A cold snap, a cold, a tonsillitis. It doesn’t take much for the Eustachian tubes, those channels that connect the back of the mouth with the ear, to be obstructed by mucus and become inflamed.
And so otitis is unleashed. In adults it is an infrequent phenomenon, but in children in the first years of life, habitual victims of viral and bacterial infections of the nose and throat, ear inflammations are very common. With all that this means in terms of pain, malaise, crying, loss of appetite and restless nights.
To reduce the likelihood of the disorder setting in, it is first necessary to prevent the conditions that favor it, namely colds, flu, tonsillitis and bronchitis, avoiding two discomforts in one fell swoop.
How to do it? In addition to protecting the child from sudden changes in temperature and, as far as possible, from the occasions of contagion (proximity to people already sick, frequenting crowded public places during periods of maximum spread of influenza viruses, etc.), an effective remedy comes from sea water.
Or rather, from sterile isotonic solutions characterized by a composition of mineral salts similar to marine ones, to be used in drops for daily nasal washes or in the form of aerosols to free the nose from secretions, attenuate initial inflammation and rebalance the mucous membranes, making them less susceptible to attack by viruses and bacteria.
In drops or with aerosol
They are very simple to use and very well tolerated even by babies of a few months. In the case of nasal washes, it is sufficient to instill a few drops in each nostril and, therefore, eliminate them together with the mucus with a small soft rubber nasal aspirator, or by blowing the baby’s nose with a certain decision.
In the case of aerosol, simply add the solution to the ampoule of the appliance and proceed with the administration of steam with the mask as usual.
In addition to preventive purposes, these two interventions are also valuable when otitis is already present, to promote healing in a physiological way and without the risk of side effects.
It must be remembered that for ear inflammations there are not many effective remedies. And this is because, in most cases, to determine them are the aforementioned obstruction of the Eustachian tubes or viruses, against which there are no specific appropriate drugs.
In cases, fortunately rare, in which there is a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be useful, but the opportunity of their use must always be established by the doctor and in any case limited to situations of actual need, if you do not want to draw more harm than good.
If very intense, to relieve pain and inflammation in the ear and alleviate any fever associated with otitis, an analgesic or anti-inflammatory drug can be administered, but even in this case it must always be the doctor to advise it and to indicate times and dosages of treatment.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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