Compared to other body parts, ears are less appreciated. Hence, we cannot have a good day without a healthy ear. Also, if we have problems in the ear, it causes us a lot of stress.
Common ear problems and treatments are:
1. Ear infection
The inner and outer ear can become infected. It happens when viruses or germs get into your ears. As a result, they damage the cells.
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Ear pain
- Difficulty in hearing
- Fluid release
- Feeling of pressure in the ear
- Itchy ear
Moreover, glue ear is when fluid fills up the middle part of the ear and causes temporary hearing loss.
Symptoms:
Someone with glue ear has trouble speaking or hearing. Hence, the blockage causes difficulty in hearing well.
What to do:
Furthermore, there is no fast and direct treatment for glue ear. However, one needs not to worry. After three months, the build-up will clear up on its own. Also, if you have trouble hearing, use a hearing aid.
2. Foreign object in the ear
Moreover, kids might put something in their ears out of curiosity. For instance, crayons, nuts, seeds, and small toys will cause a problem if put in the ear. Also, insects could go in the ears unnoticed.
Symptoms:
- Buzzing sound (for insects)
- Ear pain
- Blood or fluid release from the ear
What to do:
Consult an ear doctor who can remove the object. Hence, removing the object by yourself might cause further injury in the ear. Therefore, always seek for doctor’s advice.
3. Too much earwax
It is natural for our ears to produce earwax. Therefore, keeping our ears moist and prevents infection. However, excessive earwax becomes a block in your ear.
Symptoms:
- Ear pain
- Trouble in hearing
- Itchiness
- Ear infection
What to do:
- Drop olive or almond oil into the blocked ear. Next, apply 2-3 drops twice a day. Lastly, by doing this, the lumps of earwax should be gone.
4. Mastoiditis
Ear infections cause mastoiditis. Hence, the bone behind or below the ear has the infection.
Symptoms:
- Swelling at the back of the ear
- Intense ear pain
- Trouble in hearing
- Also, whitish-yellow liquid coming out of the ear. In some cases, it could be yellow or brown-yellow
- Fever
- Bad ear smell
- Furthermore, infants and children might be sensitive and often cry due to this ear problem.
What to do:
- Take a prescribed antibiotics to stop the infection.
- Go to a physician. In severe cases, doctors perform surgery. It includes the removal of the infected part. However, if there is a mass of infected fluid, doctors will drain it.
5. Ruptured eardrum
A hole in the eardrum results from infection, loud noises, or injury.
Symptoms:
- Ear pain
- Fluid discharge from the ear
- Fever
- Sudden loss of hearing
What to do:
- Allow your eardrum to heal by itself. Likewise, it will recover after a few weeks.
- Additionally, wear an ear protector.
- Do not put things inside your ears like cotton buds, water, or eardrops.
- Als, avoid blowing your nose.
- Take painkillers if you cannot bear the pain.
- If the eardrum does not heal, talk to a doctor. Hence, a doctor might suggest ear surgery.
6. Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis happens when an inner ear’s nerve swells.
Symptoms:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Loss of hearing
- A problem in eye focus
- Loss of balance
- However, for severe cases, fainting and paralysis might occur.
What to do:
- Use allergy medications.
- Also, take medicines that lessen nausea and dizziness.
- Sedatives
- Antibiotics (for active infection)
- Consequently, undergo an ear exam.
7. Ménière’s disease
Moreover, the main cause of this disease is still unknown. In addition, experts suggest that this disease occurs due to changes in fluid in the inner ear.
Symptoms:
- Dizziness or Vertigo
- Hearing loss
- Ringing sensation in the ear
- Loss of balance
What to do:
- Take medicines that ease nausea and vomiting.
- Use prescribed water pills that will help in reducing fluid in the body.
- Above all, seek medical help. A doctor might inject medicine in your inner ear. Therefore, the medicine will lessen other symptoms like vertigo.
- Additionally, treat hearing loss with hearing aids.
- Also, doctors do surgery if the treatments above do not work.
8. Eustachian tube dysfunction
The eustachian tube is an airway connecting our middle ear and throat. Therefore, it opens when we sneeze, yawn, or swallow. Likewise, it keeps the pressure and fluid build-up in the ear. However, the problem is this tube can also get plugged. As a result, you’ll feel ear pain and have trouble hearing.
Symptoms:
- Plugged Ears
- Trouble hearing
- Ear pain
- Ringing in the ear
- Trouble in balancing
People who are at high risk for this ear problem are children, smokers, and obese. Unfortunately, these activities make it worse.
What to do:
- Do exercises that will open the tubes, such as yawning, swallowing, or chewing.
- Also, take a deep breath, and close your nostrils by pinching. Hence, blow or release air with your mouth closed.
- Feed or use pacifiers for babies with Eustachian tube dysfunction.
- Lastly, use a decongestant.
Whatever the ear problem might be, the best option is to consult a doctor.
