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Posted on November 1, 2007 by Sarah Bais | Posted under Health
Adult Ear Infections - Treatment and Prevention
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Ear infections usually affect children, but this does not mean that adults are protected from them. Adult ear infections are caused by an ailment of an important part of the inner ear. Let's take a look at the anatomy of the ear. Here, in the inner ear, we have the Eustachian tube, which most important role is to let the fluid from the ears be drained through their connection with the nasal passages. Another role is helping equalize the pressure between outside and inside of the body. Its draining role is what causes infection in the Eustachian tube. Imagine it like a sewer that can get stuck with various substances like mucous. When the amount of fluid there is too big, an infection may appear. Adult ear infections are not exactly illnesses. They may appear due to a cold, because of the high amount of mucous produced by the body. But they also may be caused by other situations, like when you blow your nose or you cannot clean the water from your ears after a bath. Then, a high amount of mucous gets in the Eustachian tube, favoring the appearance of an adult ear infection. Viruses are also responsible for adult ear infections and they are the most difficult to treat. Complications It is very important to discover and treat adult ear infections. When not detected, they may lead to the appearance of complications. Such complications, that make the infection more difficult to treat, are pain, pressure or the accumulation of fluid in the ear. The inner ear is made of a sensitive tissue that may swell when an infection occurs or the amount of fluid there pressures the walls. Adenoids may swell in such cases, too, and this pressure may lead to pain in the ear. When you suffer from an adult ear infection, you may experience temporary loss of hearing. The fluid gathered in the ear plugs the tube and it prevents the sound from reaching the ear. This is not real damage to the ear and after the swelling disappear and the draining of the fluid gets back to normal, the problem is gone. How To Treat Them The best known treatment for adult ear infections is through medication which includes, in all the cases, antibiotics. These meds help curing the infection, be it caused by bacteria or viruses. When the infection is bacterial, the treatment is not complicated and the result appear quick. But those caused by viruses are more difficult to treat. One solution is myringotomy, a medical procedure consisting of insertion of a small plastic tube in the eardrum. This acts as a temporary aid in relieving the pressure and regulating the fluid passage. After it has done its job, the small tub falls out, leaving the ear healthy. When adenoids are swelled due to the adult ear infections, surgery is used for removing them. This is not complicated and adenoids are not necessary for the human body, so removing them is not a serious issue. How To Prevent Them There are ways to avoid the appearance of adult ear infections. The best way of preventing them is by keeping the nose free of bacteria. You may use nasal sprays with xylitol which are very effective in preventing the bacteria to build up in the nose and cause infection. If you do not nasal sprays too much, you can go for chewing gum with xylitol. When you use this sort of gum, the substance is released in your mouth and throat and it acts against bacteria by preventing it to get in the nose and the ear. About The Author: Sarah Bais is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - http://www.articleclick.com |
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