First of all, I’m 19 years old, and I just got an ear infection (btw, OWW). I will never blame a little kid for screaming his/her lungs out. I practically was, myself.
Now, I know ear infections are mostly only had by children. I’ve heard tha it’s because, as you grow, the shape of your ear canal changes and makes you less suceptible. Is this true? If it is, does the fact that I’ve gotten ear infections at 16 and 19 mean that I will always be succeptible?
Second, I got very good advice from #straightdope (thanks runa!) and my boyfriend to aim a blowdrier at my ear. I was very sceptical, but also incredibly desperate as I had not yet gotten any antibiotics. It worked wonderfully! The effects wore off pretty soon after I took the blowdrier away, but it was still such a relief. How does this work?
Scott (my boyfriend) thinks it has something to do with earwax. I think that the hot air makes the pressure change somehow. Any other ideas?
In children, the eustachian tube is short and somewhat vertical which offers a greater risk of infection. As you grow, it lengthens and becomes more horizontal making ear infections less likely. Aggravating conditions like a cold or sinus infection increase your chances of developing an ear infection.
Heat masks pain by overwhleming pain receptors, for example, when you apply a warm compress to a sore muscle. I think a blowdryer in the ear is essentially the same thing. The warm air penetrates into the ear canal creating a sensation of relief.
I think the blowdryer worked by drying out the ear. Swimmers get ear infections. There’s a product on the market called “Swimmer’s Ears,” which is basically isopropyl alcohol. I use a concoction of a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and vinegar. The alcohol dries out the ear and the vinegar gives an unfavorable environment for the germs. You should pick up some Swimmer’s Ears or make your own concoction, or even apply just isopropyl alcohol (which is all Swimmer’s Ears is). You have to apply this more than once. Apply twice a day until the pain goes away.
It’s mostly the heat acting on the pain receptors, but as barbitu8 pointed out, getting rid of excess moisture in your ears gets rid of some infection possibilities.
Our local HMO recommends directing a hairdryer down one’s throat when having a throat infection. I’m not sure what the rationale is, but your throat is probably better able to handle very hot air (heh, heh) than some poor, innocent virus.
It’s pretty easy for adults to get ear infections by swimming, as pointed out, or by misusing Q-Tips to clean out the ear near the eardrum.