How to instill drops in a child’s ears: algorithm of actions

Children often suffer from ear diseases, which in most cases can be treated with drops. Therefore, it is important for each parent to know how to properly instill a baby’s ear. Consider the rules of preparation and the algorithm for conducting this process, as well as what precautions should be followed.

Benefits of Treating Ear Disease Drops

Otitis, which occurs at least once in a lifetime in every child, is mainly treated with drops. If the process is carried out incorrectly, it will not be possible to achieve a therapeutic effect. Therefore, the parent must know some features of how to properly drop drops in the ear of his child and not harm it.

Ear diseases are almost always painful sensations and a possible increase in body temperature in a child. To reduce the discomfort and pain in the baby, local therapy is used.

The benefits of treating drops are as follows:

• pain decreases;
• the inflammatory process in the ears decreases, since drops affect the focus of infection, destroying it from the inside;
• the possibility of using ear drops from birth (the medicine acts locally and is practically not absorbed into the blood);
• affordable price and economical use of the medicine (almost every drug has a special dropper cap, which facilitates the use of the drug).

Despite the convenience of use and the availability of such funds, it is worth consulting an otolaryngologist before use in children, in order to avoid negative consequences.

Indications

Before dropping drops into the child’s ears, it is worthwhile to consult a doctor, and also carefully read the instructions. In the pharmacy you can find a huge assortment of topical medicines, which are indicated for various pathologies.

Ear drops in most cases are prescribed for the following diseases:

• pain, itching, or a feeling of stuffiness in the ear;
• with the formation of sulfur plug in the ear canal;
• the inflammatory process that affects the middle ear (otitis media) can be of various shapes and degrees.

Only a specialist can establish a diagnosis and prescribe therapy. Sometimes the use of ear drops is carried out in conjunction with other drugs: nasal sprays or tablets. All of them are used depending on the composition.

Contraindications

Before conducting local therapy, the baby should be familiar with the contraindications. It is important to observe the dosage of ear drops for children, on which the result of treatment directly depends.

It is also worth knowing when the use of local therapy in the ears is contraindicated:

• the allocation of blood from the ear canal;
• copious discharge of yellow or green from the ears;
• injuries to the middle ear or ear canal;
• the integrity of the eardrum is broken;
• hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

It is also worth remembering that the independent use of drugs, even local ones, can be dangerous for children. This, in turn, can lead to the development of complications, so only a doctor can choose the right drug in composition.

General rules for the preparation and conduct

Before carrying out the procedure, you should know the correct dosage of ear drops for children. It is determined by the doctor based on the composition of the drug. Also, each instruction contains a description of how much to drip, depending on the age of the baby.

The general rules for the preparation and instillation are as follows:

1. Ear medicine should be at room temperature, not cold. If they are stored in the refrigerator according to the instructions, then it is worth taking them out an hour before instillation and hold it in your hand before the procedure so that the liquid heats up. You can also pour a small amount of medicine on a hot spoon to heat, but it is important not to overheat the drops, because in this case they can lose their properties.
2. When using a glass pipette, it is worth sprinkling it with boiling water so as not to bring the infection into the ear canal.
3. First you need to prepare a few balls of pure cotton wool, which will be needed at the end of the procedure.

Step-by-step instructions on how to properly drip drops in a child’s ear

The process of instilling a drug into a child’s ears has its own characteristics. This is due to the anatomical structure of the ear in children. So, in babies, especially up to three years old, the eardrum is horizontal (vertical in adults), the auditory canal is more curved (in an adult - flat).

The algorithm for instilling medication into a child’s ear is as follows:

1. The ear canal is cleaned with cotton buds.
2. The baby lies on its side, with a sick ear up (it is better to hold newborn babies in their arms).
3. The earlobe is pulled a little down and back.
4. The drug, preheated to a temperature of 37 degrees, is buried in the ear canal (dosage is determined depending on the pathology or composition of the drug).
5. The ear is pressed a little on the tragus several times, which facilitates the penetration of drops into the ear canal.
6. A small amount of cotton wool rests in your ear for a while.
7. After instillation, the child should lie in this position for 5-10 minutes.

What if drops do not pass into the ear?

Some parents are faced with the fact that the medicine does not pass into the ear canal due to severe swelling of this area or the presence of sulfur plug, which prevents the passage of the medicine. In this case, the question arises of how to drip drops into the child’s ears.

It is important to get rid of the accumulation of sulfur by cleaning with cotton buds. The procedure must be carried out carefully, with gentle movements, so as not to violate the integrity of the thin walls of the ear canal. If there is swelling, you should consult a doctor.

If the drops flow from the baby’s ear, or if it is still too small to lie in the side position for 5 or 10 minutes, then it is worthwhile to close the ear canal with cotton balls, which will prevent the leakage of the medicinal fluid. Turunda from pure cotton wool is inserted nearby, and after half an hour you can remove it.

Precautionary measures

Before dripping drops in the ears of a child, it is worth observing the safety measures, which are as follows:

1. Drops are introduced only into the pre-cleared auditory meatus. Sulfur or sulfuric plug is removed because it prevents the drug from entering and the quality of the therapy is reduced.
2. Rinse the ear canal under pressure, neither the child nor the adult is recommended. Thus, the integrity of the eardrum can be compromised.
3. It is best to lie on your side for up to 15 minutes, but the kids usually can not stand it for so long, so they are shown cotton balls.
4. An open bottle of medicine should be stored for as long as indicated in the instructions. After the expiration date, it loses all its properties.
5. Before you drip drops into the child’s ears, make sure that the medicine is at room temperature (you need to drip drops with a temperature of 36-37 degrees).
6. In order not to form an air plug, it is worth introducing the medicine along the side wall.
7. It is forbidden to change the dosage or the number of instillations per day prescribed by a doctor.

Prevention

It is important to know not only how to properly instill a child’s ear, but also preventive measures for ear diseases.

In order to avoid diseases associated with hearing organs, it is worth adhering to the following rules:

• otitis media, especially in acute form, should be treated under the supervision of a specialist until complete recovery (untreated inflammatory process can transform into a chronic form, which can lead to a decrease in the baby’s hearing);
• a hat or headband covering the ears should be on the child in cold or windy weather;
• foreign objects should not be used as a means to clean the ear canal (pins, matches, paper clips) - use only soft cotton buds;
• a runny nose should be treated in a timely manner, since the nasal and auditory passages along which the infection can pass are closely related;
• regular examination of an ENT doctor.

It is also important to consult a specialist not only with acute pain in the ear in the baby, but also with the slightest hearing loss, which can indicate inflammation, which is painless.