Otitis media precautions

Otitis media refers to an inflammatory lesion of all or part of the middle ear, which is particularly common in children. There are many causes of otitis media. Bacterial or viral infection of the middle ear, or some cold symptoms may cause otitis media. Generally speaking, the symptoms of otitis media are obvious and can be detected in time. When a child shows some symptoms of otitis media, he or she should go to the hospital immediately to avoid missing the opportunity for treatment and affecting the child's hearing.

It is quite troublesome for parents when their baby suffers from otitis media, because the child is too young and cannot express his or her feelings, which leads to the disease not being treated in time and thus missing the best time for treatment. Therefore, parents should pay special attention to their baby's behavior in this regard, and go to the hospital immediately if they find any abnormal behavior.

What should patients with otitis media pay attention to in their daily lives?

1. If you have a cold, especially a stuffy nose, do not take it lightly and seek treatment early to avoid aggravating the condition of otitis media.

2. Patients with otitis media who have been treated should still undergo regular examinations to check for recurrence, understand the extent of hearing improvement, and receive guidance on how and when to perform middle ear inflation treatment.

3. Balanced diet and lifestyle. Reducing the use of tobacco, alcohol and spicy foods, and avoiding situations where colds may be transmitted can keep the nose, pharynx and Eustachian tube healthy, thereby preventing otitis media from worsening.

4. Patients with otitis media should maintain a peaceful environment, avoid excessive exercise, play the flute or balloon, rinse their mouths at any time to maintain oral hygiene, try to breathe through their noses, sleep on their side with the affected ear facing down, and avoid blowing their noses too hard. Appropriate exercise can also help keep the nasal passages and Eustachian tubes open, maintaining the excretion and ventilation functions of the middle ear.

5. Develop correct medical habits and follow the guidance and treatment of ENT specialists. Never act on your own and think that the symptoms have been alleviated and stop taking the medicine or discontinue treatment, which may cause the condition to become chronic or produce side effects.

6. For those with chronic otitis media and perforated eardrum, special attention should be paid to prevent unclean water from entering the middle ear through the external auditory canal, which may aggravate the inflammation. If necessary, earplugs can be used to prevent this. If water enters the ear, it can be dried with a hair dryer, or the ear can be moved sideways to allow the water to flow out, and avoid digging the ear to cause further injury.

7. Patients with cholesteatoma should pay special attention to whether there is recurrence, foul-smelling otorrhea, decreased hearing, or the occurrence of the above-mentioned complications after surgical treatment. These are all signs that another surgery is needed.

Otitis media has the characteristic of recurring, so even if otitis media is cured, you should pay more attention to your daily life in the future to avoid recurrence of the disease. During the treatment process, the ears will feel extremely itchy, but you should be careful not to use blunt objects to dig your ears, so as to avoid infection of the ear epidermis and cause a series of more serious diseases.