 |
|
|
|
|
September 20th, 2010
11:56 AM ET
How do I drain my ears?Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Monday, it's Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician. Question asked by Becky M. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: After taking antibiotics for a sinus infection or ear infection, what is the best way to help encourage drainage of the middle ear or eustachian tube? I have seen many remedies online, some of which recommend using a neti pot, but I feared making the situation worse. Is it normal to still feel some congestion in the ear area even after finishing the antibiotics? Expert answer: Thanks for your question. Sinus infections are very common, affecting more than 30 million adults in the United States each year. In these infections, the sinuses (such as those found in the forehead, under the eyes and along the sides of the nasal bridge) become inflamed and may feel full or painful. The eustachian tube is the channel that connects the middle ear with the back of the nose and throat. During colds, allergies, ear infections or sinusitis, the eustachian tube can become blocked by mucus and cause a person's ears to feel clogged, with a temporary loss of hearing. These symptoms may continue for a few weeks after a cold or other upper respiratory problem has resolved. In many instances, the sinuses and eustachian tubes will clear on their own after a few days. Treating the underlying cause of the problem (sinusitis, allergies, etc.) is the first step. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can help with the discomfort in the meantime. Some people require antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection of the ears or sinuses. In addition, it can be helpful to try other remedies to clear the head of mucus. I consulted with Dr. Aaron Rogers, an otolaryngologist in Atlanta, Georgia, who shared the following information about some common remedies: • Nasal washes: Saline rinses, sprays and neti pots don't directly treat the eustachian tube but can be a huge help for sinusitis and runny or stuffy noses. Be sure to clean neti pots with soap and water, and use commercial saline products or make the saline solution yourself with sterile or distilled rather than tap water. • Nasal steroid sprays: These are available by prescription and can help open up the eustachian tube. • Physical maneuvers: Chewing gum is a common way to try to keep the eustachian tubes open. You can also pinch your nose and swallow or close your mouth, pinch your nose and blow. • Nasal decongestant sprays: These medications are available over the counter (such as Afrin) or by prescription and are especially helpful when flying (use 30 minutes before takeoff and landing). They are recommended to be used for no more than about three days at a time, since longer use can cause "rebound" swelling of the nasal passages. Of note, nasal sprays containing zinc should be avoided, as they have been reported to cause the permanent loss of the sense of smell in some cases. • Oral decongestant medicines: Examples of ingredients include pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. While the problem of rebound is less common with oral decongestants, some people experience palpitations or a rise in blood pressure. • Oral steroids and antihistamines are sometimes used, particularly in longer-lasting sinus infections; however, they may have side effects such as drying up the mucous membranes of the nasal tissue and thickening the secretions. These are not routinely recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated sinusitis or ear infections. Since every person's situation may be a little different, it's always best to talk to your own physician for the most appropriate treatment for your case. Good luck! |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
http://sharewood.org/link.php?url=https://backboneleaders.com
http://r.turn.com/r/click?id=07SbPf7hZSNdJAgAAAYBAA&url=https://www.backbonehunters.com/
http://hirlevel.cadit.hu/~hirlevel/redirect.php?id=299&url=https://backboneleaders.com
I like reading a post that will make people think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment!
https://www.searchpoint.net/redir.asp?reg_id=pTypes&sname=/search.asp&lid=0&sponsor=INC&url=http://backboneleaders.com
https://nanostandards.ansi.org/banner_click.php?id=2&url=https://backboneleaders.com
https://sh.shulcloud.com/track.php?id=4c5c111e733449a9a439790f0d4b1431&url=https://www.backbonehunters.com
Your style is really unique compared to other people I've read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you've got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this blog.
http://www.prod39.ru/bitrix/rk.php?goto=https://backboneleaders.com
You need to take part in a contest for one of the finest blogs on the net. I most certainly will recommend this web site!
http://www.dwm.ks.edu.tw/school/netlink/hits.php?id=21&url=http://backboneleaders.com
http://denverrtd.info/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepairshop.com
I absolutely love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself? Please reply back as Iím hoping to create my own website and want to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Appreciate it!
http://www.arcanum.sk/plugins/guestbook/go.php?url=https://ocrv.me/
http://api-mrg.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepair.com
http://www.forum-wodociagi.pl/system/links/3a337d509d017c7ca398d1623dfedf85.html?link=https://sprintervanrepairnearme.com/
bookmarked!!, I like your website!
http://www.sololadyboys.com/cgi-bin/at3/out.cgi?id=29&tag=toplist&trade=https://ocrvfleetservices.com/
http://gabriellehamilton.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.org
The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won't disappoint me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely believed you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you can fix if you weren't too busy searching for attention.
http://www.redeletras.com.ar/show.link.php?url=https://ocrvmotorsports.info
tadalafil side effects https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
hydroxychloroquine sulphate https://pharmaceptica.com/
http://inokllc.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvart.com
http://customhomeconsultant.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.fun/
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me dinner simply because I found it for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to discuss this matter here on your website.
https://www.afm-invest.com/index.cfm?Display=resources.cfm&Exit=http://campervanrepairshop.com/
After looking at a number of the blog posts on your web page, I really appreciate your technique of blogging. I saved it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my web site too and let me know how you feel.
http://ulf-lundell.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepairshop.com
http://contextualsolutions.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvart.com
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this post and also the rest of the website
is very good.
https://managementportal.de/modules/mod_jw_srfr/redir.php?url=https://ocrvart.com/
http://vianordovest.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=fleettruckrepairshop.com
Itís difficult to find well-informed people in this particular topic, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
http://ww17.magnaracing.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=fleetservicesocrv.com
http://inspirationarts.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=rvmarketingexperts.com
http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/gbook/go.php?url=https://ocrv.art/
http://beersmith.com/forum/index.php?thememode=mobile&redirect=www.ocrvcenter.com
http://oraung02.iamgold.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com/
http://sitescout.com/iap/ca50fc23ca711ca4?r=ocrvcenter.com
Good day! I could have sworn Iíve visited this website before but after going through some of the posts I realized itís new to me. Anyways, Iím definitely pleased I stumbled upon it and Iíll be book-marking it and checking back often!
/
Hello I am so grateful I found your site, I really found you by mistake,
while I was searching on Aol for something else,
Regardless I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a remarkable post and a
all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don't have time to
look over it all at the moment but I have saved it and
also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more,
Please do keep up the superb job.
Has anyone been to The Vape Store? xx
https://www.medyaindir1.com/user/BondageHeadgear23/
https://www.c-streaming.net/data/redirect.php?url=https://ocrv.pro/
Iím impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog thatís both equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I stumbled across this during my hunt for something relating to this.
http://hirlevelcenter.eu/click.php?hirlevel_id=13145441085508&url=http://ocrv.rocks
http://akademik.tkyd.org/Home/SetCulture?culture=en-US&returnUrl=http://ocrv.pro/
http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/cgi-bin/bannertrak.cgi?d=https://carsonrvexperience.com/
https://as.domru.ru/go?url=https://ocrv.biz
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this post and the rest of the site is really good.
https://www.sayfiereview.com/follow_outlink?url=http://newrvowners.com/
http://www.ighome.com/redirect.aspx?url=https://ocrvcenter.co/
http://ceksini.info/track/link?to=https://ocrv.guru/
Adopting the right poker guidelines and methods will help you in successful lots of money. Those are only a few reasons, and as you can see some are healthy and some aren't. I think I have a little in common with both of them.
https://www.brewcrewball.com/users/mazidahmed
Poker can be classified as a leisurely action and for some people it is more than that. When you create this ability, then you will be prepared to face the stock market.
https://culinaryagents.com/talents/954538-mazid-ahmed
https://niklasdorf.eu/?Lgg=de&ToSite=ocrvcenter.com/
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I have you book-marked to look at new things you postÖ
https://m.fooyoh.com/wcn.php?url=https://ocrvcenter.com
You should take part in a contest for one of the best sites on the internet. I most certainly will recommend this web site!
https://link.chatujme.cz/redirect?url=https://www.orangecountyrvrepair.com
https://www.city.iwanuma.miyagi.jp/_wcv/php/sclick/sclick.php?UID=Onoya&URL=http://www.ocrv.rocks
https://www.vanpeople.com/space/link.php?url=https://www.www.orangecountyrvrepair.com
Hello! I just want to offer you a big thumbs up for your great info you have right here on this post. I will be coming back to your web site for more soon.
https://www.counterwelt.com/charts/click.php?user=14137&link=https://ocrvempire.com