How to properly make a vodka or alcohol compress on the ear? If your baby’s ear hurts: how to make a compress on the ear, how to treat otitis media and preventive measures How to make a dry compress on the child’s ear.

For various pathologies of the hearing organs, in addition to the main treatment with medications, the otolaryngologist often prescribes a compress on the ear. The procedure not only speeds up recovery, but also reduces the risk of complications. However, this method of therapy is recommended to be used only after an accurate diagnosis has been made. Otherwise, warming up can aggravate the disease and cause serious consequences. Therefore, before starting therapy, it is recommended to visit a doctor.

Compress and its therapeutic effects

An ear compress is a multi-layer bandage impregnated with a medicinal composition. Being one of the types of distraction therapy, the procedure causes persistent vasodilation and increases blood flow to the diseased organ, relieves inflammation and pain. At the same time, metabolism in the affected tissues improves and their recovery is accelerated.

A medicated bandage is a completely affordable and effective way to treat ear diseases. Many types of warming compress allow you to choose the best option for both an adult and a child. And the low price and availability of materials used for the procedure make it even more popular.

Varieties

A therapeutic ear bandage is usually used to relieve pain in various pathologies of the ENT organs. Most often, a compress is applied to the ear for otitis media. It can be either dry or wet. The latter option is used much more often due to its higher efficiency, so we will consider it.

Wet compresses are often used to treat otitis media.

Wet compresses can vary in composition and temperature. Typically, such dressings are prepared on the basis of diluted alcohol, vodka, camphor, boric acid or plain water.

Based on temperature, compresses are divided into the following types:

1. Warming. Their temperature ranges from 40–45 ° C. Designed to improve blood circulation and metabolism in the affected ear, eliminate pain and inflammation. The use of moderate heat effectively relieves the symptoms of otitis media, tonsillitis, rhinitis, cough and sore throat.
2. Hot. Heating dressings with a temperature of 55–60 °C have a more intense thermal effect on tissue. It is used primarily for lumbago and severe, persistent pain in the hearing organs, and to eliminate migraines.
3. Cold. Used to cool ear tissue, stop bleeding and reduce discomfort. Indicated for hearing injuries.

For inflammatory processes, a compress on the ear is usually made using alcohol or camphor oil. A lotion with camphor has a pronounced antimicrobial activity and has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Vodka compress has a local irritant effect and disinfects affected tissues.

When a purulent form of otitis develops, warming lotions can be dangerous for the patient, so doing them without a doctor’s prescription is not recommended. Particular care should be taken when treating children.

Despite the presence of contraindications, which we will discuss below, the compress is the best addition to the drug treatment of inflammatory diseases of the hearing organs.

Materials for making a warming compress

To put a compress on the ear, you will need materials that are in every first aid kit:

• gauze, bandage or a piece of cotton fabric, folded in several layers to form a rectangle 10x6 cm;
• waxed paper, oilcloth or ordinary polyethylene measuring 12x8 cm;
• a piece of cotton wool to create a layer at least 3 cm thick;
• an elastic bandage or compression bandage to secure the lotion.

Materials for making a compress can be found in any home.

As a warming agent, you can take alcohol diluted in a ratio of 1 to 1, vodka from a good manufacturer, camphor alcohol or oil.

Alcohol compress

So, how to make a compress on the ear using alcohol? For the procedure, you should prepare 60–70 ml of alcohol, to which you can add a few drops of pine or fir essential concentrate. The warming bandage is composed of three layers, which are applied in turn to each other:

1. For the bottom layer, take a piece of gauze or fabric folded into a rectangle and make a cut in the center to fit the size of the ear. The material is moistened with heated alcohol, wrung out well and applied to the area near the ear that hurts, previously lubricated with cream.
2. The second layer of waxed paper or polyethylene acts as an insulator. A slot is also made in it for the auricle and placed on top of the first layer.
3. The last layer of the dressing is made from cotton wool. It is necessary for warming, so it is made thicker. Instead of cotton wool, it is permissible to use a woolen item or a piece of felt.
4. The warming bandage is secured to the head with a bandage. You can wear a warm hat or scarf over it.

Warming bandage consists of 3 layers

Correct application of the compress requires a tight fit to the skin around the ear so that the alcohol does not evaporate prematurely, and the lotion retains heat.

How long should you keep such a bandage? The alcohol compress is applied for no more than 3–4 hours, but according to the doctor’s indications it can be left for 7–8 hours. But, in any case, the lotion must be removed if it no longer warms. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening or at night. After treatment, you should not go outside or stand in a draft.

Vodka warming compress

A compress on the ear with vodka is made in the same way as an alcohol compress. Prepare 3 layers, the bottom one is moistened with warmed good quality alcohol. Treatment with a surrogate can result in tissue burns and low effect from the procedure.

Compress with camphor

A camphor compress for the ear is made according to the same algorithm as an alcohol compress, only the bottom layer of the bandage is soaked in warm camphor alcohol. When starting therapy, you must remember that the drug is an alcohol, so it should be diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. For dilution, you can use camphor oil in the same proportion.

A bandage with camphor alcohol is good for otitis media.

The warming compress should not be kept for too long to avoid an allergic reaction in the form of hives or other skin manifestations. If the procedure went without complications, next time its duration can be increased to 3–4 hours.

To achieve a lasting therapeutic effect, it is recommended to use lotions with camphor alcohol for a week. In addition to compresses, for otitis media, the drug can be instilled into the sore ear and turundas can be made with it, but only after consultation with an otolaryngologist.

Instead of camphor alcohol, you can use a camphor oil solution for a warming dressing. It should be kept a little longer. If there is no allergy, leave the compress for 5–6 hours.

Lotion with boric alcohol

To combat ear inflammation, boric alcohol is often used, which is prepared from the same amount of vodka and boric acid. The resulting solution may not be as effective as camphor or vodka, but it has good antiseptic properties and is quite capable of alleviating the patient’s condition at the early stage of otitis media.

Soak the bottom layer of the compress with the solution and apply it around the ear. Cover the top with wax paper, insulate it and secure it with a bandage.

Boric acid is effective at the onset of the disease

Every 20–30 minutes, the gauze layer must be moistened with a warm solution. The total procedure time is 2–3 hours.

Despite the fact that the annotation for boric acid lists children's age as contraindications, pediatricians allow the use of boric alcohol in practice, subject to the dosage and duration of treatment.

Dry compress

Sometimes dry heat is used to combat otitis media. This procedure, although less effective than a wet bandage, is good for ear congestion without pain. For the procedure, use salt, sand or cereal, heated to 70–80° C. Keep this compress until it cools down.

Dry compresses are recommended for ear congestion.

After any warming procedure, the skin around the ear should be washed with plain water, and the camphor should be washed off with soap.

Compress for baby

Before applying a compress to your child’s ear, you should consult a pediatrician or otolaryngologist. When resolved, lotions can be used as an addition to drug treatment.

The use of warming procedures in children has its own characteristics:

• It is not advisable to use camphor lotions for children under 2 years of age. The product may cause skin dermatitis or rash.
• A vodka compress on the ear should be applied with caution. Before the procedure, it is recommended to apply a rich cream to the skin and dilute alcohol in a 1:1 ratio. Pure alcohol must be diluted in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3.
• All solutions must be heated to 37–40° C.

Alcohol compresses should be applied to children with caution.

For a young child, it is recommended to place a warm compress on the ear while lying down; for an older child, it can be applied while sitting. Before and after the procedure, the skin around the ear is washed with water and cream is applied. Then a warm hat or cap is put on the baby.

Contraindications to the procedure

Is it always possible to apply a compress to the ear when there is inflammation? It turns out that even such a simple procedure has a lot of

• contraindications:
• purulent form of otitis;
• increased blood pressure;
• consequences of otitis media;
• pathologies of the brain of vascular origin;
• boils and other purulent abscesses of the auricle and the skin around it;
• mechanical injuries to the skin in the compress area.

Contraindications to warming procedures are high body temperature and some infectious diseases.

Most ailments are not difficult to detect on your own. For example, wounds, scratches and rashes on the skin are visible to the naked eye. Discharge from the ear canal can indicate the development of a purulent form of inflammation, but they appear only on days 4–7 of the disease. Therefore, warming compresses are not recommended without a doctor’s prescription. Do not self-medicate. This can cause irreparable harm to health, including the development of deafness.

Compress is a borrowing from the French language, meaning a medicinal bandage. The therapeutic effect is achieved due to the medicinal substance with which the main layer is moistened. Despite its long history of use, it is still prescribed by doctors and has not lost its significance. Knowing how to apply a compress to the ear, you can reduce the pain symptom, have a delaying effect and alleviate the patient’s condition. The main requirement in such cases is correct application, the type of dressing appropriate to the disease, and the correct choice of medication.

Types of compress and benefits of use

The main purpose of a compress is a topical application to obtain a therapeutic effect; it can be dry or wet, warming or cooling, hot or cold. The type of therapeutic dressing is determined by the localization of the pathological process, its nature, and the purpose set by the doctor when prescribing it. In medicine, this type of local physiotherapy is used in different cases:

• warming is used for ear inflammation, joint pain, for the treatment of the respiratory system and pain symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract;
• hot ones are made for colic of spastic etiology (liver, kidney and intestinal) and headaches;
• cold ones are used to constrict blood vessels, reduce bleeding, hematoma and slow down inflammation;
• dry ones are applied to protect the affected area from external influences and achieve a therapeutic effect.

The main advantage of the bandage used is the rapid achievement of results. It occurs from local use, penetration of the remedy into soft tissue, or thermal effects on the affected area. Like every therapeutic agent, the compress has indications and contraindications. Its prescription is made by a doctor, who determines the appropriateness of use and the absence of possible consequences.

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What is needed to apply a compress?

A compress is a bandage that requires a set of necessary materials. It is compiled depending on the type and may include different components. The main one is a sterile cloth, gauze or bandage used to form the outer layer. The inner layers are determined by the type of method used:

• wet - cotton wool or absorbent fabric moistened with water or liquid;
• hot - material soaked in hot water and covered with a waterproof (oilcloth, polyethylene) and insulating layer (wool or flannel fabric);
• ointment or oil - a medicinal substance covered with a layer impermeable to oil or fatty compounds;
• warming - hot, but instead of water, an aqueous solution of alcohol, vegetable or other oil is used;
• dry - several layers of sterile dressing material, the bottom one is filled with dry medicine, or heated bulk material in a special bag.

The hygroscopic, waterproof and insulating layer can, in the absence of the necessary materials, be replaced with improvised means - boiled rags, oilcloth, paraffinized (waxed) paper or the same cardboard, cellophane, a layer of batting or warm things that have the ability to retain heat (scarf, woolen scarf, layer of batting) .

Compress on a child's ear at home

In order to obtain the desired therapeutic effect, certain conditions and bandage application techniques must be observed. They are determined not only by the type of compress or its composition, but also by age characteristics. A warming compress for the ear of a child is prescribed more often than for an adult, due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of childhood: the baby’s ear canal is shorter than that of an adult, and inflammation of the middle ear easily develops during infectious or cold processes in the nasopharynx. Placing a warm compress on the ear in childhood is indicated for various forms of otitis externa or otitis media.

The therapeutic effect is achieved through the action of an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent, the effect of which is enhanced by the effect of the heat-preserving layer. A compress applied to the ear has a warming and analgesic effect, accelerates blood flow and intracellular metabolism, and accelerates regeneration processes. The absence of pain and rapid absorption of the medicine helps the baby calm down and fall asleep. For a warming compress in childhood, an alcohol compress on the ear is made from alcohol diluted in a ratio of 1:3. Instead of alcohol, there may be medicine or auxiliary products (decoction of medicines, homeopathic medicine, vegetable oil).

Compress on the ear with vodka

Prescribed to children starting from 3 years of age. Before this, it is recommended to use oil in a warming compress. In gauze or a wide bandage, folded in several layers, a hole is cut into which the ear passes. The wet layer is applied to the parotid space and closed with a waterproof layer with the same incision for the auricle. For insulation, you can use compressed paper, cling film, or polyethylene. The top, insulating layer is usually made of a thick layer of cotton wool, which can also be replaced with improvised means. In a vodka compress, vodka is used to wet the bottom layer, the strength of which is approximately 40⁰.

Alcohol compress on the ear

Alcohol is used only in diluted form, because it not only evaporates quickly and does not have the desired effect, but is also absorbed into the skin. It can have a toxic effect on the body and burn soft tissue.

With boric alcohol

They do it in the same way as vodka, but to wet the bottom layer they use a solution of water, boric alcohol and vodka (in equal quantities), heated to 38⁰. Any compress is applied around the ear canal, but does not close it. After removal, wipe the skin with a damp cloth or the end of a towel soaked in soapy water. During the procedure, the child wears a headscarf or cap.

Compress on the ear of an adult

The difference in the application of an adult and a children's compress consists of 3 parameters: a more concentrated solution is used (for a child 1:3, for an adult - 1:1), the cut in the gauze is made not square, but in the shape of the letter V. An adult compress is most often fixed with a bandage. The duration of applying a compress to the ear can be determined by the nature of the drug, but in children it is shorter.

From vodka

A vodka compress is placed on the ear as follows: gauze soaked in vodka is applied to the parotid space, threading the shell into the cut made, a waterproof layer is applied on top, and then an insulating layer. The fixed bandage can be worn for up to 4 hours.

Compress on the ear with camphor alcohol

It is used in 2 versions - the bottom layer is made of gauze with heated alcohol, or a cotton wool pad is inserted into the ear hole. To prevent alcohol and camphor from irritating the skin, lubricate it with any protective cream.

Compress on the ear with camphor oil

It is prepared in the same way as with camphor alcohol, the difference is in the consistency of the active component.

Semi-alcohol compress on the ear

For the warming procedure, alcohol is diluted with water, in a ratio of 1:3 for a child and 1:1 for an adult; otherwise, its preparation is no different from vodka.

Dry compress

It is made at home from a bag sewn from natural fabric and filled with river sand or salt. Sand or salt, heated in a frying pan, is poured into a small bag, it is applied to the ear, and secured with a bandage or headdress. A dry compress for otitis media is used for a warming effect and protects the ear from external influences, and can be left overnight.

In what cases is a compress on the ear contraindicated?

Before you decide how to make a compress on the ear, you need to decide on the nature of the pathology and consult a doctor. This remedy cannot be used for pustular infections (folliculitis and boils), erysipelas and eczema, psoriasis and neurodermatitis of any etiology, cancer, bleeding and lichen. If a child has an ear infection, the procedure is categorically not recommended if the disease has become complicated and otitis media has progressed to the purulent stage.

Treatment of ear diseases using a compress is a common practice in medicine. This method of therapy has been proven for centuries and is currently also actively used. Compresses for the ear come in oil and alcohol. The second option is usually called “vodka”. Both methods of treatment are considered effective, and differ only in the duration of the thermal effect, because the oils retain heat much longer. So how to make a compress on the ear? Let's try to figure it out.

The effectiveness of compresses

A compress on the ear for otitis is very often used to treat this disease at home. This method of therapy is recommended even by pediatricians and otolaryngologists when ear pain occurs. after hypothermia. But one should take into account the fact that, in addition to the indications, there are also contraindications for applying a compress, so this method cannot be used uncontrolled.

Dry and wet dressings have one goal - to warm up the pathological focus to enhance metabolic processes in it, the inflow and outflow of blood, and also create conditions that will be unfavorable for the life of microbes. Thanks to this, the inflammatory process is stopped, but only if it is not in an advanced stage, and the number of microbes in the auricle is insignificant.

That is why a compress for otitis helps only at the very beginning of the disease, when the inflammation is superficial. If the pathology has reached the purulent stage, this means a high degree of bacterial contamination, so any heating of the auricle provokes rapid progression of the disease. This is facilitated by the high growth rate of microbes in heat.

What type of compress should be used for illness is determined only by a doctor. An alcohol bandage on the ear warms up the pathological focus for 2 to 6 hours. Oil heat retains heat much longer and heats very gently, so it is recommended mainly for small children. Compresses with various folk remedies - infusions, decoctions, cakes - usually warm the ear for several minutes, therefore they are used as an emergency remedy to relieve inflammation and pain.

Unlike alcohol, dry does not have disinfecting properties, but it creates comfort and reduces the discomfort of otitis media. But no matter what type of bandage is used for otitis, it helps to quickly get rid of pain and improves well-being.

For a vodka dressing you need:

First, the gauze is soaked in vodka and squeezed out a little so that it does not flow down the skin. After this, it is applied to the ear area and pressed tightly against the skin behind the ear, “releasing” the auricle out. Cover the gauze with polyethylene or paper, securing it with a scarf, scarf or other fabric. The main thing is to keep warm under the bandage. If there is no fabric, you can apply a thick layer of cotton wool and secure it with a bandage.

The compress for otitis should be kept for at least two hours, and 3 – 4 hours is best. This procedure must be repeated every day until complete recovery. If the patient’s skin is sensitive and prone to irritation, then before the procedure you need to lubricate the ear and the area around it with a rich cream.

Alcohol compress on the ear

The procedure for making an alcohol compress and its soaking time are the same as for vodka. The only difference is that instead of vodka, medical alcohol is used, which is diluted in warm water. The gauze, which is soaked in alcohol, should not cover the auricle along with the ear canal, which should be carefully covered with a warm cloth or cotton wool.

Traditional healers recommend applying compresses for otitis media. with camphor alcohol. To prepare them, instead of diluted medical alcohol, use 2% camphor alcohol, which is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. After this, it is heated to a temperature of 36 degrees. The camphor compress should be kept on the ear for no more than 1.5 hours, and the duration of the course depends on the speed of the patient’s recovery. This bandage is placed on the ear in the morning and evening.

Warming dressings come in dry and wet varieties. To make a dry compress, apply a thick layer of cotton wool to your ear and secure it with a warm scarf. You need to keep the dry bandage on all night, so it won’t do any harm, but it’s good pain syndrome is relieved. Traditional medicine offers the following effective options for making warm compresses for otitis media:

A warming bandage is placed on infants with heated camphor oil, because alcohol quickly irritates their skin and begins to get wet.

For the compress, an infant will need:

The bandage is folded into six layers and cut into “pants.” It is moistened in heated oil and placed around the ear, without touching the auricle. After the bandage, you need to apply paper, cotton wool on top of it, and then fix it with a warm scarf. Cellophane should not be used as a compress for an infant because it may cause skin irritation. You should keep it no more than 2 – 3 hours, and then install a new one.

A semi-alcohol compress is placed on the child’s ear at an older age. The whole process is done similarly to the previous one, but the bandage is first moistened with water, and then with alcohol and wrung out thoroughly. Cellophane should also not be used.

Thus, compressor treatment effectively helps with ear diseases, and in particular with otitis media. This method of treatment has been known for a very long time, but it is still relevant today. Compress for otitis remains a proven and most reliable treatment method, but in any case, with such a disease, you should definitely see a doctor.

If you notice symptoms of otitis in yourself or your child, consult a qualified doctor. In case of self-medication or untimely treatment, serious health problems can arise.

An otolaryngologist who will prescribe physiotherapeutic procedures and medication during your appointment. In addition, he will advise you to apply compresses to the sore ear.

Compresses at home:

• Herbal compress. Prepare a special decoction. To do this, mix three tablespoons of dried herbs basil, sweet clover and chamomile. Pour one glass of boiling water and leave for thirty minutes, and then strain well. Fold the gauze into 7 layers and soak in the prepared herbal decoction. Squeeze lightly. Place it on your ear and cover it with cellophane. Secure with a bandage or scarf.
• Compress according to Tsitovich with boric acid. It perfectly relieves inflammation and relieves pain. Gauze or bandage is soaked in glycerin and boric acid (its three percent solution). Next, a tampon is made and inserted into the ear. The compress is removed after three hours.

In addition, there are two more types of compresses that are much more common: oil and alcohol. To make an oil compress, camphor or vegetable oil is used. It retains heat longer, but is not as convenient as an alcohol compress, due to the fact that the oil can leak onto clothing or stain everything around it. It is for this reason that preference is usually given to alcohol compresses.

Remember that compresses should always be applied to the area around the sore ear, and not on it, as some people mistakenly believe.

Fold the cheesecloth and place them into one large napkin. Cut a circle in the middle of the napkin with a diameter no smaller than your ear. It needs to fit in it. A gauze pad is usually soaked in camphor or vegetable oil diluted with alcohol or vodka. If you decide to make an alcohol compress, use alcohol for impregnation.

After the gauze is well saturated with alcohol or oil, you should squeeze it out well so that the drops cannot get on your clothes or hair. The prepared compress is applied to the ear, placing it in a cut previously made in a gauze napkin. Apply a layer of cotton wool and wrap the sore ear with a bandage, scarf or scarf.

More information on how to apply an alcohol compress to children can be found in the video.

It should be remembered that at elevated body temperatures, applying a compress is not recommended due to adverse consequences. In addition, you should definitely consult with your doctor whether this type of treatment can be used.

If the patient suffers from diseases such as purulent processes, eczema of the neck and face, and inflammation of the mastoid process, then a warm compress is strictly contraindicated for him!

To prevent skin burns from the compress, lubricate the areas near the sore ear with any fatty cream. The compress should adhere well to the surface of the skin.

Compressing the ear at home will not require much effort from you. To make it, you will need:

• Gauze or napkins based on it
• Vodka or alcohol
• Scissors
• Camphor oil
• Scarf or cap

Contraindications

1. Purulent otitis. With this disease, pus under the influence of heat can spill into the ear. Compresses are allowed, but without a warming effect.
2. Mastoiditis, labyrinthitis (complications of otitis media).

Children's ears often hurt. This is due to the fact that the auditory canal of children under three years of age is short and wide. It is for this reason that they very easily degenerate into inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media). The cause of the inflammatory disease is most often the penetration of infection into the ear. Parents should be able to make such compresses, as they can easily speed up the baby’s recovery.

Other provoking factors in children are teeth with caries and various infections of the nasopharynx. As for infants, they are also at risk, since such babies are always in a horizontal position. And this contributes to the fact that inflammation easily passes into the ear from the nasopharynx.

If a child has an earache, it is not difficult to determine. He begins to be very capricious and cry. If you suspect otitis in a baby who cannot yet speak, apply gentle pressure to the tragus on the ear. The child will immediately cry if he feels pain in this place.

If otitis media begins at night, you should not wait for the morning; it is better to call a doctor immediately so as not to start inflammation. Apply a compress while the specialist is on his way.

Do not forget that at high temperatures the compress is contraindicated.

A compress is given to children to reduce pain in the ear. Under its influence, blood supply improves in the area where inflammation began. This in turn helps speed up the recovery time.

How to make a compress for children:

1. Before the procedure, clean the outer area of ​​the ear from discharge with a cotton swab.
2. It is not recommended to touch the child’s ear canal, as you can easily push the wax into the ear with a cotton swab, thereby aggravating the situation.
3. As for the area around the sore spot, it is best to treat it with baby cream.
4. This will prevent irritation from using an alcohol solution or vodka.
5. If you are making a compress for your baby, remember that the alcohol should be no stronger than 20-25%, and the vodka should be diluted in proportions of one to one. This will protect the child from possible burns.

How to make a compress for a child correctly

It is not recommended to leave the compress on all night, as the result may not be what you expected. After removing the compress, the skin around the sore ear is treated with cotton wool soaked in warm water or ordinary wet wipes and lubricated with a rich cream.

First of all, you should remember that not with all types of otitis (external, internal, middle) it is possible to warm up the sore ear. That is why, before you start applying a compress, show your baby to your doctor.

Step-by-step action in applying a compress to a child:

1. After these manipulations, slightly warm the alcohol to such a state that it is slightly warmer than body temperature.
2. Make a napkin out of gauze (roll it into about 7 layers). Use scissors to cut a hole in the gauze. Just like for an adult compress, gauze should be moistened in an alcohol solution or diluted vodka and lightly squeezed.
3. Apply a compress around the ear.
4. Place cling film or cellophane on the gauze (you can use parchment paper), in which, like in gauze, you need to make a hole in the shape of an ear.
5. The second layer, made of parchment or film, perfectly retains heat and prevents the cotton wool from becoming wet. Remember that the edges of this layer should extend slightly beyond the edges of the gauze napkin (about 2 cm).
6. Place cotton wool on top. The rule here is that the thicker the cotton layer, the better the effect of the compress. Don't forget to put cotton around your ear.
7. Secure everything with a bandage, and put on a hat or tie a scarf on top.

If the baby is still very small, then apply a compress to the sore ear, placing the child on its side. The ear that hurts should be on top. If the child is already sitting independently, then the compress is applied, as for adults, in a sitting position.

Experts advise carrying out this procedure twice a day.

The compress should remain on the child's ear for about three hours. This is done so that the ear area is thoroughly warmed up. Typically, such therapeutic procedures are carried out from 2 to 4 o’clock in the afternoon, since this time is the most effective.

The cause of frequent ear diseases in children is the peculiarity of the structure of the inner ear. In young children, especially under the age of three, the ear canal is short and wide, and therefore any runny nose can lead to inflammation of the middle ear - otitis media. In infants, otitis is also provoked by the fact that the child lies horizontally, and the middle ear is at the same level as the baby’s nasopharynx.

A runny nose in children cannot be left untreated in the hope that it will go away on its own. Because, at first glance, harmless snot can sometimes lead to the fact that the infected contents of the nasal passages quickly enter the inner ear and the inflammatory process begins.

An inflamed throat, as well as untreated carious teeth, play an important role in ear disease. Any disease process that occurs in the nasopharynx can lead to otitis media. Determining what exactly hurts a baby who is not yet talking is quite simple. Lightly press your finger on the tragus (the protruding part of the auricle that seems to close the ear canal) and release sharply. If your baby reacts to your action by crying, he probably has otitis media.

Pain in the ear makes itself felt mostly unexpectedly, at night, and parents should know how to help relieve the baby’s pain before the doctor arrives. If the temperature does not exceed 37°, you can apply a vodka compress to the child’s ear.

How to make a compress on a child's ear?

To do this, you will need forty-proof store-bought vodka, a pack of cotton wool, cellophane or parchment paper, a piece of gauze, a bandage, a scarf or a cap to secure the compress on your head.

Before giving your child an ear compress, you need to carry out some manipulations. The outer part of the ear must be cleaned with a cotton swab to remove any discharge, if any. Never clean your ear canal with a match. This can push wax back into your ear and make the situation worse. The compress area can be lubricated with regular baby cream, because the baby’s skin is still very delicate and vulnerable, and vodka is a fairly strong irritant.

Vodka must be heated to 37°, it should be slightly above body temperature. Roll the gauze into 6-8 layers, and cut a hole in the middle in the shape of a child’s ear.

Then soak the resulting gauze square in vodka and squeeze lightly so that the liquid does not flow, but not too much, otherwise the vodka will quickly evaporate. Gauze should only be placed around the ear, not over it. This layer will be warming.

The next step is to apply a layer of thick cellophane or parchment paper. It also needs to be cut in the middle, and the edges should protrude one and a half centimeters beyond the edge of the gauze layer. This layer will prevent the cotton wool from getting wet and the compress from cooling quickly.

After the parchment comes a layer of cotton wool. You don’t have to feel sorry for it, because the thicker the layer, the longer and more effectively the compress will warm up. The cotton layer, like all the previous ones, should also not cover the auricle itself, but should be located around it. We fix the resulting compress with a bandage or put a hat on the child.

It is recommended to apply the compress for 3-4 hours once a day, preferably from 14:00 to 16:00, because it has been scientifically proven that It is at this time that procedures performed on the ears are most effective. It is not advisable to apply a compress at night, because instead of warming, we will achieve the opposite effect.

After the compress is removed, the skin should be wiped with a damp cloth soaked in warm water and the skin should be lubricated with cream again.

When a child has an earache due to otitis, then, in addition to a vodka compress, they also use an alcohol compress on the ear. The alcohol used is either simple medical grade 96°, which is diluted in half with water before use, or boric alcohol. Be careful! Undiluted alcohol causes burns to delicate skin.