Ears are one of the weakest organs of man. Drafts, infections, water after a shower - all this can lead to inflammation requiring urgent treatment, otherwise the consequences of inaction can be serious. And one of them is deafness. The inflammatory process in the ears is called otitis media. But what is this pathology? And what antibiotic for the ears will help get rid of the disease quickly and without consequences?
Otitis: what is this ailment?
Otitis is an acute or chronic form of inflammation that can develop in one or more ear zones: external, middle or internal. Treatment of otitis media in adults with antibiotics is mandatory. Without such drugs, it will be very difficult to quickly deal with the symptoms and microorganisms that caused inflammation.
Poorly cured ear pathologies require the use of antibacterial agents, and in some cases several types have to be used right away: drugs can be administered intramuscularly, in the form of drops directly into the ear, or taken orally in the form of tablets. But what causes otitis media? What types of disease exist?
Types of otitis media. Causes
Otitis is a disease that can affect any of the three parts of the ear, which is why, depending on the focus of inflammation, the pathology is divided into three types:
- otitis externa;
- otitis media
- inflammatory process of the inner ear, or labyrinthitis.
The reasons that cause this or that type of pathology are a huge number, but the main ones are:
- diseases of the nasopharynx, which lead to swelling and inflammation of the middle ear;
- pathologies that weaken the immune system, including measles and flu;
- cold water entering the ear during water procedures or swimming in a pond;
- injuries and damage to the eardrum ;
- hereditary predisposition.
Depending on which pathogen provoked the disease, otitis can be divided into the following types:
Treatment of otitis media in adults with antibiotics is effective, but what drugs are suitable for a particular patient should be decided by the doctor depending on the complexity of the disease and its course. But what symptoms may indicate an inflammatory process in the auricle?
Symptoms
Each type of otitis media has its own symptoms, but the following are considered common:
- throbbing pain in the ear area;
- discomfort behind the ear;
- increase in body temperature;
- chills;
- noise and discomfort in the ear;
- hearing loss.
As already mentioned, each form of the disease has its own symptoms. Take, for example, otitis externa. Symptoms and treatment in adults raise many questions. How to find out what exactly is this form of the disease? How to eliminate discomfort? Do I need to take antibiotics or can I do with folk remedies?
Otitis externa is an inflammatory process on the skin of the auricle, an exciting and external auditory canal. Most often, it is caused by fungal or bacterial infections. There are two types of otitis externa: spilled and limited. Most often, in patients this ailment manifests itself in the form of boils - an acute purulent process of the sebaceous gland, which was caused by pyogenic microorganisms.
The symptoms of external otitis can be recognized by the following signs:
- itching
- pain when touching the inflamed area;
- swelling, redness of the skin;
- fever.
Otitis media of the external auditory canal is one of the mild forms of pathology, but even in this case, ear antibiotics are needed. Without such drugs, complications may develop.
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear. It is this form of the disease that is most often found in both adults and children. What is required if otitis media is diagnosed, treatment? In adults, antibiotics can cause a lot of protest, however, it is the drugs of this group that are prescribed first. Of course, the doctor will take into account the etiology of the disease. As mentioned earlier, the nature of the disease can be both viral and bacterial. Among bacteria, it is most often streptococci and hemophilic bacillus that cause inflammation of the middle ear. But among viruses, the development of pathology in the ear can be caused by both influenza and rhinovirus or respiratory syncytial virus. The presence of an inflammatory process can be determined by the following symptoms:
- throbbing pain;
- shooting pain in the ear ;
- the discomfort;
- weakness;
- sleep disorder;
- lack of appetite;
- hearing impairment.
Also, inflammation of the middle ear can occur due to a runny nose or flu, during which the immune system weakens and the number of bacteria in the nose and throat increases. The nasal cavity is connected with the middle ear, and fluid and bacteria accumulate in it, which provoke inflammation. And here it’s just necessary to turn to a specialist, it’s almost impossible to help a person with traditional medicine Treatment of otitis media in adults with broad-spectrum antibiotics, which will kill all bacteria, relieve swelling and return hearing, can be lengthy, but therapy should not be neglected. The disease can occur in different ways, if measures are not taken in time, this can lead to more serious forms of the disease:
- acute otitis media;
- chronic otitis media.
Acute otitis media is an inflammation associated with the localization of fluid in the middle ear. With this form, the patient often rises in temperature and stays within 39 degrees. It’s not possible to bring her down, a couple of hours - and she rises again. Often patients say that they hear somewhere inside their own voice. But the appearance of pus in the cavity of the middle ear suggests that acute otitis media has already passed to the next stage. Purulent otitis media in adults (antibiotic treatment in this case is simply necessary, and treatment should be started as soon as possible) - this is not a pleasant phenomenon, and self-medication is indispensable here.
But it is worth remembering that the first couple of days the treatment is not carried out, at this time most often the tympanic membrane ruptures, and the pus comes out. The patient feels relief, the body temperature drops and the pain recedes. In addition to pus, you can notice blood and serous discharge, but this is even for the better - this means that the ear is cleaned.
The next type of pathology is chronic otitis media. Treatment (including antibiotics) is necessary. The disease develops if acute therapy is started at the wrong time or if the course is not fully completed. The chronic form of the disease manifests itself in the same way as the acute one: there is an increase in temperature, worsening of the general condition, itching, discomfort in the ear, hearing loss, etc. Chronic otitis media can be of several types:
- tubotympanic;
- epimesotympanitis;
- epithympanitis.
In addition to all the forms of otitis media described above, there is another one - bilateral otitis media. This pathology affects both ears. If you do not start treatment of otitis media in adults with antibiotics, then this form can lead to perforation of the eardrum. If the pus has accumulated long enough, then the pressure in the middle ear increases, as a result, the membrane becomes thinner, and there is a risk of rupture. In some cases, doctors advise you to have surgery, make a puncture in the eardrum, and not wait until everything happens by itself.
Inflammation of the inner ear is another form of pathology that doctors call labyrinthitis. This disease is much less common than external and otitis media. Treatment (antibiotics are vital) is quite difficult and lengthy, and the disease itself is considered the most dangerous, it can even threaten the patient's life. Purulent processes affect bone tissue, which leads to serious consequences.
What can be complications after otitis media?
At the slightest suspicion of otitis media treatment (in adults, antibiotics in this case are a lifesaver, but their use is not always necessary), you need to start immediately. If time is missed, the acute form will develop into a chronic one, and then into a labyrinthitis, which in the end can end in failure, right up to a fatal outcome. But this is not all, inaction can lead to other conditions - intramuscular complications:
- violation of the integrity of the eardrum;
- inflammation of bone cells - mastoiditis;
- paralysis of the facial nerve.
In addition, intracranial complications may occur, including:
- inflammatory process in the membrane of the brain - meningitis;
- inflammation of the brain - encephalitis;
- accumulation of fluid in the cerebral cortex - hydrocephalus.
But even all these complications sometimes do not scare people as much as antibiotic therapy, and many patients ask doctors a question: is it necessary to take such a large list of drugs? Which antibiotics for otitis media give the best result, and which ones can simply be excluded from the list recommended by the doctor?
Do I need to take antibiotics for otitis media?
Antibiotics are very important in almost any inflammatory process in the body. But still, many doctors believe that, until spontaneous perforation of the ear membrane and fluid exit occurs, there is no need to take such drugs. The acute stage of an uncomplicated form of the disease lasts about 5 days. Antimicrobial treatment is used only if systematic therapy has not brought the desired relief: the pain does not go away, the hearing has worsened even more, and symptoms of general intoxication of the body are noticeable.
After the first signs of pus exit appear, they immediately take an analysis of the microflora content and determine which antibacterial agents it is sensitive to. After that, appropriate preparations are selected and treatment of otitis media of adults is started. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are the best choice, because it is not always possible to take exudate for analysis.
After completing therapy, it is better to be safe and relapse prevention (more on that below).
What antibiotics are best used to treat otitis media?
There are a huge number of drugs that perfectly cope with any kind of inflammation, they help in the treatment of otitis media. One of the most popular is Amoxicillin. This drug has excellent antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. But it is advised to take it only to those patients who do not have an allergic reaction to semisynthetic penicillins. In addition, it is worth remembering that this medicine is contraindicated in people with impaired liver function, pregnant and lactating women.
Aminoglycoside netilmicin is a tool for local injection, but it is allowed to use it only the first two weeks, no more. Thanks to him, it is possible to effectively and quickly treat otitis media in adults. Drugs should be selected individually for each patient, but there is a list of those drugs that will help everyone cope with inflammation in the ear:
- “Levomycetin” (alcohol solution) - it is recommended to drip 2 drops in the ear if the patient has a purulent form of otitis media;
- "Amoxicillin" - taken orally 3-3.5 grams per day (at one time or divided into several);
- “Augmentin” - 375 mg three times a day;
- "Cefuroxime" - is used as an intramuscular injection;
- "Ceftriaxone" - once a day intramuscularly;
- Ampicillin - intramuscularly.
Rules for taking antibiotics
Each antibiotic has instructions for use, which must be read before proceeding with therapy. For each patient with otitis media, treatment is selected individually, taking into account the form and course of the pathology. The dose is selected depending on the causative agent of the disease, the severity of the disease, the patient's body weight and age.
The loading dose can be applied only in the first three days. If during this time there is no relief, you need to change the form of administration of drugs. The course of treatment is determined depending on the data of clinical studies, the tactics of therapy can be changed only if there is a persistent remission.
Basically, the course of treatment is 7-10 days. But it is worth remembering that side effects from taking antibiotics may appear, and you need to tell your doctor about them. It is very important to monitor the work of the kidneys and liver. If serious changes are revealed in the next laboratory tests, the treatment tactics will urgently need to be changed. In addition to the fact that antibiotics for ear treatment are available in the form of a solution for injection or tablets, there are also drops that also help to quickly cope with the symptoms of the disease.
Drops from otitis media in adults
Due to the huge variety of ear drops, you can quickly get rid of inflammation and thereby cure otitis media effectively. Symptoms and treatment in adults are often identical, but still the doctor should select the drugs, because each organism has its own characteristics, and the same medicine in two people with the same form of pathology can cause different reactions. You can remove the inflammation in the ear with the following drops:
- hormonal - Otipax or Otinum;
- antibacterial - “Tsipromed” or “Levomycetin”;
- combined - “Anauran” or “Sofradeks”.
But it is worth remembering that if swelling, itching or rash appears after applying the drops, then they need to be urgently canceled. Most likely, they simply do not fit, but, as practice has shown, Sofradex drops are often recommended for treatment of adults and children, since they have almost no contraindications and side effects, and they cope well with inflammation.
Common treatments for otitis media
Treatment of otitis media should be combined. Therapy should be aimed at removing all the symptoms in the very first days, and then removing all the fluid from the ear and removing the inflammatory process. Many doctors use a special strategy, which includes several main points:
- Reduction of pain. To relieve pain, it is advised to start taking paracetamol 1 g four times a day on the first day. Otipax drops are also well anesthetized - 4 drops up to three times. You can relieve pain with a compress according to Tsitovich - mix 3% boric acid and glycerin, make a swab, dip in the solution and insert into the ear, hold the compress for at least 3 hours.
- Remove swelling and improve the outflow of pus from the middle ear. For these purposes, it is advised to use nasal drops - “Nazivin”, “Tizin” or “Naftizin”, 2 drops up to three times a day.
- Remove the swelling of the mucous membrane of the Eustachian tube. In this case, it is advised to use antihistamines, such as Diphenhydramine, Suprastin or Tavegil. These drugs are advised to be used if otitis media is caused by an allergy.
- Remove ear inflammation. Treatment in adults with antibiotics in this case includes without fail. Selected drugs from the list that was presented above.
If inflammation in the ear worries very often, then in this case, preventive measures can not be dispensed with.
Otitis Prevention
To reduce the likelihood of frequent development of otitis media, it is necessary first of all to treat a runny nose and other pathologies of the upper respiratory tract in a timely manner. In the cold season, wear a hat to protect your hearing from wind and frost. Carefully carry out hygiene of the ears, then you will not need to use an antibiotic for the ears.
In addition, in order to protect yourself from the chronic form of the inflammatory process in the respiratory tract and mucous membranes, which can become a provoking factor in the development of pathology, you should abandon bad habits - alcohol abuse and smoking. You also need to monitor your health, and then treatment for otitis media may not be needed.
Especially important is the prevention of the disease in people with reduced immunity. Their colds develop very quickly, which means that the risk of developing otitis media is high.