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Antibiotics will not help an ear infection that is caused by a virus, so doctors do not always prescribe antibiotics for ear infections. All children under 6 months old will be treated with antibiotics. Tell your doctor about the last time you used antibiotics, as well as what kind. This will help your doctor choose the most effective kind for you. Make sure you or your child take all the doses of the medication on schedule, to ensure the infection does not return. Do not stop taking antibiotics, even if you feel better until you have completed the entire course as prescribed. Stopping antibiotic treatment before you finish the full course can cause any remaining bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, making the condition much more difficult to treat. Ear drops, such as antipyrine-benzocaine-glycerin (Aurodex), may help relieve the pain of ear infections. A doctor will not prescribe ear drops to people with torn or perforated eardrums. To give drops to a child, first warm up the eardrop solution by placing the bottle in warm water or holding it between your hands for a few minutes. Have your child lie on a flat surface with the infected ear facing up toward you. Use the recommended dosage. Have your child keep his or her head tilted with the infected ear up for about 2 minutes. Because benzocaine is a numbing agent, it's best if you can have someone else apply the drops to your ear. Avoid touching your ear with the dropper. Benzocaine may cause mild itchiness or redness. It has also been linked to a rare but serious condition that affects your blood's oxygen levels. Never use more than the recommended dose of benzocaine, and consult your pediatrician to make sure that you give the right dosage to your child. Recurring otitis media may require a procedure called a myringotomy. Recurring means you have had three episodes in the past six months or four episodes in the past year, with at least one occurring in the past six months. An ear infection that does not clear up after treatment is also a candidate for this procedure. Ear tube surgery, or myringotomy, is an outpatient procedure. A surgeon inserts tiny tubes into the eardrum so fluids behind the eardrum can drain easier. The eardrum usually closes up again after the tube falls out or is removed. If you continue to have swollen adenoids, which are masses of tissue located behind the nasal cavity, they may need to be surgically removed.
Get a prescription for antibiotics from your doctor. Ask your doctor for prescription ear drops. Ask your doctor about ear tubes if the ear infection is recurrent. Discuss the possibility of an adenoidectomy to remove swollen adenoids with your doctor.