It can be painful and cause difficulty in hearing. But there are a few ways to drain the fluid from the middle ear, that can be done at home, and they include applying a warm compress, steam inhalation, popping the ear, and the Valsalva maneuver. Some over-the-counter medicines may also be useful.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to drain fluid from your middle ear at home. Such home remedies include applying a warm compress, inhaling steam, popping your ears, and a technique known as the Valsalva maneuver. Over-the-counter medicines may also help.
Rarely, a doctor may use a tiny tube that pierces the eardrum to drain fluid from the middle ear — a procedure called tympanocentesis. The fluid is tested for viruses and bacteria. This can be helpful if an infection hasn't responded well to previous treatments.
If the Eustachian tubes are blocked, fluid in the ear cannot drain normally. If bacteria grow in the middle ear fluid, an effusion can turn into a middle ear infection (acute otitis media). This will usually increase pressure behind the eardrum and cause a lot of pain. The eardrum will become red and bulging.
But it's best not to sleep on your infected ear – and not just because it's uncomfortable. If you're an adult with a middle ear infection, elevating the affected ear makes it easier for the infection to drain out. So, sleep on your other side or tuck a few extra pillows under your head if sleeping on your back.
How Long Do Ear Infections Last? Middle ear infections often go away on their own within 2 or 3 days, even without any specific treatment. Often, there's fluid in the middle ear even after an infection clears up. If it's there for longer than than 3 months, more treatment might be needed.
Cloudy Discharge - Ear Infection:
Cloudy fluid or pus draining from the ear canal usually means there's an ear infection. The pus drains because there's a small tear in the eardrum. To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol). Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
Many times, fluid in the ear gradually goes away on its own. If you have an infection, you may need antibiotics. If the fluid buildup in your does not get better or gets worse, you might need surgery to help drain it.
The middle ear connects to the throat by the eustachian tube. A cold or allergy can irritate this tube or cause it to swell, blocking fluid from draining from the ear. The fluid builds up behind the eardrum allowing the growth of bacteria and viruses that cause infection.
Pseudoephedrine is used to relieve nasal or sinus congestion caused by the common cold, sinusitis, and hay fever and other respiratory allergies. It is also used to relieve ear congestion caused by ear inflammation or infection.
Since the eustachian tubes in the infected ears can only drain into the throat, try keeping the infected ear elevated by sleeping on the opposite side of the one infected. This way the tube will be above the throat, and the ear will most certainly drain sooner.
In most cases, the fluid clears up within a few months without treatment. You may need more tests if the fluid does not clear up after 3 months. For adults, decongestants that you take by mouth or spray into your nose may be helpful.
A middle ear infection, also called otitis media, causes a build-up of fluid behind the ear drum. It is especially common in children but can happen at any age. Sometimes the fluid causes so much pressure that the ear drum bursts. You might see thick yellow fluid draining from the ear following severe pain.
Seek emergency care if you have any of the following symptoms: Pain in an ear with or without fever. Itching of the ear or ear canal. Loss of hearing or difficulty hearing in one or both ears.
The middle ear fills with pus or infected fluid. The pus pushes on the eardrum, which can be very painful. Middle ear infections are caused by swelling in one or both of the Eustachian tubes.
Ear infection symptoms can worsen at night because the pressure is greater. Laying down can back up the drainage in the middle ear, causing pressure and pain. “This makes sense due to gravity and laying down,” Dr. Johnson explains.
Elevation (aka sleeping upright)
Sleeping sitting up can allow fluid in your ear to drain easier, as well as easing pressure and pain in your middle ear – the likely source of the infection itself. Try propping yourself up on a stack of pillows, or better yet sleep in a reclining sofa or armchair.
Antibiotics are typically only prescribed to treat AOM and swimmer's ear. This is because OME and COME occur after the bacterial infection has passed; antibiotics are not effective against the fluid buildup alone.
If the infection does NOT go away, on its own or with treatment, the doctor may recommend ear tube surgery. In this procedure, a tiny tube is inserted into the eardrum to drain the fluid. The tube will usually fall out on its own. Ear infections are very treatable, but they may come back again.
Most ear infections are not cured after the first dose of antibiotic. Often, children don't get better the first day. Most children get better slowly over 2 to 3 days. Note: For mild ear infections in older children, antibiotics may not be needed.
Chronic ear infection is fluid, swelling, or an infection behind the eardrum that does not go away or keeps coming back. It causes long-term or permanent damage to the ear. It often involves a hole in the eardrum that does not heal.
A myringotomy is a procedure to create a hole in the ear drum to allow fluid that is trapped in the middle ear to drain out. The fluid may be blood, pus and/or water. In many cases, a small tube is inserted into the hole in the ear drum to help maintain drainage.