Ear compresses for otitis media: alcohol, vodka, warming, with dimexide

Probably one of the most excruciating pains known to man is ear pain. A common cause of such pain is an inflammatory process inside the organ of hearing, which is confirmed by the diagnosis of "otitis". Since inflammation can nest in different areas of the ear, it is fairer to talk about a group of inflammatory pathologies of the ear, united by a common name and some methods of treatment, such as a compress for otitis, which is considered a folk remedy, although even experienced doctors do not argue about its effectiveness.

Benefits of a compress for otitis

Since otitis is primarily an inflammatory pathology, and as we know, inflammation does not welcome heat, many have a legitimate question: is it possible to make compresses for otitis at all? Let's try to figure this out together.

Firstly, a fairly common cause of otitis is colds and inflammatory diseases, the treatment of which includes warming procedures. In the absence of a bacterial pathogen, a compress for otitis can become the main treatment procedure. And if you start using it at an early stage of the disease, then it is quite possible that you will not have to resort to drug treatment at all.

Secondly, even if the cause of otitis is a bacterial infection, a compress in combination with other treatment methods (primarily antibiotic therapy) at the initial stage of the disease will help reduce the pain that occurs during tissue inflammation, improve metabolic processes, disinfect and create unsuitable conditions for the proliferation of microbes.

The effect of a compress depends on its type. Thus, wet compresses based on alcohol or vodka act both as a warming element, improving blood circulation and metabolic processes, and as an effective antiseptic, while a dry compress quickly relieves pain and other unpleasant symptoms of otitis.

Compresses based on herbal decoctions have a short-term warming effect, but have anti-inflammatory and even antibacterial properties depending on the raw materials used. But oil compresses have a long-term and gentle warming effect, which is why they are recommended as part of a complex therapy for otitis in small children.

But so far we have been talking about superficial inflammation caused by hypothermia, a viral infection or even a small amount of bacteria. It is a different matter if we are talking about purulent inflammation, indicating the proliferation of infection, when warming procedures will not bring any benefit, but can easily cause various complications in the form of the spread of the inflammatory process inside the body. We must be especially careful with this, because our hearing organs are located on the head, which means that the process will spread to this area, where the brain is located.

Many will say that if otitis is not treated, the same complications may arise. They are right, but this is not a reason to use dangerous treatment methods in this situation. In any case, in order not to harm your health, before you start practicing a compress for otitis, you should consult with your doctor, in this case, an otolaryngologist.

Indications for the procedure

Yes, a compress for otitis is considered a full-fledged treatment procedure that significantly alleviates the patient's condition. First of all, such treatment reduces pain. But ear pain can also occur with other diseases, when compress therapy is not used. This means that before you start using an effective folk remedy, you need to consult a doctor who will make an accurate diagnosis and tell you what types of compresses will be useful for the existing pathology.

Depending on the location of the inflammation, otitis can be external, middle or internal. In case of external otitis, the inflammation focus with or without exudate is located in the external auditory canal, and the compress can have a direct effect on the lesion as a result of close contact with the substance used in the procedure. And although it is not customary to apply a compress for otitis directly to the inflamed tissues, medicinal solutions, as in the case of tonsillitis, can easily penetrate the inner surface of the ear, having a healing effect.

In case of otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear), which in most cases develops as a complication of common inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs (laryngitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc.), the compress will act indirectly, because the medicine will not be able to penetrate deep behind the eardrum, where a small cavity called the middle ear is located. Nevertheless, the warming effect of the compress and disinfection of the external tissues of the hearing organ in the case of an alcohol composition will still have an effective therapeutic effect.

Internal otitis develops when an infectious agent enters the Eustachian tube from the inside through the bloodstream and causes inflammation inside the ear, which may well lead to blockage of the ear and hearing loss. Most often, this pathology is associated with improper treatment of other types of otitis and inflammatory diseases in the head area. In this case, purulent otitis most often develops, the treatment of which excludes warming procedures, because a compress for purulent otitis can provoke the proliferation of a bacterial infection and the spread of the inflammatory process to the brain.

How to understand that we are dealing with acute otitis, in the treatment of which various types of compresses are used. The main symptom of otitis of any localization is sudden severe pain in the ear canal, which is accompanied by hearing loss, irritability, sleep disturbances.

With external otitis, pain and itching are felt at the entrance to the ear canal. Otitis media is characterized not only by severe pain, but also by an increase in body temperature, as well as a deterioration in the patient's general condition. In general, the symptoms can be similar to acute respiratory viral infections, tonsillitis, sinusitis, but a sharp pain in the ear indicates that the inflammatory process has spread to the middle ear area.

With purulent otitis, the pain may decrease somewhat, but purulent exudate begins to be released from the ear, which indicates that bacteria continue to multiply. After all, pus is the result of their vital activity, and the greater the volume of the "result", the more severe the disease.

Congestion in the middle ear, when pus cannot penetrate the eardrum and presses on it, can cause significant hearing loss and constant headaches. When purulent contents begin to actively discharge from the ear, this indicates that the disease has moved to the second, very dangerous stage. Pus has melted the eardrum and exited the ear opening.

These alarming symptoms indicate that you need to urgently seek help from a doctor, and not try to treat the disease on your own, worsening the situation and causing various complications. In addition, pus does not always break out, and if it flows inward, complications can be dangerous even for the patient's life, not to mention possible hearing loss.

The use of compresses for purulent otitis may well provoke a breakthrough of the capsule with pus in both directions, and such treatment will have the most dire consequences.

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Preparation

A compress for otitis is an important part of the treatment process. This means that the procedure must be treated with all responsibility, as well as taking medications. You cannot start the procedure without knowing how to do it correctly.

Applying a compress to the throat during tonsillitis is unlikely to cause anyone much difficulty, but the ear has a completely different structure, so without knowing the technique of applying a compress to the ear area, you can’t do without it. Information on how to properly apply a compress to the ear during otitis can be obtained from your doctor. But some information can also be gleaned from the article presented to you for review.

First, you need to make sure that there is no high temperature. It is better to do this with a thermometer, and not by putting your palm to your forehead. If the temperature is significantly higher than subfebrile values, a warming compress can cause an even greater increase in temperature, which can be quite dangerous, because at a high temperature the blood becomes thicker and its flow slows down, which leads to oxygen starvation of tissues, because it is the blood that is responsible for delivering this important element of the periodic table to them.

Having made sure that there is no temperature, we begin to prepare the sore ear for the procedure. In principle, the preparation is not difficult, although it may cause additional pain. Using an ear stick and an antiseptic solution (herbal decoctions can be used), carefully and gently clean the ear canal from dirt and ear discharge so that the medicine in the compress has free access to the tissues affected by inflammation.

After our sore ear has been thoroughly cleaned, we give it a rest, and in the meantime we begin to prepare the materials necessary for the procedure (gauze folded several times, with a hole corresponding to the size of the ear, bandage, cotton wool, a piece of polyethylene) and prepare the selected medicinal solution used in compresses. The following can be used as medicinal solutions: oil composition, alcohol solutions, herbal decoctions, liquid medicines.

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Technique otitis media compress

Treatment with compresses for ear diseases is a fairly common practice. However, the treatment tactics may differ depending on the pathology. In case of otitis, the compress mainly performs an auxiliary function, but it is still not worth excluding the beneficial effect of such a procedure, which relieves severe pain and improves metabolic processes.

There are 2 types of compresses that can be used to treat otitis. A dry compress is a procedure aimed at protecting the ear from infection and absorbing copious discharge from the ear, which occurs with both external and middle otitis. For such a compress, use a piece of gauze or a bandage that, after folding 4-6 times, forms a square with an edge of 10 cm (and/or a piece of cotton wool of approximately the same size, about 2 cm thick) and natural fabric to fix the bandage on the head. Since the compress is dry and cannot stain the fabric, you can even fix it on your head with a regular knitted hat.

It is better to apply a dry compress on top of the auricle, closing the entrance to the ear. However, you do not need to wrap it too tightly.

A wet compress on the ear, for the preparation of which antiseptic liquids, oils, herbal decoctions are used, can pursue 2 goals: warming or cooling the tissues of the organ of hearing. Cooling of damaged tissues is required in case of injuries and bruises, as well as in case of ear bleeding. In such situations, the compress fabric is moistened with cold water and applied to the ear until the composition is heated.

Warming compresses can be further divided into 2 subtypes: warm (temperature of the composition up to 40 degrees) and hot (with a temperature of about 50 degrees), however, only warm procedures are used for otitis, and hot ones are indicated for migraine-like pain and spasms radiating to the ears.

Warming compresses are used to relieve pain and reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process. They are applied to the area of the head behind the auricle, not on top of it. To make this easier, a small through cut of about 5 cm long is made in a piece of gauze folded in several layers with a 10 cm edge, so that the auricle can pass through it freely, and the fabric itself can fit tightly to the scalp.

Before applying a compress to the ear, the gauze is moistened with a previously prepared liquid composition at room temperature or slightly warmed to body temperature. After the gauze has been saturated with liquid, it needs to be squeezed out a little so that after applying the compress, the composition does not spread over the skin.

Next, straighten the gauze and apply it to the ear, pressing it to the head and carefully bringing the auricle out through the incision. In the same way, apply compress paper or polyethylene film to the gauze, the size of which should match the gauze cut or be slightly larger than it. In the center of the film and paper, make a preliminary incision of the same length as on the gauze, and again insert the auricle into it.

The film in the compress prevents active evaporation of the medicinal composition and drying of the tissue, plus it does not allow the next layer of the compress to get wet. However, you cannot close the entrance to the ear with a film. Increased humidity against the background of heat will only contribute to the proliferation of bacteria.

The entrance to the auditory tube and the surface of the compress are covered with a fairly thick layer of cotton wool (about 2-3 cm), which will help retain heat while the medicinal composition is in effect.

Our structure should be secured with a fabric made of natural materials on top. This can be a piece of gauze, cotton or woolen fabric. A woolen grandmother's shawl or scarf is very convenient and effective in this regard. Wool will help to strengthen and prolong the warming effect.

The time for which a warming compress is applied depends on the composition used and the methods of warming the ear. Alcohol and vodka compresses are usually applied for about 4 hours, however, if the medicinal composition has cooled down earlier (after 2-3 hours), it is better to remove it, since a cold damp cloth will not be of any use for otitis, but can provoke complications. The same can be said about compresses with other liquids: herbal decoctions, liquid medicinal compositions.

Oil compresses can be safely applied overnight, as they act more gently and can retain heat for 8 hours or more.

Types of medicinal compositions for compresses for otitis

Let's begin a closer acquaintance with compresses used for inflammation of ear tissues with alcohol-containing compositions. Such compositions include diluted medical alcohol and vodka.

Many people ask what is the difference between alcohol and vodka compresses? These two compresses do not differ in their action and effective time. Alcohol in the alcohol compress used for otitis without purulent discharge is considered an excellent antiseptic, which means it disinfects the skin well on which it is applied. Plus, this substance is volatile. Evaporating from the skin, it is able to partially penetrate into the ear in the form of vapors, providing a useful antimicrobial effect there.

The irritating effect of alcohol can increase blood circulation in the affected area, which improves tissue nutrition and metabolism in them, stimulates the body's defenses to fight the disease. However, pure alcohol can cause severe irritation and even a burn of the delicate skin around the ear, so alcohol for a compress for otitis in adults and children must be diluted with water. Usually water and alcohol are mixed in a 1:1 ratio, but for very sensitive skin, it is recommended to take 2 parts of water per one part of alcohol.

A vodka compress for otitis has the same effect, but still turns out to be more popular. The reason for this is the availability of the medicinal composition. Let's face it, many people have a bottle of 40-degree liquid hidden in a secret corner in case of illness, when you need to disinfect a wound, put a compress or even take "medicine" internally (for example, in case of severe hypothermia to prevent inflammation). But 96% medical alcohol can not be found in every home.

Such inexpensive compounds as salicylic acid, boric alcohol, etc., used to disinfect the skin before an injection, are not always suitable for long-term exposure, because they contain specific additives, and it is not so easy to find an effective dose for diluting such drugs. With vodka, everything is extremely simple, especially if it is without foreign impurities. There is no need to dilute a standard vodka composition with water, since it cannot cause a burn. Another matter if homemade moonshine is used, the strength of which sometimes reaches 70 degrees. It is still better to dilute such a liquid with water, although you will need to take less water than alcohol.

The composition for the alcohol compress is usually taken at room temperature. The alcohol-containing liquid itself will in any case stimulate blood circulation, causing tissue warming. However, if the alcohol is cold, it can be diluted with warm water so that the liquid temperature becomes comfortable. Cold vodka can be slightly warmed up in a water bath. Hot composition cannot be used, therefore, if it is accidentally overheated, it will have to be cooled before use.

Herbal decoctions as a compress for otitis are not as effective as vodka compositions. It is advisable to use them only at the very beginning of the disease as a warming and anti-inflammatory component. They are also effective if irritation appears on the skin around the ear after alcohol compresses. Herbs such as chamomile, calendula, string and some others have a pronounced calming and regenerating effect, which helps restore the normal condition of the skin, relieve pain and itching on it.

Herbal decoctions for compresses for otitis are used warm. The temperature of the composition should be 37-40 degrees.

Of particular interest is such a safe and useful composition for compresses as camphor oil, it is not for nothing that it is so often used in the treatment of small patients. Yes, camphor oil does not have disinfectant properties, like alcohol compositions, but it acts very delicately and for a long time, which allows you to use such treatment at night without hindrance.

The purpose of the oil compress is to relieve severe pain that plagues patients with otitis (especially in the evening and morning), so this treatment can only be used in combination with the main one.

The only drawback of a compress with camphor oil, which is used for internal non-purulent otitis (confirmed by the attending physician, and not by personal experience and feelings!), is the difficulty of removing the greasy oil composition from the scalp and hair that has gotten under the gauze. In case of external pathology and inflammation of the middle ear, preference is given to instilling warm oil into the ear canal or inserting tampons soaked in oil into it (they are placed for 4 or more hours).

Oil for compresses and tampons must be used warm. It is most convenient to warm it up in a water bath, controlling the temperature of the composition.

A small cotton swab with oil is placed directly into the ear canal, a layer of dry cotton wool is placed on top of it and a warm scarf or shawl is tied on top. The compress is made according to the same principle as alcohol or herbal ones. A piece of gauze with a slit for the ear is moistened with heated oil, the gauze is placed on the skin, covered with a film on top, the ear is brought out and the structure is insulated with cotton wool and a warm bandage.

Both tampons and compresses can be done at any time of the day. It is quite convenient to use oil compresses at night, because they help you fall asleep, relieving pain, and do not cause discomfort, as in the daytime. However, doctors do not recommend lying on a sore ear, with or without a compress.

It is not for nothing that it is recommended to make a compress for otitis in a small child with camphor oil, because the baby's skin is more delicate and sensitive than that of adults, and its irritation with alcohol can lead to the appearance of redness, wounds, pain, and therefore new whims and tears.

In addition, such a compress can be done when the child is sleeping, which means he or she will not try to remove it. Children do not like such procedures anyway, and when sick, they become even more capricious and irritable. An oil compress lasts a long time, which means that the mother will not have to disturb the peaceful sleep of her son or daughter, exhausted by illness, to remove the cooled compress. The oil will retain heat (especially if the compress is well insulated with woolen fabric on top) until the baby wakes up.

Older children can also use alcohol compresses on the doctor's recommendation. However, you will have to take measures to protect the child's skin from irritation by lubricating it with a thick baby cream or Vaseline. If the skin is very sensitive, the alcohol is diluted with water 1:2 or such experiments are abandoned altogether.

Let's dwell on another composition that can be called medicinal with full confidence, because it is based on the drug "Dimexide". Many have heard about the properties of this cheap but effective medicine. Dimexide solution is credited with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and mild analgesic effects. In addition, this solution promotes the penetration of other drugs into deep tissues of the body, which means that antibiotics and painkillers can be administered externally in combination with it.

A major drawback of Dimexide is its rather high toxicity, so in pediatrics this medicine is used only in extreme cases and in low doses. However, as a therapeutic compress for adults who do not suffer from thyroid disorders, high blood pressure or high blood glucose levels, the drug is quite suitable.

The compress does not use pure Dimexide, but its aqueous solution. The medicine is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. Exceeding the dose of Dimexide can cause toxic effects or severe irritation of the skin behind the ears.

"Dimexide" is a drug that, like many other drugs, can in rare cases cause intolerance reactions, so before using the solution on the delicate skin behind the ears, you need to do a test on the skin of the forearm or thigh from the inside. A test compress with dimexide, which is often used for otitis on the recommendation of a doctor, should be kept on the skin for at least 2 hours. If irritation, itching, rashes appear on the body, it is not recommended to use the drug.

A compress for otitis is applied to children and adults once a day, and the time of its action is calculated based on the properties of the solutions used and the quality of the insulation.

Contraindications to the procedure

Treatment of otitis is considered to be a difficult matter, and since the disease is accompanied by severe excruciating pain in the ears, you should not ignore such an effective and relatively safe painkiller and anti-inflammatory agent as ear compresses. But caution will not hurt in this matter, because a compress for otitis, which is a medical procedure, of course, has certain contraindications.

We have talked about one of them more than once throughout the entire narrative. We are talking about purulent otitis (and it does not matter what its course is: acute or chronic), when any compresses are contraindicated, not to mention warming ones, which can only increase the number of pathogenic microorganisms in the lesion, i.e. in the ear, from where it is not so easy to remove them. Such treatment can only aggravate the situation and require the introduction of strong antibacterial drugs in large doses, which is dangerous not only for bacteria, but also for people.

In addition, the inflammatory process under the influence of heat can spread to nearby tissues, for example, to the membrane and even the body of the brain, which will lead not only to hearing loss, but also to the development of such dangerous pathologies as meningitis, encephalitis, and brain abscess.

The second important contraindication is considered to be high body temperature of the patient. The thing is that any warming procedures can cause an increased increase in already high temperature readings. And high temperature is dangerous in itself, because it affects the aggregate state of the blood, making it more viscous and disrupting normal blood flow.

Doctors do not recommend making warming compresses if there is a purulent-inflammatory process in the ear area (for example, furunculosis is developing, there is a purulent inflammation of the inner ear, invisible to the eye, mastoiditis is diagnosed, etc.). Wounds, ulcers and other skin damage can also be irritated by various compress compositions. For non-purulent wounds and abrasions, only herbal decoctions can be used.

When using medicinal preparations as compress compositions, it is necessary to take into account their contraindications. For example, according to the instructions for the preparation, Dimexide cannot be used for compresses in case of arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid dysfunction. The same applies to analgesics, antibiotics, and other medicinal products used together with Dimexide.

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Consequences after the procedure

As in most cases, the correct approach to the procedure is the prevention of unpleasant consequences and complications. To avoid them, you need to carefully study the method of using compresses, the scheme for preparing medicinal compositions, contraindications to the procedure.

If you do not take into account the contraindications to warming procedures, you can contribute not to the cure of the disease, but to its transition to a more severe stage. It is necessary to understand that inflammation of the inner ear (labyrinthitis) often becomes a complication after the procedure of warming compress, carried out for purulent otitis media. And the inflammatory process in the middle ear can be provoked not only by untreated respiratory pathologies, but also by improper treatment of external otitis, which can also occur in a purulent form.

Particular caution should be exercised when treating children. The vodka or alcohol compress that is common for otitis can irritate the delicate, thin skin of a child in the ear area, which will cause additional suffering to the child. Plus, inhaling alcohol vapors is not the best for the child's health. While skin irritation can still be prevented by covering it with a layer of protective cream or petroleum jelly, alcohol evaporation cannot be prevented in any way. The safest treatment for otitis in children is considered to be herbal decoctions and castor oil, used as medicinal compositions for compresses.

People with sensitive skin and those who are prone to allergies should also be careful. Such patients are advised to carry out tests using any medicinal liquids, because even medicinal herbs can cause allergies if they are an allergen for a particular person, and sensitive skin is prone to irritation even with a minimal concentration of alcohol in the solution.

An unpleasant consequence of oil compresses is considered to be a greasy film on the scalp and hair in the area of the sore ear, where the compress was placed. The oil itself will not cause harm, but its remains on the head can stain clothes and bed linen.

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Care after the procedure

After the warming compress has finished working and has cooled down, the cotton-gauze bandage should be removed from the ear and the skin should be carefully wiped with a napkin soaked in warm clean water or herbal decoction. Without waiting for the skin to cool down, it is wiped dry with a soft towel. If the room is cool, the ears can be covered with a scarf or cap after the heat treatment to avoid a temperature contrast. In a warm room, this is not necessary.

After removing the compress from the ear, you need to carefully examine the skin underneath. If skin irritation cannot be avoided, after removing the compress, you must wipe the skin and make warm compresses with a soothing herbal decoction, lubricate the skin with baby cream, which helps with irritation, or a wound-healing agent. In case of allergic nature of various skin phenomena, taking antihistamines is indicated.

After an oil compress, it can be difficult to wash off the greasy film from your head even with warm water. In this case, you can use baby or laundry soap, which does not irritate the skin, but can cope with the fat on the skin and hair quite well. Then, the compress area is actively blotted with a napkin. By the way, paper napkins can remove excess fat on their own, but in this case, you should not wet the skin.

Doctors recommend performing the procedure once a day. In some cases, adults may be prescribed compresses twice a day. However, if the patient begins to notice irritation on the skin after wet compresses, then preference should be given to their dry relatives, which can be kept on the ear all day or night without consequences.

Otitis is a rather dangerous and serious disease that needs to be treated in a hospital or at home. Walks with such a pathology are not always indicated and not at any time of the year. Even in fairly warm weather, after using warming compresses, you will have to avoid walking outside for several hours. This will help to avoid exacerbation of the disease and its transition to more severe forms.

A compress for otitis is an effective auxiliary treatment procedure that is not a panacea for ear diseases, but only helps in the fight against their symptoms. If, despite everything, the disease progresses and takes a purulent form, you should immediately go to the doctor to review the treatment regimen, and refuse compresses altogether. Purulent otitis requires special attention and a completely different treatment, and only a doctor in this case can help avoid the dangerous consequences of the disease.

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