How is an ear infection treated?
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Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered:If the ear infection is caused by bacteria, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic or antimicrobial. This medication fights the bacteria, which reduces the inflammation and ear pain and allows the ear to drain. Your doctor may prescribe a nasal decongestants and guaifenisin (a mucus mobilizer) to help the mucus drain.
Sometimes doctors prescribe analgesic ear drops if ear pain is a problem. Other medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce pain. While an acute ear infection may cause pain for a short time, chronic otitis media is an ear infection that last a long time. chronic otitis mediaIf all measures fail, an ENT doctor may perform an operation to promote drainage of fluid and to reduce ear pain.If the ear infection is caused by bacteria, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic or antimicrobial. This medication fights the bacteria, which reduces the inflammation and ear pain and allows the ear to drain. Your doctor may prescribe a nasal... More -
Intermountain Healthcare answered:To help treat ear infections:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Take any medicine your doctor prescribes. Most of the time, treating the symptoms is all you need to do. The infection will often go away without medicine. If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, follow the directions. Take the medicine every day until it's all gone. Do this even if your ear doesn't hurt anymore.
- Use medicine or eardrops to ease pain. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the best medicine for you.
- Use acetaminophen (like Tylenol) or ibuprofen (like Advil). Do not give aspirin to a child or teen -- it increases risk for a serious problem called Reye's syndrome.
- Use eardrops prescribed by your doctor. Or, you can use drops of warm (not hot) mineral oil. Do not use drops if your child has had surgery to put in ear tubes.
- Signs that the eardrum has burst (fluid or blood draining from the ear)
- Pain that doesn't go away
- High fever or long-lasting fever
To help treat ear infections: Get plenty of rest. Take any medicine your doctor prescribes. Most of the time, treating the symptoms is all you need to do. The infection will often go away without medicine. If your doctor prescribes an... More -
RealAge answered:If an infection is present, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Amoxicillin is the antibiotic most commonly used for ear infections. It is very important to take the entire antibiotic prescribed and to take it as scheduled. Antibiotic therapy is generally prescribed for a week to ten days, depending on the antibiotic prescribed.
Medication may also be given to help open the eustachian tube. Nose drops, decongestants and antihistamines may be used for this purpose with the approval of a physician. The doctor will probably want to re-examine the ears after treatment to be sure the infection is gone. The doctor will also want to know if there isn't improvement after a few days on an antibiotic. A change in prescription might be recommended if the first one isn't working.
If the problem is a buildup in earwax, the doctor will drain the wax. This may be done using prescription eardrops that will dissolve the wax, so it can drain. Attempts to remove this blockage on your own may push it further into the canal and worsen the problem.If an infection is present, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Amoxicillin is the antibiotic most commonly used for ear infections. It is very important to take the entire antibiotic prescribed and to take it as scheduled. Antibiotic... More
