Senior Care in Mt. Gilead OH
Generally caused by viral or bacterial infections, an ear infection can be an extremely painful experience for your elderly parent, and while they are most common during childhood, they are also possible during adulthood, meaning that you are likely to encounter such an illness during your senior care efforts with your parent. Though these infections can seem like they come out of nowhere much like a cold or the flu, they can also be the result of foreign matter getting into the ear, such as water, hair care products, pieces of cotton swabs, even small pieces of paper or other objects that might fall into the ear.
In addition to the basic symptoms of ear pain, discomfort, fever, and discharge, an ear infection can also cause other problems including dizziness and difficulty balancing, putting a senior who is already at increased risk of experiencing a fall in greater danger. Addressing the infection quickly and effectively is essential to not only protecting your aging parent from undue suffering due to the pain and discomfort of the infection, but also to guarding him from trips, falls, and even further illness and infection caused by an immune system that is made even more vulnerable by the infection.
Many ear infections are not serious enough to necessitate medication and will simply clear up on their own, but more serious or repeat infections might need a round of antibiotics to help hasten the healing. This, of course, depends on the particular type of infection that your parent is suffering. The effectiveness of this medication relies heavily on how soon your parent starts treatment, making it essential that you get him into the doctor as soon as you or his senior health care services provider notices serious symptoms such as severe pain, pain that has gone on for more than three days, puss or blood coming from the ear, or sudden hearing loss.
If your parent is not receiving medication for his infection or you simply want to help with the symptoms of the infection, ask your parent’s doctor about some of these ways that you can address the pain and discomfort of the infection:
- Sweet oil. Easily accessible right in the pharmacy, this oil can ease pain and may help to lessen inflammation. Simply pour several drops onto a cotton ball and tuck the cotton ball against the opening to the ear canal, but not in it. Have your parent lie on his side so that the affected ear is facing up. Leave the cotton in place for 15 minutes, remove, and wipe away excess oil. You can repeat this every hour to ease symptoms.
- Warm compress. Warmth can reduce pain signals and help to “open up” the ear, easing the feeling of the ear being “stuffed” or squeezing. Resting the affected ear on a hot water bottle can be extremely helpful. If you do not have a hot water bottle, try filling a clean tube sock partway with dry rice, tying off the top, and microwaving for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Move the rice around to distribute the heat, and then use this sock as the hot compress.
- Massage. Having you or his senior health care services provider apply gentle pressure to the soft area behind the ear with your finger tips and massage in small circular movements can ease pain and discomfort and create the feeling that the ear is “opening” and allowing the built up fluid to move out of it.
If you are considering hiring senior care in Mt. Gilead, OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161. Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/basics/symptoms/con-20014260
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