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal. When finished irrigating, tip your head to the side to let the water drain out.

How long does an ear infection last?

Most ear infections clear up within 3 days, although sometimes symptoms can last up to a week.

How do I use salt for an ear infection?

Salt: For earaches, put a cup of salt in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Use coarse salt and dump it into a thick sock. The sock is to prevent burns. Apply the sock to the painful ear and it draws fluid out of the ear

How do doctors clean ears in South Africa?

Your doctor can remove excess wax using a small, curved instrument called a curet or by using suction while inspecting the ear. Your doctor can also flush out the wax using a water pick or a rubber-bulb syringe filled with warm water.

Does ear hurt with Covid?

Is an ear infection a symptom of COVID-19? Ear infections and COVID-19 share few common symptoms, most notably fever and headache. Ear infections are not a commonly reported symptom of COVID-19.

What causes ear pain?

A cold, allergies, or a sinus infection can block the tubes in your middle ear. When fluid builds up and gets infected, your doctor will call it otitis media. This is the most common cause of ear pain. If your doctor thinks the cause is a bacteria, she may prescribe antibiotics

Is Vicks good for earache?

You may have noticed online resources and bloggers touting Vicks as an effective treatment for earaches and other ear issues, including wax buildup. But does it work? In a word, no. While Vicks VapoRub may have some value in treating colds and muscle aches, there’s no evidence supporting its use for earaches

Can paracetamol cure ear pain?

For home treatment, experts recommend using analgesics such as paracetamol for pain relief, as they can ease the pain of otitis media and help relieve fever.

What ear drops help with pain?

Antipyrine and benzocaine otic is used to relieve ear pain and swelling caused by middle ear infections. It may be used along with antibiotics to treat an ear infection. It is also used to help remove a build up of ear wax in the ear. Antipyrine and benzocaine are in a class of medications called analgesics.

Why are ear infections so painful?

An ear infection happens when fluid in the interior space behind the eardrum becomes infected, usually with bacteria. The tube leading into the body becomes blocked, and fluid builds up behind the eardrum. The increased pressure pushes the eardrum outward, causing pain and fever.

How do you know if ear pain is serious?

Seek emergency care if you have any of the following symptoms:

Pain in an ear with or without fever.
Itching of the ear or ear canal.
Loss of hearing or difficulty hearing in one or both ears.
Pus or discharge from an ear, especially if it’s thick, yellow, bloody, or foul-smelling.

What happens if you put cold water in your ear?

Surfer’s ear is the common name for a condition caused by repeated exposure to cold water and wind. It causes bony growth to develop within the ear and can lead to hearing loss. The medical name for surfer’s ear is external auditory canal exostoses (EACE) or exostoses.