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Ear emergencies - Prevention

Prevention:

Never put anything in the ear canal without first consulting a health care provider.
Never thump the head to try to correct an ear problem.
Teach children not to put things in their ears.
Avoid cleaning the ear canals altogether.
After an ear injury, avoid nose blowing and getting water in the injured ear.
Treat ear infections promptly.

If you tend to feel pain and pressure when flying, drink a lot of fluid before and during the flight. Avoid the use of alcohol, caffeine, or tobacco on the day of the flight. Chew gum, suck on hard candy, or yawn during take-off and landing. Talk to your doctor about taking a decongestant or using a nasal spray before you fly.

Ear anatomy

First aid kit

Foreign object in ear

Foreign object removal

Ruptured eardrum

External and internal ear

Eardrum repair - series

Reviewed last on: 8/3/2010
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Thomas SH, White BA. Foreign bodies. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 57.

Byyny RL, Shockley LW. Scuba diving and dysbarism. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 141.

Acoustic trauma

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Ear emergencies - Prevention

Prevention:

References

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