How To Prevent Your Ear Infection From Coming Back

When you have an ear infection, it usually takes a while for it to go away, and you don’t want to experience the symptoms of an infection that come with it all over again. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to reduce the chances of an ear infection coming back. So, whether you live in humid climates where ear infections seem to be a seasonal thing or if you just want to be proactive about keeping your ears healthy, these five tips will help ensure that your ears remain healthy this summer.

Change Your Pillowcase Daily

One of the easiest ways to prevent ear infections is to change your pillowcase daily. Sounds a little weird, right? Surprisingly, there is a strong link between dirty pillows and ear infections. And while no research proves that ear infections are caused by bacteria on the pillow, a large amount of anecdotal evidence suggests a clean pillowcase can help prevent ear infections.

Because ear infections affect your eustachian tubes, which connect your nose and ears, changing your pillowcase is a simple, easy way to reduce the number of bacteria in your environment and lower your chances of getting an ear infection.

Stay Out of the Pool or Shower Until Ear is Better

If you’ve ever experienced an ear infection, you’ll know that water is the last thing you want to be near. Unfortunately, warm weather and water go hand-in-hand. But any time your skin is exposed to water, you risk reintroducing the bacteria that caused your ear infection in the first place. This can lead to a flare-up of symptoms typically accompanied by a bad smell.

That’s because water gets trapped in your ear canal, creating a warm and moist environment in which bacteria love to live. If you’ve had an ear infection or are currently being treated for an ear infection, your ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor may prescribe earplugs or recommend that you stay out of the water until your ear infection has cleared up.

Use a Humidifier

If you live in a climate where ear infections are a frequent thing, you may want to look into investing in a humidifier. Humidity is one of the most common triggers of ear infections, particularly in babies and young children. It’s also one of the easiest triggers to prevent. All you need to do is switch on a humidifier and keep the air in your home moist instead of dry.

Keeping the air in your home moist not only prevents ear infections but can also help ease symptoms of allergies, asthma and migraines. There are plenty of reasons why you would want to keep the air in your home moist but preventing ear infections is one of them.

Try Out Ear Care Products

If you’ve had recurrent ear infections or live in a humid climate, you may want to switch out a few of your everyday hygiene products for ear-friendly alternatives. While you don’t need to overhaul your hygiene routine completely, there are a few products you can swap out to help prevent bacteria from growing in your ears. For example, ear balms containing essential oils like tea tree oil, lavender and eucalyptus can help soothe irritated ears and prevent bacteria from growing in your ears. Additionally, ear swabs that contain alcohol-free solutions can be a great alternative to cotton swabs if you’re worried about introducing bacteria into your ear canal.

Get Check-Ups from Your ENT Doctor

You should talk to your ENT doctor about getting an exam if you’ve been diagnosed with recurring ear infections. That way, your doctor can rule out other conditions that may be causing your symptoms and find ways to prevent recurring ear infections. If you’ve had frequent ear infections, your ENT doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics to help treat your condition and prevent it from returning.

Antibiotics are excellent at treating ear infections, but you don’t want to be on them for the rest of your life. The best way to avoid taking antibiotics all the time is to switch your hygiene routine up a little. That way, you’re less likely to get an ear infection in the first place.

You can do many things to prevent ear infections from happening, as well as things you can do to prevent them from returning. If you’re prone to ear infections, keeping these tips in mind is a good idea. You may not be able to control every ear infection, but you can decrease the number of them by changing your hygiene routine and keeping your ears clean and dry.

And with these five tips, you can also ensure that your ears stay healthy long after your infection has cleared up. To learn more about how to avoid recurring ear infections with Mountain Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, call us today at Sylva: 828-586-7474, Franklin: 828-524-5599, Murphy: 828-835-1014 and New Asheville: 828-458-8100.