Water getting into the ear - first aid for adults and children

Bathing a baby is a must. The child should be bathed daily, just before going to bed, this will make the rest period more relaxing. Such a process must be approached responsibly, wondering whether water gets into the ears of a newborn - the answer is positive. It is highly undesirable to get your ears wet; water ingress can cause symptoms of otitis media. However, fluid in a newborn's ear cavity is not a reason to panic and should be removed using moisture-absorbing material.

Structure of a newborn's ear

The structure of a newborn’s ear is significantly different from that of an adult, because the processes of its formation continue after birth:

• the auricle is soft;
• the process of formation of the lobe and curl ends by the age of 4;
• the bony part of the auditory canal is not developed;
• the walls of the passage are located in close proximity to each other;
• the eardrum is in a horizontal plane, but has almost the same dimensions as that of an adult;
• The thickness of the eardrum in children is slightly higher than in adults.

The main danger is that there is an open hole in the tympanic cavity, through which, with otitis media, the pathological process can spread to the brain, provoking the development of meningitis. This hole closes up during adolescence.

Important! Injuries and diseases of the hearing organs suffered during the neonatal period can cause the development of hearing loss.

The mastoid process is also not developed in newborns; its development begins by 2 years, the process is completed by 6-7 years. The auditory tube in children has a shorter length and a larger width, and is located in the horizontal plane, which creates significant preconditions for the prevalence of the disease among young children.

Features of the structure of the baby's ears

The structure of the hearing system in an infant is significantly different from that of an adult. In a newborn baby, it is not yet fully formed. The main features come down to several points:

• The auditory canal is shorter than that of an adult. In the latter case, it is branched, long, curved. Babies also have curls, but they are much smaller and shorter;
• The location of the ear canal relative to the shell has a different angle, namely a straight line.

This structure allows fluid that gets into the child’s ear to quickly and easily come out.

Interesting. Since the baby was in an aquatic environment for 9 months, a so-called wax plug formed in his ears. Its role is to protect the baby’s ears from water getting into them - sulfur does not allow liquid to penetrate too deeply. After birth, it still persists for some time, but under the influence of water and other factors it dissolves.

Thus, there is no need to worry about whether it is possible to wet the ears of a newborn baby when bathing. Panic in such cases is most often unfounded.

On a note. Experts recommend bathing your child so that his ears are completely submerged in water. As strange as it may sound, such a procedure helps clean and harden the ears.

The structure of children's and adult ears

What to do if water gets into your child’s ear while bathing

During the daily bathing of the baby, water may get into his ear; this phenomenon is not a significant cause for concern, but the mother should familiarize herself with the algorithm of actions in this case in advance:

1. The newborn's ear canal should be dried using a small piece of cotton wool or gauze. The moisture-absorbing material is inserted into the child’s ear canal (shallowly).
2. To speed up the process of fluid leakage, the child should be turned from side to side in a lying position after bathing.
3. Heat will help dry out any remaining water in the ear. The child should be placed in a warm room and wrapped in a blanket. The child should be placed on his side, from which side water flows into the ear.

After water procedures in the cool season, the child should wear a textile cap indoors. This simple rule will help prevent the development of inflammatory processes against the background of hypothermia.

Some sources recommend applying an alcohol compress to the baby's ear in order to speed up the process of removing fluid. This technique is unacceptable and can cause dangerous complications.

Removing fluid from the ear canal on your own

In order to prevent the development of inflammation, it is necessary to quickly remove fluid from the hearing organ. This procedure is simple, so it can be done at home. It should be noted that when removing water from the ears, you cannot use a hairdryer, and if the baby has a swollen wax plug, then it should be removed by a specialist. What should you do if water gets into your child’s ear?

How to remove water that has entered the outer ear?

When water penetrates the outer ear, the victim feels discomfort and gurgling in the organ of hearing. There are several methods for removing water. The choice of one of them will depend on the age of the child and the conditions in which the unpleasant situation occurred. Ways to remove fluid from the outer ear:

• Jumping on one leg. Invite your baby to jump, while asking him to tilt his head in the direction where the water penetrated. After this, place it on the side where the problem organ is located for 3-5 minutes.
• "Plunger" method. Place your palm on your wet ear, press firmly and pull back sharply.
• Blowing through the ears. Invite the victim to take in more air, cover his nose and mouth, and “exhale” through his ears.

To get rid of water in the ear opening, you can try dripping an alcohol solution into the ear.

• Alcohol instillation. Place a solution containing alcohol (such as vodka) into your ear.
• Creating a vacuum. You need to move your index finger inserted into the ear canal several times back and forth.
• Active chewing. Give your child something to chew and place the affected ear down.
• Warming up. Place your baby's ear on a bag of warm salt.

Removing fluid that is in the middle ear

When water gets into the middle ear, children experience pain and a feeling of stuffiness. It seems to be bubbling in my head. The liquid can be removed using the same methods as when eliminating problems in the outer part of the ear. If they do not bring results, the following must be done:

• place cotton wool in the ear to absorb moisture;
• ask the baby to make several swallowing movements or yawn;
• give the child an alcohol compress at night;
• apply ear drops (Otipax, Otinum);
• Give the victim a children's pain reliever to relieve pain.

What not to do

Fact! The penetration of water into the ear canal is not dangerous for a newborn. Safety is due to the fact that there are sulfur plugs in the baby’s ear canal, which protected the ears from water during the period of intrauterine development. There is no need to remove them; this process occurs naturally.

Manipulations performed by parents during periods of panic pose a particular danger to the baby’s hearing organs. Actions that parents think will help remove fluid often harm the child’s health.

Do not try to remove moisture with cotton swabs

Pediatricians and otolaryngologists prohibit the use of the following methods:

• cleaning the ear cavity after bathing with cotton swabs - the device will help remove water, but the risk of accidentally pushing through the eardrum outweighs the expected benefit;
• drying the ear cavity with a hairdryer - a stream of hot air often provokes burns of the mucous membranes;
• using a medical bulb - water in the auditory cavity is contained in small quantities, so a syringe will not help;
• It is also forbidden to shake the child.

The listed manipulations can indeed help remove water from the ear canal, but their use is unacceptable. Some of the methods are serious stress for the newborn. Some of them are potentially dangerous and can cause permanent loss of hearing quality.

What not to do?

Water getting into a baby's ear poses virtually no threat to him, but still such episodes require attention and correct, adequate actions from parents. The following must not be done:

1. Dry the baby's ear canals soaked in water with a hairdryer. Hot and drying air can lead to inflammation and death of the epithelium.
2. Warm your baby's ears with a heating pad.
3. “Blot” the soaked ear canals with cotton swabs, plunging them deep into the ear.
4. Use a syringe to remove moisture from the ear canals;
5. Shake the baby so that water flows out of his ears.

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

For children with weakened immune systems due to a recent cold or ear infection, water getting into the ear can be dangerous. In this case, if water gets into the newborn’s ear, it is better to contact an otolaryngologist, especially if otitis media was suffered no more than 3 months ago. Also, liquid should not be allowed to enter the auditory cavity if the room temperature is less than 18 degrees. In this case, hypothermia can cause the development of an inflammatory process.

If liquid that enters the baby's ear canal while bathing becomes a cause for concern, the baby should be shown to a doctor. Discomfort and pain, which the child expresses through screams and crying, can manifest itself after liquid ingress, against the background of a pathological process occurring in a latent form. It is possible to exclude the possibility of developing otitis media, which poses a sufficient danger to the newborn, after an in-person examination and laboratory examination.

What to do if water gets into your child's ears?

Often the liquid that has flowed into the baby’s ears flows out on its own. This occurs after the child starts jumping or shaking his head. If the child cannot cope with the trouble on his own, then the parents should help him. How can I safely remove fluid from my ears? The following methods will help:

Ask the baby to tilt his head to the side where water has accumulated in the ear, and apply a dry napkin or towel. Ask him to take a deep and sharp breath, press his nostrils tightly, exhale actively, but do not open his mouth (provided that the ear does not hurt). Under the force of pressure, the water from the ears will be pushed out by the air flow. Tilt the baby's head to the side of the ear with water, press your palm against the shell of the ear, creating a vacuum, then sharply “tear off” the palm without causing pain to the child. Such manipulations resemble the action of a pump, which helps to quickly remove all the accumulated fluid from the hearing aid. If the baby is not capricious and does not complain of sharp or aching pain, then you need to ask him to jump

Jumping should be performed rhythmically and actively, while it is important to tilt your head towards the ear, where the water is present. If the child is naughty, you can ask him to lie on his side (if there is water in the left ear, lie on his left side and vice versa). During the procedure, the baby should try to move his ears or make some kind of swallowing movements.

If the procedure is carried out correctly and immediately after liquid gets into the ear, then you can get rid of the water very quickly and painlessly. If water has caused swelling of the wax plug, then a heat compress will help get rid of the problem. It is necessary to place the baby with the ear, where the fluid has accumulated, on a heating pad or a bag of heated salt. Exposure to heat will cause rapid evaporation of moisture. Twist a thin cotton wool flagellum and insert it into the ear where the fluid is present. The cotton wool will absorb moisture and the problem will disappear. It is important to remember that the cotton wool should not be inserted deeply. In addition, it is not recommended to use cotton swabs to “pull out” liquid.

How to protect your baby's ears when bathing?

Often, a young mother is faced with the question of the need to protect her child’s hearing organs from water during the bathing period. Today, the list of products for caring for a newborn includes special bathing caps. such protective equipment is not a hat in the generally accepted variation, but rather a panama hat without the top. This method of protection allows you to minimize the risk of water getting into your ear while washing your hair.

Important! This swimming hat is suitable for children aged 6 months and older who can sit. It is difficult to use this method of protection for a newborn baby.

In cases where protecting the infant’s auditory cavity from liquid ingress is necessary, otolaryngologists advise using small self-made earplugs. In order to prevent the risk of water getting into the hearing cavity, manufactured earplugs should be lubricated with baby cream. This method can only be used in cases where water can be dangerous and cause inflammation. Using the method on an ongoing basis is unacceptable; otolaryngologists say that in such cases conditions of high humidity are created, which are also favorable conditions for the proliferation of fungi and bacteria.

What do you need to know? Fluid in a child's ear!

Fluid in the ear is a very unpleasant symptom that causes a lot of discomfort and sometimes pain.

A similar situation can indicate both various diseases and the anatomical structure of the middle ear.

Often children face such a problem as fluid in the ear.

Adults are less susceptible to this problem. The reason for this is the structural features of the ear of children - the small size of the auricle, the short auditory canal, and the failure of the immune system.

What's flowing?

The scientific definition of fluid in the ears is called otorrhea. This in itself is not a disease, but a symptom of pathologies associated with the organ of hearing.

There are many reasons that become prerequisites for the accumulation of moisture and fluid in the ears.

This often occurs due to the accumulation of bacterial agents that cause an inflammatory process and cause pus or ichor to leak out.

If fluid appears in the ear in children, you should not self-medicate, as this can lead to serious consequences.

Causes of congestion

Several reasons can lead to otorrhea:

• otitis media (chronic and acute);
• hearing injuries;
• ingress of a small amount of liquid while swimming;
• allergic reactions;
• otomycosis;
• pathologies of the eyes and respiratory tract;
• head injuries;
• inflammation of the spinal cord membranes;
• mastoiditis.

When it hurts and leaks

The main symptom that fluid has accumulated in the ear is a characteristic squelching sound that occurs and intensifies with pressure in the tragus area.

More serious symptoms may begin to occur during the stages of inflammation and accumulation of exudative fluid in the tympanic cavity. Signs of an inflammatory process include:

• shooting and pulsating pain;
• high temperature over 38 degrees;
• itching and peeling of the skin in the ear;
• leakage of bloody, purulent or serous fluid;
• pain in the temple area.

In cases of tubo-otitis development, the patient may experience coughing, sneezing and nasal congestion. This disease develops against the background of diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Treatment

To remove fluid that has accumulated in a child’s ear, treatment is required, aimed not only at the symptoms, but also at eliminating the root cause. Complex therapy, which includes:

• drug treatment;
• physiotherapy;
• surgery.

To begin with, the fluid should naturally drain from the ear.

Often it is removed into the nasopharynx through the Eustachian tube. Too much exudate should not be allowed to accumulate, because... this may cause excessive proliferation of harmful microorganisms.

In cases where the middle ear cavity is already engulfed in an inflammatory process, therapy is carried out by a doctor using antibiotics.

The use of such potent drugs by young children is undesirable, but in most cases this is the only way out.

To relieve the inflammatory process, steroids are prescribed, and antiseptics are prescribed to destroy pathogenic microflora. Some medications may be injected directly into the ear canal.

If the serous fluid has already turned into pus and it is impossible to remove it, surgical intervention is performed. The doctor makes a small puncture through which all the fluid flows out.

In cases where an extensive and abundant accumulation of purulent discharge is detected, a procedure for sanitation of the ear canal is carried out using saline solution or other medical means.

If fluid in the child’s ear appears due to the usual ingress of water from outside, an ENT doctor will help get rid of it. It will blow out the Eustachian tube and relieve tissue irritation. If there is an infection in the ear, the doctor will administer antibacterial therapy.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why a child may develop fluid in the ear. If you have any symptoms of the disease, you should seek help from a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe treatment. Remember, self-medication can lead to serious consequences.

General recommendations

The list of basic recommendations to ensure safe bathing of a newborn is as follows:

1. Water at a comfortable temperature is filled into a plastic bath. The baby is wrapped in a diaper and gently immersed in water.
2. The child should be held in the water with one hand, with the child's head resting on it. The mother washes the baby with her other hand.
3. The duration of the procedure is no more than 10 minutes. It is important to prevent hypothermia. Children under 6 months of age are bathed daily.
4. After completing the procedure, the baby is wrapped in a warm towel and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
5. If you suspect that fluid has entered the ear cavity, the ear canal should be wiped with a gauze or cotton wool bandage.

The risk of water getting into a child’s ear, provided the above rules are followed, is minimal.