The child's ear ached at night: what to do, first aid, medications, medical advice

Ear problems in childhood require special attention. The hearing organs in children are practically not protected from the effects of various external factors. If a child has an ear pain at night, what should I do? Such pain does not allow the baby to fall asleep, it causes torment and anxiety. How to help a child if an ear hurts in the middle of the night, what should be done to relieve pain?

Evening or night pain

If the baby complains about the ear, it is advisable to show it to the doctor. But what if the pain arose when contacting a medical facility is not possible, what should I do? Does the child have an ear pain at night or on a day off? This is a very common case. So that long suffering does not negatively affect the psyche of the child, it is important to help him in a timely manner. This will also prevent complications of the disease, so all parents should have an idea of ​​what to do if the child has an ear in the middle of the night.

You can help your baby at home. It is advisable not to experiment and consult with an otolaryngologist, who will tell you what to do. The child had an ear pain at night - this means that severe pain took him by surprise. But you do not need to endure until the morning: each parent can independently help the baby. The main thing is not to panic, even if you are away from civilization.

If symptoms of ear diseases periodically appear and disappear, but there is no severe pain, you should never delay a visit to the doctor. The child should be shown to a specialist in order to prevent the aggravation of the pathology. At the same time, it is important that the otolaryngologist examines the child using special tools, assesses the condition of the eardrum and makes the correct diagnosis.

What could be the reason?

First of all, it is necessary to find out what could provoke a disease in which a child has an ear pain at night. What to do? The baby cries without stopping, suffers from pain, and with it parents are very worried. First you need to remember and analyze how his previous days went. What did he do all this time, did he suffer a catarrhal disease during this period? The reason why a child has an ear pain at night (what to do in this case, you will learn from this article) may be:

• hit of a foreign body, insect in the ear canal;
• swimming in a cold, dirty pond;
• injury to the auricle (shock, bruise, burn), rupture of the eardrum;
• congestion of ear secretion and the formation of sulfur plug;
• refusal to wear hats in windy or frosty weather.

Often, ear pain in children causes otitis media - this is an inflammatory process that occurs in the middle ear. Often, the disease is a consequence of rhinopharyngitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. Sometimes external otitis media develops - as a result of inflammation of the external auditory canal due to a wound or boil. No less dangerous pathology is eustachitis (tubootitis). Untreated Eustachian tube inflammation can lead to hearing loss.

Viral infections, triggered colds, complicated by tonsillitis or sinusitis, can also be the reason that a child has an ear pain at night. What to do? Kids cry because of problems with the ears against a background of mumps or carious infection, pharyngeal pathology, and lymph nodes. In severe neurological and cardiovascular diseases, ear pain can also occur.

If a child has an ear pain at night, parents should provide first aid only after finding out the factors that triggered the malaise. It is also necessary to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms - this will help to more accurately determine the cause of the pain and alleviate the condition of the child before the doctor arrives.

Additional signs

So, the child has a sore ear. What can be done urgently, what medications to take? You can really help your baby at home. If he complains of ear pain, parents need to carefully monitor his condition and carefully examine the auditory conch. Sometimes a banal examination helps to find the true cause without medical attention.

If a child feels pain when clicking on a small cartilage near the outer protrusion in front of the auricle, then the problem really lies in the organs of hearing. If no reaction has followed, most likely, everything is in order with the ears, and the pain itself radiates from another source (sinus sinus, tooth, facial nerve).

High body temperature is a direct confirmation of the inflammatory process in the body. With otitis media, eustachitis, it can rise to subfebrile values, but sometimes it is very high - more than 38.5 ° C. Under normal temperature conditions, the cause of pain in the ears is most likely external factors or problems with blood pressure.

Purulent and fetid discharge from the ear canal indicate otitis media of an infectious nature. In this case, antibiotics cannot be dispensed with, but a doctor should prescribe them. If the outer shell is swollen, swollen, or has become reddish or bluish in color, it is likely that the child was hurt by the ear. An insect bite also manifests itself, to which many children have an allergic reaction. With a fungal infection of the ear canal, there is constant itching.

First aid

Parents who are in this situation for the first time usually don’t know what to do. The child’s ear hurts at night, he constantly cries abruptly, is naughty, refuses food and cannot fall asleep - how can he be helped before the doctor arrives? At home, there are not many affordable and effective treatment options, but their use helps to really make you feel better with excruciating ear pains.

Next, we will tell about the first aid that needs to be provided, even if the parents are not able to determine for themselves what provokes the pain in the ears and do not know what to do. The child has an ear pain at night, and to reduce his suffering, symptomatic therapy and a thorough examination of the auricle can be carried out. If a foreign body is detected in the ear canal, you can try to remove it yourself, but you must act very carefully. The child's head is tilted to the side where the sore ear is located. You can not use tweezers, cotton buds, because there is a risk of pushing a foreign object even further.

If there is no visible damage and there are no other symptoms besides dull pain in the ear, doctors recommend measuring blood pressure. With some diseases of blood vessels, heart, kidneys, even at an early age, children may experience jumps in blood pressure. In this case, the child is given drugs, the reception of which was previously agreed with the doctor.

In the presence of severe inflammation, no active action is advisable. Before the doctor arrives, the baby can be given an antipyretic appropriate for his age (Panadol, Nurofen, Ibufen, Efferalgan, Paracetamol). These drugs not only reduce the temperature, but also have an analgesic effect.

What absolutely can not be done

A child has an ear pain at night - what should I do? According to reviews, many prescribe treatment for the baby on their own, but not a single doctor recommends this. Incompetent actions by parents can lead to serious complications. The thing is that one of the causes of pain in the ear can be perforation or damage to the eardrum. Any liquid, especially containing alcohol, can aggravate the problem and lead to irreversible hearing loss. Therefore, for those parents who are in a hurry to drip different medicines in the child’s ears, but don’t know the cause of the pain, otolaryngologists strongly recommend that they refrain from self-medication and not take any actions without doctors.

You can not bury your child’s ears with antibacterial drugs on your own, since you can choose an effective antibiotic only after a laboratory test and determination of the infectious agent. Otherwise, the treatment will not bring any result, and in the meantime, the course of the disease will worsen. Also, in no case do you need to penetrate with a pair of tweezers or a cotton swab into the sore ear, since these tools are not intended for cleaning. One careless movement can damage the ear canal.

Why otitis media often develops in children

The reason for the prevalence of this otolaryngological disease lies in the features of the anatomical structure of the ear. In children, the hearing organs are different from the ears of adults. At an early age, the auditory cartilage, called the Eustachian tube, goes directly into the nasopharynx due to its short length. When a child has a runny nose during colds, mucus can easily leak into the auditory tube, as a result of which otitis media develops, in which the child's ear hurts. What can be done urgently to relieve pain? If the diagnosis is confirmed, it is impossible to treat otitis without a doctor’s prescription. In no case should you warm your sore ear yourself, apply warm compresses.

The best prevention of otitis media is the prevention of colds. For this, it is necessary to constantly carry out measures to strengthen immunity. If a cold in a child lasts more than a week, it must be shown to an ENT doctor. Timely treatment of the common cold is the best measure to prevent otitis media in children.

Some experts recommend dripping vasoconstrictor drops into the nose if the child has an ear pain at night. First aid of such a plan should be provided even if he does not have any rhinitis. Such drops will narrow the blood vessels, as a result of which the pressure in the ear canal will decrease and the pain will subside.

What medications can be given at home

If a child has an ear pain at night and has passed in the morning, this does not mean that you need to refuse to visit a doctor. In any case, the baby needs to be shown to a specialist. If the child has an ear ache at night, most likely there is otitis media, which can not be ignored. This disease does not allow the child to sleep, hear and live fully.

When confirming the diagnosis, the otolaryngologist will draw up a treatment plan and tell you what to do at home. Does the child have a sore ear again? Doctors recommend several ways to treat otitis media:

• Compress with alcohol. To put a compress, they first take gauze soaked in alcohol, fold it in several layers and make a cut for the ear. Then on top of the cheesecloth they put cellophane and a warm scarf, which completely cover their heads, like a hat. At high temperatures, alcohol compresses cannot be made.
• Boric acid solution. Soak a cotton wool in the liquid and place it in the ear.
• Drops from otitis media, which were used previously. Otipax, Otinum and other drugs that are always prescribed for children with otitis media can be used if they have already been prescribed for the baby.

With colds and viral diseases, against which otitis media has developed, it is necessary to give the child to drink more fluid. It is important that parents do not panic, act calmly and have patience. If a child has a sore ear in the middle of the night, he may be capricious, cry, scream. It is not necessary to raise a voice for a child, it is important to remain calm and balanced with him. It is advisable not to leave him alone and try to distract from pain.

Antibiotic ear drops

After visiting a doctor who will determine the reason why the child has an ear pain in the middle of the night, other medications can be used. The specialist will select individual therapy depending on the age, type and severity of the patient's disease. If ear disease often recurs in a baby, many doctors advise not only to use medical methods of treatment, but also to use folk remedies. A competent combination of pharmacy and home medicines is the best way to help at home. The child’s ear hurts - you can get rid of this problem once and for all.

To speed up the healing process and prevent the inflammatory process in the future, the ENT doctor selects an antibiotic for the child in the form of drops for the ears. The most popular and effective are:

• Danzil
• Uniflox;
• Sofradex
• Tsipromed;
• "Garazon";
• "Otofa";
• "Anauran".

Some of these drugs have not only antimicrobial properties, but also can have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. In addition to drops, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics in tablets, syrup or injections, depending on the age of the child. The course of antibiotic therapy usually does not exceed 7-10 days. Refusal of treatment can lead to the fact that a bacterial infection spreads through the bloodstream and gets to the meninges, which threatens the development of meningitis, abscess.

Otipaks and analogues

These anti-inflammatory drops are considered the most popular among the drugs of this group. Most parents have this drug in their medicine cabinet. Many cannot even imagine what to do if there is no Otipaks. Does the child have an ear pain? This is a common problem, but it can be solved with the help of this drug, which includes phenazone and lidocaine. The first component relieves inflammation and enhances the effect of the anesthetic - lidocaine, which blocks the movement of nerve impulses and eliminates pain. Otipax is able to stop the pain for several hours, but since this drug solution contains alcohol, it cannot be used for perforation of the eardrum resulting from trauma or infection.

With individual intolerance to the components of the drug, it can not be used. Otipax is prescribed for otitis media for anesthesia and relieve inflammation. Its structural analogues, that is, preparations containing the same components, are Otirelax, Otikain, Droplex, Ototon. Drops such as Otizol, Furotalgin have a similar therapeutic effect. In addition to this drug, doctors can prescribe:

• "Remo-Vax" - a tool for softening sulfuric cork;
• washing the ear canal with a fungal infection with hydrogen peroxide;
• Vishnevsky ointment.

Boric alcohol: can they drip the ears of a child?

Some experts advise using boric acid if it is not possible to consult a doctor. Treatment in the "field" conditions will facilitate the well-being of the child. Boric alcohol is sold in every pharmacy. The cost of one bottle of 3% acid is on average 10-20 rubles. The medicine is dispensed at a pharmacy without a prescription. To use the product for ear treatment, you need to preheat it to room temperature, moisten a thin cotton wool in it and install it in a sore ear for a couple of hours.

However, there are many opponents of this method of treatment. Some otolaryngologists are openly against the use of this drug, considering it toxic. At the same time, boric acid is an excellent antiseptic and warming agent that will not cause harm if used correctly.

The main contraindication for the use of boric alcohol in childhood is perforation of the eardrum, which is evidenced by the release of purulent or mucous contents from the ear canal. Doctors recommend a thorough examination of the baby’s ear. If there is no discharge from the ear, 3% boric alcohol can be used. It must be heated to 25-30 ° C, then moisten the cotton wool in it and put in the ear. Boric acid helps with otitis media, earwax accumulation, providing a disinfectant effect.

The use of folk recipes, reviews

In some situations, when there is completely no opportunity to get to the pharmacy and buy the necessary drugs, the only option remains - folk remedies. If a child has a sore ear, what to do at home without medication? Judging by the reviews, the following tools are considered the most common:

• Almond or pine nut oil. It needs to be slightly warmed up to a temperature no higher than 36 ° C and dripped into the sore ear three times a day.
• Infusion of flowers of medicinal chamomile. 1 tbsp. l pour a glass of boiling water and leave until it cools down. Strained infusion, rinse the sore ear twice a day. .
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If a child has a sore ear, how to help at home? Propolis tincture with honey is a truly universal folk remedy that helps with various ailments, including infectious and inflammatory processes of the inner ear. To prepare the medicine, you must mix honey and alcohol tincture of propolis, taken in equal parts. Before using the medicine, it should be slightly warmed up in a water bath. Use one drop in a sore ear three times a day.

Folk remedies, like pharmacy drugs, should be given to a child only as directed by a doctor. In the use of any medicine should be careful and observe the reaction of the child's body. Otherwise, you can get serious complications in the form of deafness, pathologies of the eardrum.

How to dig in a child’s ears

Drops should be warm, that is, be at the same temperature as the body. Usually, to hold a vial of medicine, just hold it in your hands or warm it under a stream of hot water.

The process of instillation of the ears itself is preferably carried out in the supine position. In children older than two years, when instilling, you need to slightly pull the sink back and up, in infants - back and down. The number of drops depends on the dosage indicated in the instructions. After the instillation procedure, you need to make sure that the child lies in the supine position and does not get up for at least five minutes.

Regardless of whether the child complains of only one ear or two at once, it is necessary to drip in both ears. Especially when it comes to fungal and viral infections. It is important to adhere to the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Otherwise, the child may be harmed.

Foreign body in the ear

Sometimes children get insects in their ears. Small midges or flies do not carry any mortal threat to the organs of hearing, they are not able to damage the eardrum. At the same time, insects can be carriers of various infections. Their presence in the ear canal can cause severe discomfort, pain and dizziness, as they irritate the eardrum and vestibular apparatus with their movements.

No need to try to deal with this problem at home. In the child’s ear, you can instill warm peanut butter and immediately go to the doctor who will remove the insect. Similarly, you need to act if a foreign body has got, an injury or suspicion of an ear injury has occurred. If there is no way to get an appointment with a doctor in the near future, do not hesitate - call an ambulance.

Doctors often have to remove various objects from children's ears - small balls, candy pills, pieces of cotton wool, a stationery eraser, etc. Parents may not be aware that a child has a foreign body in his ear. The only complaint made by alarmed parents is a decrease in hearing loss.

Conclusion

So, if a child suddenly has a pain in his ear, you must definitely show it to a doctor. At night, this is problematic, but some means can be used to alleviate well-being and relieve pain. It is important to make sure that there are no contraindications to their use. In pharmacies today, you can buy various medicines to relieve pain and inflammation, but they can be systematically used in childhood only as prescribed by the otolaryngologist.

Parents should be more attentive to the complaints of their children, not to ignore them. At the first symptoms, you need to go to the clinic and be examined by a doctor. An important role in the prevention of children's ear diseases is played by the state of immunity and compliance with elementary safety rules.