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Ear Pain in Kids - Causes, Symptoms and Remedies
Ear pain is very common in kids, and it is usually indicative of an ear infection that your kid may be suffering from. Earaches usually affect the middle or the outer ear of a child and can be caused due to various reasons. Though it is always advisable to seek expert advice for treating any ailment in your child, some home remedial measures also help in reducing the symptoms of ear pain in children.
Causes of Earache in Children
Here are some causes that may cause ear pain or ear infection in children:
1. Foreign Objects
Young children usually insert various small objects inside their mouth, nose and even ears. Therefore, when a foreign object is accidentally or intentionally inserted in the ear, it may cause ear pain.
2. Earwax Blockage
Sometimes when your body produces too much earwax, or your existing earwax gets pushed too deep into the ear canal, you may experience ear pain. You may even hear buzzing or ringing sounds, your ear may feel full, and you may feel severe ear pain.
3. Infection of the Sinuses or Sinusitis
When your sinuses or nasal passage becomes inflamed, you may have an infection. Mucus build up is very common in sinusitis, and this may lead to bacterial or viral infections. Such infections may lead to severe ear pains.
4. Infection in the Middle Ear
When the middle ear of your kid gets infected due to viral or bacterial infection, it may cause severe pain. This is very common in children.
5. Cold and Cough
The ear pain in kids due to cold is also very common. This happens usually when a child has prolonged or recurrent bouts of cold or a cough.
6. Change in Ear Pressure
Your child can experience ear pain due to change in ear pressure too. This happens due to high altitude, like when your child travels on a plane. This is also known as aeroplane ear.
7. Ear Infection
In case you kid develops a chronic ear infection, he may experience intense ear pain.
Signs and Symptoms of Child Earache
You can identify ear pain through following signs and symptoms in your child:
Your kid may experience difficulty in hearing.
Your child may experience ear pain while lying down, sucking or chewing.
Your kid may pull or rub his ears more than usual.
Your kid may have fever, nausea or a headache.
There may be leakage from your kid’s ear.
Your kid may behave in a fussier manner.
If any of the above-mentioned symptoms are noticed, you may try various home remedial measures to soothe the pain.
Home Remedies for Child Ear Pain
Here are some tried and tested home remedial measures that you may adopt to ease your kid’s ear pain:
1. Hot and Cold Compressions
You can either use a heating pad or an ice pack to soothe ear pain of your child. Hot and cold compressions are very safe for children. The best way of relieving pain is to use alternate methods of compressions with a gap of approximately 10 minutes in between. However, if your kid is uncomfortable with either of the compression, you may use the one which your kid finds comfortable.
2. Pain-Relieving Medicines
There are many over-the-counter pain-relieving medicines available in the market such as ibuprofen. You may give such pain-killers to provide relief from the pain but do not exceed the prescribed dosage. However, it is recommended that you give any medicine after consulting your doctor.
3. Tea-Tree Oil for Ear Pain
Tea tree oil is very effective in providing earache relief for child. This oil is loaded with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. You may also add few drops of olive oil with this oil, in case you are concerned about the sensitivity.
4. Chiropractic Adjustment
As strange as it may sound, but chiropractic adjustment is also very effective in providing relief from ear pains. In one of the scientific study, it was seen that more than 90 percent patients who received chiropractic adjustments reported relief from ear pain after the adjustments.
5. Herbal Ear Drops
Herbal or naturopathic ear drops that you can easily procure from a naturopathy store or even online, are very effective in reducing the symptoms of ear pain in children.
6. Use Olive Oil
For centuries olive oil is used for relieving ear pain. Warm it up and pour few drops in the affected ear of the child. Make sure the oil is not too hot. You may even consult your doctor before putting oil in your child’s ear.
7. Sleeping Position
Some sleep positions are very effective in reducing ear pain. The idea is not to put pressure on the affected ear and you should make your child sleep on the other side. You can also make your kid sleep with his head elevated, and this position will also help in pus drainage, if any.
8. Use Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and thus is very effective in reducing earaches. You can either use ginger juice (obtained by scraping, squeezing and straining the ginger) or you can also use oil, in which ginger was warmed, to reduce ear pain. You may put ginger juice or oil on your kid’s outer ear and refrain from putting it directly into the ear.
9. Doing Neck Exercises
When the ear pain is caused due to the ear pressure, doing neck exercises can be extremely beneficial to ease the pressure and thus the pain. You can help your kid to do simple neck rotation exercises. It will be a good idea to consult an expert to learn the correct way of doing neck exercises.
10. Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide has been in use as an effective home remedy for ear pain, for a long time. You can put some drops of hydrogen peroxide in the affected ear of your child and then drain after a few minutes. Clean the ear with distilled or clean water.
11. Garlic for Earaches
Garlic has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, and therefore it is very effective in treating ear pains. You can chop few pods of garlic and soak them either in olive oil or sesame oil. Strain this oil and put few drops of this infused oil in the affected ear canal.
12. Distraction Helps
When your kid is battling with ear pain, one of the best remedial measures would be to create a distraction. You may show your kid a good movie, give him a new toy or simply make him his favourite snack.
When You Should Use Home Remedies?
Home remedial measures are very effective in reducing the symptoms of ear pain; however, it is very important to know when you should use them. An earache because of the dental cavity will not get better with home remedies. An ear pain which is due to some kind of viral or bacterial infection may get better or cured by home remedies. Most cases of earaches may get better in a week or two. But if your kid is less than two years of age, it is advised to seek your doctor help. Also, if your child develops fever and that lasts longer than a day, consult your doctor immediately.
Prevention of Kid's Ear Pain
Refrain from cleaning your child’s ears with sharp objects or cotton swabs.
Refrain from feeding your kid in a lying down position (especially bottles)
Ensure your kid washes his hands after playing with other kids or playing outside.
If your kid swims regularly, use earplugs.
Do not take recurrent bouts of cold and cough lightly.
Ensure your kid gets flu and PVC shot, this may reduce his chances of getting the middle ear infection.
When to See the Doctor?
If there is redness and swelling behind the ear.
Your child has a high fever (104 degrees or more)
If a pointed object was put in the ear.
You kid feels really sick.
Your kid has a weak immune system.
Your child's ear pains at night does not subside even after giving painkillers.
Ear pains are common in children and can be managed effectively by using home remedial measures. However, you must contact a paediatrician if your kid’s symptoms do not improve, and your kid is less than two years of age.
Also Read: Home Remedies for Ear Pain in Children Read more
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Dealing with Emotional Infidelity in Marriage
If your husband cheats on you, it may feel like an insurmountable hurdle. However, dealing with platonic infidelity, or extra-marital relationships your husband claims are only "friendship", can be equally challenging!
Does your husband have a female friend he’s really close to? Maybe they really are just friends. But what if it's turning into an emotional affair? While being paranoid is one of the worst things you can do to your marriage, there are times when you can't help but worry!
What is Emotional Infidelity?
Emotional or platonic infidelity is a kind of affair that starts innocently enough through friendship. It slowly shapes into an emotional bond, which hurts the intimacy in your marriage. Though your husband may not be doing it knowingly, there are some lines no extra-marital relationship should cross. What's worse, such affairs are often the gateway to sexual infidelity.
Signs of Emotional Infidelity
It's always better to diagnose a problem early than face heart-breaking consequences. If in doubt, watch out for the following signs.
Has your husband started sharing his passions and problems with another woman? It’s time to be alert! Things may actually progress to emotional adultery.
Has he started comparing you to a friend or a colleague? You may assume it’s nothing but it’s likely that he’s thinking what life would be like with her instead.
You’re not as physically involved anymore. Sex seems to be a distant memory. What’s more, he has started justifying his behaviour.
He spends too much time on his phone, messaging and chatting. He’s no longer eager to tell you about his day. In fact, he prefers staying in the 'do not disturb' mode at home.
Dealing with Platonic Infidelity
When you know that something’s not right, you start wondering whether to leave him, fight with him or ignore what’s happening. While the pain that you feel is intense, you can learn to handle and overcome it.
Show Gratitude:
Instead of taunts and sarcasm, practice showing gratitude. Until you’re positive he is cheating, there’s no point alienating him. Take a moment to focus on the good things in your marriage.
Become Emotionally Intimate:
If the two of you share a platonic relationship in your marriage, it’s time to try getting close again. Start communicating, share your feelings and do things together.
Cherish The Past and The Future:
Think about the times the two of you were deeply in love and respected each other. It may be difficult to relive the past, but you can use it as inspiration to try to get close again.
Surviving emotional infidelity in marriage takes patience so be prepared to put in a lot of work. That goes for your husband too. If he really has cheated on you, try to rebuild the trust you lost by talking things over. If you know how to handle a crisis, your relationship may just start healing! Read more
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Back Labour - Reasons, Symptoms & Treatment
Pregnancy and labour take a toll on you physically, emotionally and mentally. Exercise, diet and rest are the three most important things to pay attention to in order to keep yourself strong and fit. However, there are several issues that can arise during a pregnancy that you may not have prepared for. One of them is back labour.
What Is Back Labour?
Pregnant women sometimes experience pain during labour, which can occur in the abdomen and pelvic region but is most common in the lower back. This is known as Back Labour. It occurs in around a fourth of all pregnant women, and the pain is usually worse when going through contractions. This is most commonly assumed to be due to the force exerted by the foetus on your lower back.
What Does Back Labour Feel Like?
Back labour pain is at its peak during and between your contractions, making it nearly unbearable during this time. What does back labour feel like in the beginning? The pain you feel during labour is usually manageable at first, feeling like standard backaches. However, when contractions begin, an incredible burning feeling in the lower back could emerge, dwarfing the pain caused by the labour itself. Back labour pain is consistent with jumps in pain when the contractions arrive. Some women have described it as feeling as if your back is breaking with every contraction.
Causes Of Back Labour
Studies have shown that there are multiple factors that affect back labour. Before you know how to control and cope with back labour pain, here are some of the reasons of back labour:
Position of the foetus: One of the most common reasons of back labour is how the baby is positioned inside your body. The ideal situation is when the foetus is upside down with the chin tucked into the neck and facing the back. But if your baby is facing the abdomen, its head can put pressure on your tailbone, causing more pain as your baby gets bigger. This is known as a posterior baby or a sunny-side up baby.
Women with small waists: Women who have small waists tend to have babies longer than their torsos, which means that the baby exerts pressure on the mother’s back instead of the cervix due to lesser space.
Stiff ligaments: Pregnant women with rigid ligaments can make it tricky for the baby to find the right position in the uterus.
Wrong posture: Standing without bending knees slightly or tipping forward the pelvis increases the risks of back labour.
Injuries to the back or ligaments: A history of back or ligament injuries greatly increases the chances of developing back labour.
Shape of the pelvis: Occasionally, some women have pelvises that can only accommodate a foetus arranged in the posterior position.
Signs And Symptoms
Back labour contractions are associated with several symptoms:
Pregnant women with back labour are likely to have a much longer and more painful birth.
One of the early signs of labour back pain is the inability of women with posterior babies to feel when their contractions have started.
Labour contractions that do not occur at regular time intervals
Extra time spent pushing during labour due to the awkward position of the baby
Risk Factors
While there are no direct risks linked with developing back labour, there are a few factors associated with the posterior arrangement of the foetus.
Being overweight
Having a prolonged pregnancy
Being pregnant for the first time
Medical induction of labour
Interestingly, sometimes, foetuses can be in a posterior position but not cause back labour in the mother at all. In a 2005 study conducted among women in labour, moms-to-be with posterior babies were not likelier to complain of back pain than women who had downward/sideward-facing babies. However, the study was inconclusive as 90% of the women eventually opted for an epidural for pain management.
Will It Cause Complications For Baby Or Me?
While back labour can be extremely uncomfortable, it cannot hurt either you or your child. However, it is possible for posterior babies to drop into the birth canal, which can cause complications like difficult labour, exhaustion and vaginal tearing. This situation can be controlled by using forceps to pull the baby through the birth canal, episiotomies to enlarge the vaginal opening, or caesarean surgeries.
How To Improve Foetal Position
As back labour is most commonly caused by the baby sunny side up, fixing the position of the baby can help with the back labour pain. Some of the techniques used to improve foetal position are:
Sleeping on the left side: This makes the baby move around, removing pressure from the back.
Leaning in while sitting: Leaning forward in a sitting position also convinces your foetus to shift its position. The ideal way of doing this is by straddling a birth ball or an armless chair.
Stay active: Indulging in a few hours of cardio exercises every day can help shift the foetus around, especially downward-directed activities like breaststroke swimming.
Pelvic tilts: If you are carrying a posterior baby, it is essential to perform these exercises multiple times a day. Pelvic tilts help reduce the pressure on the spine.
External cephalic version: Posterior babies usually switch positions a few weeks before pregnancy. But if your baby still hasn’t moved, there are some procedures you might want to consider. The doctor can use a technique called External Cephalic Version to manually turn the baby into the delivery-friendly position while using ultrasonography as a guiding system.
How Do I Get Relief From Back Labour?
Labour time is stressful enough for an expecting mother without having to deal with the physical discomfort of back labour. The treatment for back labour is easy to do and quite effective.
Using hot and cold compresses alternatingly on your lower back
Steady counter pressure via a back massage will relieve some pain
Taking a warm bath or shower
Applying pressure by having cylindrical or spherical objects, like bottles or balls, rolling down your back
How To Prevent Back Labour?
It is not possible to tell if you will experience back labour when giving birth. However, as mentioned above, fixing the position of the baby is one of the best methods to prevent back labour. In addition to getting your baby the right way up, visiting your chiropractor regularly will help to manage any developing pains. Ensure you get an ultrasound done to check the baby’s position often so you can start treatments as soon as you find out your baby is posterior. You can also visit a childbirth training class to receive advice and pain-relieving techniques from someone trained in the subject.
Other Comfort Measures
There are a few other methods to have a comfortable pregnancy without back labour. Some of these are:
You could give birth in a standing or kneeling position as it puts less pressure on the back
Staying on your hands and knees throughout labour is also helpful in relieving back labour
An alternative technique is injecting sterile water into the lower back, which gives pain relief for several hours. It must be noted that while this is popular, the mechanism behind how it works is still unclear
Although back labour is incredibly painful, it does not indicate that anything is wrong with your pregnancy. The outcome of most back labour cases is a normal birth. However, a few women might require an epidural to take care of the pain. The most important thing you can do is to stay fit and be in tiptop shape for the arrival of your baby. Read more
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Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. ninth month mein kab tak delivery ho sakti hai
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
6 hours ago
A. anytime after full term ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. my last period date Dec 26 pregnancy test date January 31 check panen apom 37 days ipom enaku evlo weeks and days what ?..
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
6 hours ago
A. I don’t understand your language can you please post your question once again in English or Hindi whatever language you are more comfortable with because anybody on this only we can give you response on that
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. which good formula milk or baby food for 4 months old baby
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
6 hours ago
A. no complementary foods below 4 months can use any branded formula milk. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
6 hours ago
Q. Iam 9month pregnant and having very painful condition due to constipation and gastric issues
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
6 hours ago
A. during pregnancy better not to take medicines for constipation take lot of water green leafy vegetables seasonal fruits you can try suppository if the problem is more o k o k
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
4 hours ago
Q. hi Doc,
eating raw mango, chapathi or any heat producing foods cause miscarriage during first trimester?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
4 hours ago
A. no relation ok c. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
4 hours ago
Q. Hi Doc,
I'm getting cramps on my right side of lower stomach. is this normal or do I have to visit doc?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
4 hours ago
A. without examination it is difficult to tell proper treatment as well as advice so you should visit the doctor5 for health assessment as well as examination.
whether any investigations is required or not will be told by the doctor5
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