Ear infection is a common ailment mostly found among children, and seldom in adults. The article focuses on different methods that are used for inner ear infection treatment.
Viral infections, bacterial infections and allergies are the common causes of inner ear infection. It is made up of a structure consisting of fluid-filled sacs and tubes which lie beneath the skull. These are the organs of the human body, which are responsible for hearing (cochlea) and helping us decipher vertical directions (up and down), and so it is called the balance organ or the vestibular system. Either or one of these organs may be affected and cause inner ear infection. A person suffering from this infection, faces problems with his balance and experience vomiting and a distinct ringing in the ears (tinnitus). The infection may also lead to temporary hearing loss in extreme cases.
Treatment
To begin the treatment, it is important to determine the symptoms and their severity. Early symptoms of inner ear infections include fever, swollen glands, dizziness, vomiting, (tinnitus) ringing in the ear and malaise. Onset of blurry or double vision, photophobia (sensitivity to bright light), jumping vision, joint pain, neck pain, headache and leg stiffness are also related to problems with the inner ear. Symptoms at a later stage may include occurrence of motion sickness, confusion, forgetfulness, slurred speech, heat and cold intolerance, fatigue, and influenza-like symptoms. Apart from these, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression may also show up in the affected person. The treatment is as follows:
# During the occurrence of such symptoms, eating light food such as vegetable juices, broths, soups, herbal tea, lemon drinks and drinking plenty of water is recommended. As the infection mostly occurs in the form of an inflammation, including ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne and fish oils are beneficial for the recovery. These foods are known to be anti-inflammatory, and their use relieves the pressure on the ear nerves. Increasing the consumption of protein-rich foods, and refraining from poor quality food like fats, caffeine, aspirin, salt, sugar and fried foods, speedup the recovery.
# At home, one can make use of colloidal silver for washing the ear, and using drops of lobelia oil, garlic or olive oil. Sometimes, the ear gets hot, red and swollen and the pain may be intolerable. In such a case, these oils which have been mentioned above prove beneficial for relieving the pain. Alternatively, a homeopathic remedy known as aconite, also comes in handy. Pain in the inner ear may radiate to the cheek in some cases. For this, chamomile is an effective treatment option.
# Other medical procedures to eliminate an infection of the inner ear may include the administration of antibiotics for the infection caused by bacteria. This may involve using the drugs orally or through an intravenous line (IV). An inner ear infection that has a virus as its underlying cause, may be treated with corticosteroids (administered as drugs, they reduce swelling and decrease the body’s immune response). These drugs may include prednisone or they may be antiviral.
It is also necessary that you consult an ENT (ear nose throat) specialist for professional advice and recommendation. Infections or any problem of the inner ear is diagnosed through a hearing test, Electronystagmography (ENG), ECOG, Posturography or Platform test, the Rotary Chair test and imaging tests such as X-ray, CT scans and MRI scans. Being a very delicate and a sensitive part of the human ear, any ear problems (pertaining to outer, middle or inner ear) should be addressed at an early stage and treated as soon as possible to keep matters from becoming worse.
