If you have an ear problemDO NOT IGNORE IT. It will ONLY go away WITH TREATMENT. The longer you leave it the longer the treatment will take.
We care for people with dry; flaky; irritable; painful; runny and blocked ears
Email for advice or an appointment
Itchy ears - If you wear ear plugs, ear defenders, or ear pieces for extended periods such as with hands-free phone kits and they irritate your ears please email us
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Dry skin in the ear canal which causes irritation may be alleviated with a drop of olive oil. However this dry skin may just be a symptom of another problem so it is best to have your ear checked. Use of hairsprays, shampoo or some soaps can cause irritation of the skin. Some people are more prone to this problem than others.
Waxy ears - A regular check and lift out of excess wax prevents the wax building up enough to block the ears which may then require irrigation. If your hearing aid is whistling it may be that by lifting out the excess wax the whistling will cease, as this noise is caused by the acoustic feed back to the microphone when the ear is blocked or if the mould of the hearing aid does not fit well. First of all you need to know if it is just wax which is blocking your ear, not infection. If it is wax, insert olive oil drops for a few nights so that the wax is lubricated and more easily removed, when you visit the nurse. Lie down with the affected ear uppermost and instil 2 or 3 drops of oil into the ear, stay there for 5 to 10 minutes and then sit up and wipe away excess oil with a tissue. Repeat with the other ear if necessary. Never leave cotton wool in your ear unless a dressing is in place, or cold wind causes the ear to ache.
Infected ears - this can occur in either the outer ear canal or in the middle ear space
Outer ear canal - swimming in poorly maintained pools while on holiday is a common way to start an infection. The chlorine level may also be higher than normal and this could irritate the skin of the ear. It is best to carry a Galacial Acetic Acid ear spray in your first aid kit (can be bought over the counter at any pharmacist shop) then if any of the family above 12 years of age have an ear problem it can be prevented from becoming worse and then causing the associated pain which could spoil the holiday. This spray may be used for younger children with medical advice. It provides an acid environment in the ear canal and the bacteria are deterred.
Middle ear space- This space, behind the ear drum, is lined with wet skin as in your mouth and nose and fluid can collect in this space if air entry is reduced because of a blockage at the back of the nose. 85% of children experience fluid in the middle ear at some stage and 50% will resolve spontaneously within 3 months. Winter, respiratory infections, passive smoking are some of the environmental risk factors. Hearing loss and changes in speech are the noticeable symptoms. If this fluid becomes infected through sore throats the result is a very painful acute otitis media and 40% of children will suffer one or more episodes before the age of 7 years. At least 85% will resolve within 72 hours without treatment (Harkness Et Al, 2000). The child may be irritable with fever and sickness or may be active with just an ear ache. A combination of paediatric Ibuprofen and Paracetamol will provide analgesia but if there is no resolution after 3 days medical advice should be sought or if the child has repeated ear infections. Encourage the child to clear the nasal airway both morning and night by either a big sniff or by blowing the nose.
Painful ears - this can be caused by an infected hair follicle at the entrance to the ear canal (boil) which will require medical attention. An outer or middle ear infection can also cause pain. Traumatising the ear canal or perforating the ear drum is painful. Discomfort can be caused by a foreign body inserted into the canal. Pain may be referred to the ear from some other problem such as teeth, glands, jaw movement joint, neck joints or a sore throat.
