Earache in its intensity is equal to dental.
Not every adult can bear the painful feeling without timely help. What can we say about the children. In addition, children's ear diseases are much more common, which is explained by the anatomical structure of the auditory organ.
And also there is a pattern of exacerbations of painful manifestations in the evening or at night, when there is no opportunity to urgently consult a doctor. Parents, trying to help the kid, do a lot of rash and sometimes dangerous for baby health actions. To understand how to properly alleviate the painful condition of the crumbs caused by ear pain, it is necessary to understand what caused this reaction.
Why does the child have ear pain?
Due to the unique structure of the auditory organ, a person can perceive different sounds and orientate in space. But, despite the whole range of defenses provided by nature, ear pathologies are not such a rare occurrence.
In children, this process is explained by the structure of the Eustachian tube connecting the nasopharynx with the middle ear. The shortened and dilated Eustachian passage that occurs in babies is not considered pathological. But such a structure contributes to the penetration into the middle ear of various pathogenic infections, which becomes the impetus for the development of inflammatory processes.
Therefore, in the first place of ear pathologies in children are various types of otitis. During the inflammatory process in the ear of the child, the pressure rises, a liquid substance may accumulate, which is always accompanied by pain.
Various inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract can provoke inflammation. Any catarrhal or viral disease can be complicated by earache.
Ear pain in a baby may appear on the background:
• colds;
• angina;
• tonsillitis;
• flu;
• ARVI.
To provoke pain in the ears of a child can and common cold. Any rhinitis is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasopharynx. Edema, spreading on the Eustachian tube, covers it, which makes it impossible for the pressure in the middle ear to even out. Increased pressure causes painful pain in the baby.
With a constantly stuffed nose, mucus flows down the back of the nasopharynx and enters the Eustachian passage, which further aggravates the situation.
This problem is joined by the inability of children to blow their nose properly. The child either ignores the runny nose and does not release the nasal passages in time, or does it too intensely, increasing the pressure in the ears, and so on.
The problem with chronic rhinitis, accompanied by ear pain, in infants lies entirely on the conscience of inattentive parents.
Children with allergies are experiencing ear pain. Under the influence of allergens, nasal mucosa can swell, often accompanied by rhinitis and ear pain.
External irritants can also cause ear pain in a child. Soreness appears:
• after bathing, when water enters the ear cavity;
• if foreign objects get into the eye or into the nasal passages;
• as a result of ear injuries for bruises, burns, insect bites;
• in the formation of sulfur plugs;
• after a walk without a headdress in windy weather.
Do not forget that the pain in the ear may not be a direct sign of ear diseases, but a concomitant symptom of other ailments.
In the ear can give pain:
• with angina;
• for mumps;
• with problems with teeth;
• with sinusitis, sinusitis.
Ear pain in a baby can signal quite dangerous pathologies:
• damage to the auditory nerve;
• brain diseases;
• problems with the nearest vessels;
• tumor processes;
• eye diseases;
• throat, nose and neck ailments;
• increased pressure:
• circulatory disorders;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia.
The range of causes of ear pain in a child is so large that it is almost impossible to deal with it yourself. Therefore, the diagnosis should be dealt with only by an otolaryngologist. Not for nothing, even the most advanced pediatricians do not undertake the treatment of ear pathologies, but send babies for consultation to the ENT.
A child's ear aches - first aid
The complexity of ear pathologies requires only qualified assistance. The treatment is chosen by doctors based on the cause of the pain. Therefore, the tactics of treatment may vary significantly in various diseases. A single algorithm of action for pain in the ears simply does not exist.
What should parents do if a child has an ear ache? Life situations are different, and it is not always possible to urgently show the kid to the doctor. Ear pathologies usually manifest as sharp pain, without prior symptoms. The unpredictable situation may surprise you on holiday outside the city, visiting your grandmother in a village where there is no doctor. And just a child can wake up in the night with severe pain.
What to do if the pain exhausts the baby, and the causes of the pathology of the parents are unknown?
In any case, with intense pain, you must call an ambulance. Doctors ambulance will not prescribe a child a specific treatment. But they will be able to examine the ear, and, if necessary, will give the baby a safe anesthetic or help to remove foreign objects.
Before the arrival of doctors or in the absence of the opportunity to seek urgent help, it is necessary to provide all possible assistance to the child.
First of all, look carefully at the child's ear. Alertness should cause foreign objects, insects in the external ear cavity, tumors, change in skin tone, purulent discharge.
1. If you find foreign objects, do not rush to try to remove them yourself. Inaccurate actions with ear sticks can push the subject even deeper or injure the delicate eardrum.
2. Tilt the child's head to the side, if the object itself does not fall out, you will have to wait for the help of doctors.
3. If insects are found in the ear, you need to drip vegetable oil into the cavity. This method will help to kill the insect, and perhaps it will itself float to the surface.
4. Instillation with oil or hydrogen peroxide also helps with ear plugs, but it is impossible to detect them yourself.
5. For bites and injuries, treat the damaged area and let the baby calm down. If the pain does not stop, you can give a children's anesthetic drug.
For discharge from the ear of the child, it is necessary to carefully clean the cavity from accumulated pus. Only surface treatment is allowed. A deeper cleaning can make the doctor.
Purulent discharge confirms the perforation of the eardrum. In such cases, thermal procedures and the use of any ear drops are strictly contraindicated.
You can help your baby by closing the ear cavity after prior removal of pus with a cotton wool soaked in boric alcohol. Usually, after perforation, the pain subsides. If the baby does not feel better, all the same painkillers will help.
How to proceed, if external signs of ear pathologies are absent, and the baby complains of severe pain. In such situation you need to click on the tragus - it is a cartilaginous protrusionlocated outside the ear canal.
In the absence of ear pain, the baby does not respond to such actions. This means that the problem of pain must be sought elsewhere, not connected with the ears.
If a child’s ear really hurts, you can alleviate his condition:
1. By giving the baby in the correct dosage safe preparations that have analgesic and antipyretic effects. In such situations, suitable medicines containing ibuprofen in the form of Nurofen, Bofen or Paracetamol in the form of Panadol, Efferalgana. Viburcol candles can also be used to help reduce pain.
2. Having instilled a baby's nose with vasoconstrictor drugs. Even in the absence of a clear cold, this method will help relieve puffiness and reduce pain.
There are recommendations for the use of dry warming compresses and ear drops containing Ledocaine in the form of Otipaks.
But with such methods of urgent help you need to be extremely careful.
Heat warming is prohibited to carry out in any inflammatory processes. If the baby has purulent discharge from the ear or fever has risen, such procedures are strictly prohibited.
But the initial stage of the inflammatory process may not always be accompanied by elevated temperature. In such cases parents, trying to help the child with a heat compress, will only worsen the situation.
Indeed, ear drops relieve quick pain. But to bury the ear with perforations of the membrane in the ear is simply dangerous.
In the absence of purulent discharge, one cannot be absolutely sure of the integrity of the eardrum. Chronic otitis can be accompanied by dry perforation without external signs of discharge.
The child's ear aches: diagnosis
At the earliest opportunity it is necessary to show the child to the otolaryngologist.
Parents should remember:
• what the kid was doing the last couple of days;
• what diseases the child has recently suffered;
• what previous and concomitant earache symptoms were observed in the baby.
This information will facilitate the diagnosis. Not every kid can clearly explain what he feels. A sign of pain in infants in general is only increased capriciousness, crying, lack of sleep.
Therefore, the responsibility for collecting data for the history of the disease lies only with parents.
The main method for determining ear pathologies is otoscopy. It is enough for the doctor to examine the ear cavity using an otoscope to determine the true cause of the pain.
If necessary, the doctor will conduct additional examinations in the form of:
• X-ray examination;
• audiometry;
• tympanometry;
• tympanocentesis.
The baby will definitely be assigned general laboratory tests, for which it will be necessary to donate blood. You may need swabs from the pharynx and nasal cavity to determine the type of infection.
In some cases, consultations and other specialists will be required: an allergist, a neuropathologist, a traumatologist, a surgeon.
A child's ear hurts: treatments
Treatment of ear diseases in a child, accompanied by intense pain, must be started immediately. And the reason for emergency measures lies not only in alleviating the condition of the baby, but in a high probability of serious complications.
Children have complications in the form of:
• meningitis;
• chronic otitis media;
• hearing loss;
• cholesteatoma - tissue growth behind the membrane;
• bone inflammation;
• paralysis of the facial nerve;
• intracranial pathologies.
Therefore, parents must take full responsibility for the treatment and strictly follow the recommendations of physicians.
Methods of treatment are chosen by a physician based on the results of examinations.
The following therapeutic measures are provided for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the ear:
For viral infections, which are often accompanied by rhinitis and ear pain in a child, it is recommended to remove the swelling from the nasopharyngeal mucosa. To do this, use rinsing and various drops in the nose.
Vasoconstrictor drugs can not be used for more than 5 days. In the future, the baby can drip nose homeopathic medicines or means of sea water.
If pain is observed on the background of a bacterial infection, antibiotics cannot be dispensed with. Pick up the drug better after bakposeva.
But for babies up to a year, doctors do not adhere to waiting tactics and prescribe antibacterial agents from the first day of detection of the disease.
Often, parental resistance to prevent the use of antibiotics in such situations is unreasonable and even dangerous. This is exactly the case when antibacterial drugs can save not only the hearing, but also the baby's life.
If, in case of purulent otitis, the accumulated exudate in the ear cavity causes intolerable pains in the baby, and the individual structure of the membrane resists spontaneous perforation, doctors are forced to resort to piercing it. This method allows using a needle to pump out the fluid from the middle ear and greatly alleviate the condition of the child.
A child's ear hurts: prevention
The main danger of ear pain in a child is further hearing problems.
It is important to know! Any abnormalities with hearing ability in children are reflected in speech formation and intellectual development.
In order to prevent pain in the ears of a child, you must:
1. Strengthen baby's immune abilities. Why use different methods of hardening a small body, daily walks in the air, feasible sports activities and food, corresponding to the age needs.
2. Timely treat colds and chronic diseases of the child.
3. Keep the nasal passages clean. Young children should have their parents clean the nasal passages and, if necessary, use pears to pump out snot. Older kids need to be taught the proper blowing technique.
4. Perform hygiene procedures for the ear canals. Natural discharge from the ears are removed with cotton buds and only from the outer passage. Deeper penetration into the ear with various objects contributes to the formation of traffic jams and can injure the membrane.
Carefully monitor the condition of the baby. At the first suspicion of ear diseases, do not start home treatment based on the advice of relatives or friends, but show the child to an experienced medical professional.
