Ear Infections: Treatment

There are several medications that may be used to treat an ear infection. The body may resolve an infection without antibiotics in some cases.

If there is a bacterial cause for an infections antibiotics may be used to treat the ear infections, Your health care provider may also prescribe anantihistamine for allergies. A decongestant may be recommended for a cold. It is important to take all the medicine just as your health care provider prescribes it to give your body time to get rid of the infection.

Surgery for Ear Infections

In some cases, surgery may be a treatment option for patients with ear infections.

• Ventilation Tubes: By placing small tubes in the eardrum, this procedure may help reduce recurrent infection, fluid build-up and hearing loss, or pressure associated with Eustachian tube dysfunction.

• Adenoidectomy/Tonsillectomy: Chronically infected adenoids and tonsils can cause ear infections (otitis media) and they are sometimes removed at the same time ventilation tubes are put in place.

• Myringotomy: This procedure involves creating small openings in the eardrum to help it drain the fluid, pus and/or mucus, and to relieve the pressure that causes pain. The eardrum incision heals in a few days and generally leaves no scarring or damage to the eardrum.

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