Ear Infection

Ear infections can be extremely painful, and often occur along with another problem such as a sore throat, common cold, or toothache. The ear infection generally clears in 2 to 3 days

The causes for ear infections vary greatly and medical treatment is usually not necessary. All that is usually needed is to take paracetamol to help with the discomfort

However, a doctor will consider prescribing antibiotic ear drops if:

• the infection is severe
• the infection is getting worse after 2 to 3 days
• there is a discharge from the ear

It is not unusual for slight hearing loss and discomfort to persist for 1 to 2 weeks after an ear infection. This is caused by mucus that remains after the infection has cleared. Do not be tempted to use cotton buds to clean your ears / remove the mucus, as you are likely to make things worse, and perhaps cause damage such as a perforated ear drum

Source: LSMP

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Last revision: April 2011