Earache / Ear Infections: Emergency Room Near You
Given that earaches and ear infections are common in children, whenever we hear such talk, our thoughts immediately go to those of that age. While it is true that earache and ear infections are common in children, it is also possible for adults to suffer from earache and ear infections as well as their symptoms. The pain associated with an earache can either be constant or it could come and go ad it can also be a dull, sharp or burning pain. Your earache may be a result of an injury or trauma to the ear or it may be a sign of an ear infection. Middle ear infections are the most common ear infections although you can also be suffering from an outer ear infection or an inner ear infection. Outer ear infections are also referred to as swimmers ear and are usually due to an infection in the ear canal. The reason it is referred to as swimmers ear is due to the fact that it is caused by fungi and bacteria and is common in folks who go swimming a lot in swimming pools as well as polluted and chlorinated water. Middle ear infections are common in children and occur when bacteria or viruses that cause colds and the flu spread to the middle ear. Inner ear infections on the other hand occur when the inner ear and its parts or nerves that send signals to and from the inner ear to the brain get inflamed due to infections, injuries, drug interactions and other causes. This article will look to dig deeper into earache and ear infections as well as when one should visit an emergency room near them for the same.
Let us start by looking at the common symptoms as far as ear infections are concerned. Here, you will find that symptoms vary depending on the type of ear infection you have. The symptoms for an inner ear infection usually include nausea, vomiting, vertigo or dizziness, as well as problems with you hearing which may include a ringing noise in your ear or even hearing loss. Symptoms for a middle ear infection can be different for adults as compared to children. In adults, common symptoms include fever, ear pain, liquid draining from the ear, trouble hearing from the infected ear, dizziness as well as a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear. In children, watch out for tugging and pulling of the infected ear as well as the child being irritable and inconsolable as well as the other symptoms mentioned above. Symptoms for an outer ear infection include muffled hearing, drainage from the ear, itchiness inside the ear, swelling and redness of the ear as well as pain when you tug or push on the ear.
In most cases ear infections will resolve on their own after a few days and as such it is usually important to have a wait and see approach before seeking treatment. As you wait, you can try out home remedies such as using a warm compress on your ear to help with the discomfort and pain. If you have an outer ear infection, you can heat an unpeeled onion and hold it about an inch or half an inch from your ear. Onions contain antimicrobial agents that will become airborne when heated and as such work topically on the outer ear. You can also make use of garlic oil drops, which you can prepare by steeping chopped fresh garlic in warm olive oil and applying with a dropper 2 to 3 drops in the ear among other home remedies. If home remedies don’t work, you should make use of antibiotics which you can get over-the-counter or can be prescribed by your doctor. You should head over to an emergency room near you for an ear infection if you have high fever which is above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in adults and children and any sort of fever in infants below the age of three months. If you are experiencing severe pain in the ear, you should also head over to an emergency room near you.
As far as earaches are concerned, you should also head over to an emergency room near you if you are experiencing ear pain that is accompanied by what appears to be swelling or a knot at the back of or under your ear, if you develop sudden onset high fever, personality changes such as if you or your child becomes extremely lethargic and drowsy among others as well as if you are experiencing seizure or are having trouble moving parts of your face normally. Other red flags to look out for as far as earache or pain is concerned include a stiff neck, vomiting or/and nausea or if you have had recent trauma or blow to the head or the ear. Such symptoms should have you heading to an emergency room near you as should instances where you believe there is an object lodged in your ear or if you notice pus, blood or any other fluid oozing out of your ear.
Hopefully, the above discussion will be of great help as you grapple with earache or ear infection in helping you know the signs and symptoms as well as how to proceed and when to go to an emergency room near you.
