Nighttime Remedies for an Ear Infection
Ear infections are a common ailment that affects most children, some more than others. The Eustachian tubes, the canals that connect the middle ear to the back of the throat, can get blocked or become inflamed when a child has a cold, an allergy attack, or a sinus infection.
Nighttime can be difficult for a child with an ear infection. An ear infection can cause coughing, fever and nasal congestion. And these symptoms can make it difficult for a child with an ear infection to sleep through the night.
How can you help a child with an ear infection get a good night’s rest? Here are a few suggestions.
1. If the child with the ear infection is 2 years old or older, try a pain reliever. Children’s acetaminophen, or children’s ibuprofen, will ease the child’s pain and discomfort. Never give your child aspirin, or products that contain aspirin, which could lead to Reye’s syndrome, a sometimes-fatal illness.
2. Before they go to bed, or at times when the ear infection has caused them to wake up in the middle of the night, have your child take small sips of water. The swallowing action will help to drain your child’s Eustachian tubes, which will ease their pain and discomfort.
3. Valsalva’s maneuver can help a child with an ear infection by opening up their Eustachian tubes. With their mouth closed and their nose pinched shut, the child should slowly and gently blow their nose. (Make sure they don’t blow too hard.) This action will make their ears “pop,” and ease some of their discomfort, especially the stuffy head feeling an ear infection can cause.
4. Mineral oil can help soothe the pain of your child’s ear infection. Put a bottle of mineral oil in a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes. You don’t want the mineral water to be too hot. In fact, you want it to be about body temperature. Once you are sure about the temperature of the mineral oil, place two or three drops in your child’s ears.
Follow the above suggestions, and any child with an ear infection should have an easier time sleeping through the night. And so will their parents.
