What You Need To Know About Ear Infection Symptoms

admin — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:07:56 +0000

A Young Child Gets Examined For An Ear Infection

Ear infection symptoms are common for children to experience. However adults, cats and dogs can also fall victim to the painful results of an ear infection. To prepare yourself for the battle against this painful condition there are a few things you should know. First, how many types of ear infections are there and what are they? Next, you should be aware of the causes and symptoms of ear infections. Lastly, you’ll need to know what to do if you suspect that you or a loved one is suffering from ear infection symptoms.

Three Main Types Of Ear Infection

There are three main types of ear infections; all dealing with the location of the infection within the ear. The three are: Inner ear infection (Otitis Interna), middle ear infection (Otitis Media) and outer ear infection (Otitis Externa, also known as Swimmer’s Ear). While all are similar, there are some differences in the causes, symptoms and treatments of each. Additionally, there are two types of middle ear infections: Acute Otitis Media (AOM) and Otitis Media with Effusion (OME). AOM means that parts of the middle ear are inflamed and swollen, causing much pain. Another characteristic of AOM is fluid trapped within the ear canal that drains as the ear infection clears. EOM also has fluid present in the ear but in this case the fluid stays trapped even after the infection is treated.

Causes Of Ear Infection Symptoms

The causes of ear infections symptoms vary a bit from one type of ear infection to another. Outer ear infections, or swimmer’s ear, are usually caused by contaminated water getting into the ear. Middle ear infections are frequently a result of another infection or virus that somehow sneaks into the ear canal through a tube in the nose called the Eustachian tube. And the worse ear infection of them all, the Inner ear infection, is most commonly the complication of a middle ear infection spreading into the inner chamber of the ear. In all cases, the infection can be caused by either a bacteria or virus although more often than not it is a bacteria. Determining the cause of the ear infection is an important step in determining the best way to treat it.

Symptoms Of Ear Infections

The symptoms of the different types of ear infections can be quite different from each other, luckily. Outer ear infections are the easiest to recognize since the ear itself becomes swollen, itchy and painful to the touch. Fluid in the form of pus may leak or drain from the ear. In order to determine whether or not you have an outer ear infection, try wiggling the outside of the ear. If you can do this without pain, you most likely don’t have an outer ear infection. Middle ear infections, the most common, are accompanied by a mild or severe earache, fever, draining fluid, and difficulty hearing. Finally inner ear infections have the worst symptoms of all the ear infections including nausea, loss of balance, vertigo and problems hearing. In rare cases, there are times when an ear infection can be present without any symptoms at all.

What To Do For An Ear Infection

The variety of treatments for ear infections are as varied as their symptoms. In all cases antibiotics can be prescribed to kill the infection. As long as the infection is caused by a bacteria (and not a virus) the antibiotics should clear up the ear infection symptoms in a few days. In most cases ear infections will disappear on their own over time. Usually people are more concerned with treating the pain that results from ear infections than the actual infection. For outer and middle ear infections, an over-the-counter pain reliever is usually enough to provide relief. Some people use a warm (not hot) water bottle pressed against the outside of the ear. Another effective pain treatment is tea tree oil drops applied to the ear once a day. Tea tree oil is made from Australian trees and can be found in most pharmacies and natural cure shops. For the most severe cases, a doctor may prescribe pain relief eardrops.

While it is likely that you and every member of your family will have an ear infection at some point, it is important to remember that they are easy to treat and usually carry no long-term effects. Do what you can to avoid getting water in your ears and keeping your nose “unstuffed”, watch out for the ear infection symptoms mentioned above and make an appointment to see your doctor if you think you may have an ear infection. By practicing these “ear healthy” tips you reduce the chance of suffering from ear infection symptoms.