Many medical professionals advocate the use of antibiotics in destroying the bacteria causing the middle ear infection. If the pain is too much to bear, your medical professional may also suggest the use of a pain reliever. It is important to follow the instructions meted out by your physician. If the doctor has put you on a course of antibiotics, the course must be finished. Your doctor may also call you for a follow-up examination to check if the infection has cleared off.
Treating otitis media can sometimes be a matter of dispute. Many of the disputes focus around the trouble of discerning viral infection from bacterial infection; with viral infection likely to progress to bacterial infection eventually. Health professionals, such as physicians use a monocular otoscope (a medical instrument consisting of a magnifying lens and light; used for examining the external ear which is composed of the auditory meatus and the tympanic membrane) and possibly a tympanometer as their only symptomatic tool, which makes the distinction between virus or bacterial infections so much more difficult. And if the ear canal is small and there is a buildup of ear wax in the canal, it can blot out the view of the eardrum. If the infection is left untreated, it can lead to acute bacterial otitis media with intense pain leading to restless nights and may also lead to eardrum perforations, and finally spread rapidly to cause inflammation of the mastoids or brain abscess. In rare cases death may also occur if the infection goes without medical care or treatment long enough.
Some allege that a miscellany of unproven methods and treatments may bring about some benefit in easing the symptoms of otitis media, such as osteopathic, which is a therapy based on the assumption that restoring health is best accomplished by manipulating the skeleton and muscles, and chiropractic manipulation, which is a method of treatment that manipulates body structures to relieve pain or pressure. Dietary methods, herbal teas and supplements, acupressure and acupuncture, oriental medicine, and homeopathy are some of the other treatments used.
The effectiveness of these unconventional therapies can only be assessed with randomized controlled studies with adequate sampling sizes. No alternative therapy conclusions exist for otitis media only word-of-mouth evidence is available. However, one particular clinical study looked into the osteopathic Galbreath and auricular drainage techniques for reducing the symptoms, which was found to be highly promising. A recent review of over 340 patients revealed no serious repercussions or complications with the use of osteopathic treatments, but further evidence is yet to be sought, for it to be widely accepted.
answered by G M