What are the first aid measures for children's earache?

In daily life, what parents worry about and fear the most is that their children will get sick. In addition, children have poor resistance and immunity, so they can easily get sick. Adults are helpless and can only rush them to the hospital. If no emergency measures are used at the time, the consequences can often be fatal. Therefore, it is still necessary for us to learn some common sense in daily life. Today I will teach you first aid for a child with earache.

Generally speaking, there are many reasons for children's ear pain, such as colds, otitis media, ear neuralgia, and nasopharyngeal diseases. Children will feel very uncomfortable when they have earache, so what should we do when children have earache? Let’s take a closer look below!

Otitis media

Otitis media is the most common cause of ear pain in children. It is often related to upper respiratory tract infection, which causes swelling of the Eustachian tube mucosa, causing it to narrow or block, resulting in fluid accumulation and inflammation in the middle ear cavity, leading to ear pain. Children may also feel swelling, stuffiness, blockage, and hearing loss in the ears.

What to do if your child has ear pain

1. Apply hot compress to the ear to relieve pain

If a child has ear pain, you can apply a hot towel to the ear in the early stages to dilate the blood vessels, thereby reducing ear pressure and relieving pain. The specific method is: put the towel in warm water, wring it out (make sure there is no dripping), apply it to the child's ears, keep it for 3-5 minutes, and then replace the towel.

2. Press the ear gate point to relieve pain

When a child has unbearable ear pain, parents can press the child's ear gate acupoint. This acupoint is one of the important acupoints for treating various ear diseases. It can reduce turbidity and raise clarity, open the orifices and improve hearing, release heat and activate collaterals. It is effective in relieving the pain of otitis media and otitis externa.

The Ermen point is located in the front of the ear, in front of the notch on the tragus, in the depression slightly in front of the notch above the ear lobe, and there is a depression when the mouth is opened. You can use your index finger or thumb to apply slight pressure.

3. Adjust your posture to relieve pain

If lying down aggravates the child's ear pain, you can let the child sit up and support his head with several pillows to relieve ear pressure and help relieve pain; remind the child to swallow frequently to relieve ear pressure. If your child is over 5 years old, you can let him chew gum. Also, remind your child to keep his mouth open when blowing his nose. If he closes his mouth tightly, it will increase the pressure on the ears.

4. Ear drops for pain relief

Placing medicine into the ear canal is an important way to relieve pain and control ear inflammation. Antibiotic ear drops can act directly on the local lesion to achieve anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. If there is pus in the child's ears, you should first clean his ear canal with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and then apply medicine.

It should be noted that after the doctor examines the ears, ear drops should be used according to the symptoms. Do not take medicine on your own. If there is a ruptured eardrum, do not flush or use ear drops, and do not blow your nose.

5. Pinch your nose and blow air

If a child feels stuffy or painful in the ears, it is mostly caused by obstruction of the Eustachian tube. At this time, you can pinch the nose to blow air. Let the child take a deep breath, then pinch his nostrils, and then use his mouth to blow air to allow air to enter the back of the nasal cavity, as if trying to blow away the fingers pinching the nose, and hold for a dozen seconds. This method can balance the pressure inside and outside the ear, keep the Eustachian tube unobstructed, and relieve ear pain.