Urgent Care Services For Inner Ear Infections
Inner ear infections often affect children, however, adults are not immune to them. Symptoms can vary between people, however, common symptoms of an inner infection may include earache, drainage, increased temperature over the affected ear, and ear redness. In addition, inner ear infections can cause dizziness, balance problems, and hearing loss. If you develop an inner ear infection and experience any of the aforementioned signs and symptoms, visit an urgent care center where you may be offered the following treatment options.
Ear Drops
After an ear examination with a special instrument known as an otoscope, the urgent care healthcare provider may put drops into your ear. Depending on the condition of your eardrum and other parts of your middle and inner ear, the ear drops may either be anti-inflammatory drops, antibiotic drops, or a combination of both.
The anti-inflammatory drops will help decrease the swelling of your inner ear and help reduce your pain. Decreased inflammation may also help relieve infection-related vertigo, which refers to an unpleasant sensation of spinning and nausea often caused by inner ear problems. The antibiotics drops will help treat the ear infection, however, if your ear infection is caused by a systemic infection, such as influenza or an upper respiratory bacterial infection, the urgent care provider may write you a prescription for oral antibiotics instead of antibiotic ear drops.
Removal Of Ear Wax
Excessive embedded ear wax can exacerbate the symptoms of an inner ear infection. When this happens, the ear wax will need to be removed by a healthcare professional to help promote the healing of the infection, reduce ear pain, and improve hearing.
The healthcare provider at the urgent care center may use a special thin ear wax removal instrument to gently extract the wax from deep inside the ear canal. If the ear wax is deeply embedded inside the ear or if it is especially hard, ear drops specially made to soften the wax may be a better option. Once the ear wax has been softened, it will probably come out on its own. If you believe that you have embedded ear wax, do not attempt to remove it yourself because doing so can push it in even further.
If you develop any of the above symptoms of an inner ear infection, visit an urgent care center. When inner ear infections are promptly treated, complications such as permanent hearing loss, scarring of the eardrum, increased pain, and long-term hearing loss may be less likely to develop.
Contact a local urgent care to learn more.
