| Ear infections are something that no one wants to have to deal with. At their most mild, they?re extremely irritating, while at their worst they are exceedingly painful. No matter when they crop up, they?re always a problem. It?s even worse for some people who chronically develop ear infections.
As they say, prevention is the best medicine. Prevention is the best form of home remedy. Ear infection doesn?t have to be a problem anymore if you follow a few simple steps. There are a lot of simple things that you can do at home to help prevent ear infections from happening. However, before trying any home remedies it?s a good idea to visit a doctor at least once.
For example, one common cause of the type of ear infection called swimmers ear is getting water in the ears. This most commonly happens when a person goes swimming ? hence the name. There are some steps you can take while enjoying a day at the beach or at the pool to help protect against ear infection.
One thing you can do is use a blow dryer on your ears after you?ve completed a swim. You don?t want to hold the blow dryer too close as it can be really hot, but just blow some of that warm air into your ears. This helps to evaporate any extra moisture in the ear canal, which means there?s no place for bacteria and fungus to grow. Another option is simply to wear earplugs when you go for a swim. Ear plugs moisture from getting into your ears in the first place, which helps protect against infection.
Ear infections are sometimes caused by the ear canals getting clogged up. This particularly happens at night, because during the day your head is held upright and the tubes in your ears can drain properly. There are some ways to help avoid these tubes from getting blocked up.
A lot of the tricks that people use to make their ears ?pop? can also help to make sure that your ear canals stay clear. For example, just chewing gum flexes the muscles around your ear canal, causing them to expand and contract. Yawning has the same sort of motion and also helps with this.
Another simple way to clear out those tubes is just to take a breath and then close your mouth. Then, blow out your nose gently while firmly closing your nostrils off with your hand. It?s something that?s almost instinctual, but it helps keep the ear canals clear.
If you know you?re the type of person prone to getting ear infections, you can also think about using ear drops or other over the counter medicines as preventative measures. It may seem paranoid but it?s worth it to avoid a nasty infection.
Since the things you can do at home are so easy, prevention really is the best sort of home remedy. Ear infection is a nasty price to have to pay for not taking proper care of your ears. Do yourself a favor and improve your overall ear health today. Always remember if your ear infections are chronic, you should always consult your physician. |