Medical Questions » Ears Questions » Question No. 287
| Question: | I keep getting ear infections, and I' m sick of running to the doctor. Can I treat an ear infection myself? |
| Answer: | NO! Once you have an ear infection it is important to obtain medical attention as soon as possible. This is because untreated infections can spread throughout the ear and cause a more serious infections in surrounding tissue.
Treatment of an outer ear infection involves cleaning the ear of any wax or debris (don' t try to do this yourself either) that may be present in the canal, so that the ear can dry out. Antibiotic drops or ointment are then prescribed. In difficult cases, a wick (piece of light material) soaked in an ointment may be put in the ear, and antibiotic tablets may be given.
Middle ear infections always require antibiotic tablets, and constant medical supervision to ensure that the infection has cleared and no damage has been done to the ear.
It is important that anyone with recurrent infections is treated adequately, because each infection can injure the ear and eventually cause permanent damage.
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