Ear infection treatments

Ear infections can be treated a few different ways. Sometimes it depends upon the severity, however, frequency is most often the determining factor.

Medically, physicians often prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria that cause the infection. The first characteristic a doctor looks for to diagnose an infection includes a reddening of the ear drum, or tympanic membrane. Secondly, they may be able to see liquid inside the middle ear through the ear drum which is somewhat opaque or easy to see through. Lastly, they may need to check the compliance or ability of the ear drum to move by sending a little puff of air through the otoscope (the lighted tool for seeing inside the ear canal) to see if the ear drum moves or vibrates the way it should. Without ear drum compliance or movement, sound can not move the ear drum that moves the three tiny bones of the middle ear which eventually turn the vibration into sound inside the brain.

It is important for patients to use the entire amount of antibiotics prescribed to fight off the infection. It is necessary to completely kill off the bacteria. If one bacteria is left to survive, it can create millions of more bacteria in a few hours and cause a re-infection. Also, these bacteria become increasingly more resistant to antibiotics meaning bacteria are smart and can learn to survive at all costs by changing themselves into something antibiotics can no longer kill. This is very dangerous. We have all heard of antibiotics not working to kill some infections and some people have died because antibiotics did not work for them for other infections, etc. This of course is the worst-case scenerio, but now I hope you understand my point: take medicine the way the doctor told you to!! End of sermon.

Physicians have a "standard" they use to decide the next step for those who suffer frequent infections. My doctor told me that if my son had three ear infections within three months time then an examination by the otolaryngologist or ear, nose, throat specialist (ENT) was warranted. Which leads me to the next treatment option: tubes.

Surgically, this is an invasive procedure. This means it will take general anesthesia (probably) and is considered a major operation. They have to cut something with a scalpel. Yup. They make a small cut in each of the ear drum(s) affected and insert a teeny tube which helps the middle ear dry out by holding the ear drum open for a few weeks (hopefully, if they don't fall out). Bacteria can not live in dry environments!!

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