How to Treat Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults Naturally
Otitis media with effusion is the collection of fluid in the middle ear. The main difference from acute otitis media is that in otitis media with effusion the patient doesn´t present any signs of ear infection. It is most common in children under 2. Otitis media with effusion in adults is quite rare. Any adult presenting otitis media with effusion symptoms should seek medical advice in order to discard any serious cause. Once the nature of otitis media with effusion has been determined, and the doctor gives the green light, you can treat otitis media with effusion at home, without antibiotics, with natural remedies. If that is your case, keep reading as we explain how to treat otitis media with effusion in adults naturally.
Steps to follow:
The symptoms of otitis media with effusion in adults are: muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ears, and sometimes mild and temporary hearing loss. The first thing to do is to make sure you have otitis media with effusion and not acute otitis media, which has similar symptoms but is characterized by an ear infection. Now, let´s look at how to treat otitis media with effusion at home.
While antibiotics are often used to treat acute otitis media, one can usually treat otitis media with effusion without antibiotics. While you wait for you second checkup, usually after a couple of months, you can treat otitis media with effusion with natural remedies.
First of all, stay away from cigarette smoke and allergenic substances such as dust. One effective remedy to treat otitis media with effusion in adults is exposing the ear to a source of steam coming from boiling water and salt. Blowing your nose very often, but not too strongly, is another way to treat otitis media with effusion at home.
Since otitis media with effusion in adults normally follows a respiratory infection or an excessive exposure to water, treating otitis media with effusion with natural remedies includes avoiding total submersion in the water, scuba diving, change in air pressure (such as during flights), treating sinusitis properly, and staying away from allergenic triggers.
If treating otitis media with effusion with natural remedies is not working, in order to treat otitis media with effusion without antibiotics you could use anti-inflammatory medications and analgesics, prescribed by a specialist, and for the number of days they recommend.
If the fluid doesn´t disappear after treating otitis media with effusion with natural remedies, or if you have new symptoms and complications, you should see a doctor again to assess the cause of such persistence.
Methods the doctor might offer to treat otitis media with effusion in adults include autoinflation, which opens the Eustachian tube, or laser assisted miringotomy. However, the doctor would probably just investigate the causes further and keep you under observation. It is most common to treat otitis media with effusion without antibiotics, but in rare cases doctors may deem them necessary.
If otitis media with effusion persists, and you have tried the remedies mentioned earlier, in addition to the specific treatment for otitis media with effusion in adults prescribed by your doctor, you can complementary help treating otitis media with effusion with natural remedies, at home. Some other remedies include:
- Chamomile: you can fill a small bag with chamomile leaves and apply it on the ear fixing it with a hot towel. Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce the swelling that causes this infection.
- Eliminate dairy products from your diet as they increase the production of mucus that can block the Eustachian tubes.
- Chew gum with xylitol. This natural ingredient fights bacteria and prevents infections of the middle ear.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Treat Otitis Media with Effusion in Adults Naturally, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.
