Working With A Family Doctor

When your child is suffering from a fever, seems to be in pain, is not feeling well in general and you take them to the pediatrician, you may be surprised to find out the symptoms are caused by a condition known as acute otitis media (also known as a middle ear infection). Luckily, once your pediatrician makes the diagnosis of acute otitis media, there are numerous treatment options, both conventional and homeopathic, that you can try to relieve your child's discomfort and help them get rid of their infection. Get to know some of these treatment options and get started helping your child feel better.

Watch and Wait with Home Remedies

More and more doctors are shying away from prescribing antibiotics at the first sign and diagnosis of acute otitis media. This is largely due to the fact that the overuse of antibiotics is leading to the development of drug-resistant bacteria, making future ear infections and other health issues difficult (if not impossible) to treat. 

As such, if your doctor wants to wait and see, you can still use home remedies to help your child feel better in the meantime. Analgesic medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with the discomfort your child experiences, as well as any fever. If it is winter and the air in your home is dry, using a humidifier may also help to relieve some of the pressure in their ears. Warm, moist washcloths over the ear that is infected can also help with this issue.

Antibiotic Medications

Antibiotic or antimicrobial medications are often the first line of defense used when your child has a case of acute otitis media. These medications are designed to help destroy the bacteria that cause the middle ear infection your child is suffering from, and in the process, relieve the associated symptoms as well.

Nasal Balloons

On the cutting edge of potential treatments for acute otitis media is the use of nasal balloons. Specifically, this treatment has been shown to be effective in treating otitis media with effusion (liquid in the middle ear).

This treatment is generally used if your child has suffered from more than one case of acute otitis media. A small balloon is stretched and then inserted into the nasal passage of the patient and then is inflated by simply blowing through the nostril. The balloon is inflated three times a day and is meant to help with the pressure and drainage of the middle ear.

Now that you know a few of the treatment options for your acute otitis media, you can be sure that you take all of the steps necessary to provide your child with the care they need to feel better as soon as possible and to prevent any permanent hearing loss or other ear problems. Contact a company like Desert Knolls Hearing Center for more information.