Fluid in the middle ear along with inflammation is described medically as serous otitis media and is often a source of significant pain and pressure. Although fluid can accumulate behind the eardrum in the middle ear without causing infection or symptoms, treatment is necessary to prevent hearing loss and speech delays. Sometimes, serous otitis media is helped with home remedies. In other cases, antibiotics or surgery are required to remove bacteria and drain the middle ear. Consult your child's pediatrician if she has symptoms of fluid in the ear such as ear pain, increased crying or irritability, headache, balance problems, trouble sleeping or eating, hearing loss, vomiting, fever or ear tugging.
Step 1
Place a warm compress on your child's affected ear for 20 minutes every hour. The warmth will help soothe her ear pain. Test the temperature of the compress before placing it on your child's skin to prevent burns.
Step 2
Give your child an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but confirm the dosage with your child's pediatrician before administering any medication.
Step 3
Warm some olive or vegetable oil to just above body temperature, and then administer two to three drops into the affected ear. The warm oil will soothe your child's ear pain and pressure.
Step 4
Ask your pediatrician about using numbing ear drops for your child. Ear drops that contain benzocaine are available by prescription and can eliminate ear pain and pressure; however, these drops are associated with a rare but potentially fatal condition that impairs blood oxygenation, called methemoglobinemia.
Step 5
Treat your child's ear pain with antibiotics only if your pediatrician diagnoses a bacterial ear infection in addition to fluid in the ear. Some pediatricians prescribe antibiotics for all cases of fluid in the ear in children under 6 months and for those in considerable pain.
Step 6
Agree to a myringotomy, a procedure that places tubes into your child's ears to enable draining of fluid and prevent infection. This procedure is sometimes necessary for children with persistent ear fluid or recurrent ear infections. The tubes fall out on their own in about 6 months.
Things You'll Need
- Warm compress
- Over-the-counter pain reliever
- Olive or vegetable oil
References
- AskDrSears.com: Ear Infections
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; Ear Infections in Children; October 2010
- EarSurgery.org: Serous Otitis Media
- Mayo Clinic; Ear Infection (middle ear); April 2011
- American Dental Association; FDA Warns of Benzocaine Complications in Teething Gels; April 2011
