|
|
|
Children rarely do well when parents try to put medication drops in
their ears. Some parents are easily frustrated when the child pitches a
fit and of course just don’t seem to get all of those drops in or can’t
get the child to allow them to do so more than once a day. Well, guess
what? A lot of these kids will still have infections when the doctor
looks in their ears two or three weeks later. This situation can lead
to damage to the middle ear, as well as extra expense for doctor visits
and more medications. Lets see if we can help you avoid this problem by
using a method taught to me by an older doctor in the late 1970’s.
Even though the eardrop bottle label probably says keep in the
refrigerator, don’t. Keeping the bottle at room temperature for the
one-week period you will need the medicine, will not cause a problem.
Hold the bottle in your hand to warm the contents a little more before
you place the drops.
Do not heat the drops in water or a microwave. It will weaken the
medicine’s effects and probably burn your child’s eardrum. Guess what?
That will be another visit to the doctor or emergency room!
- Ask you child to lie on the bed on his right side.
- For your infant, use your changing table, but sure that the
child can’t roll off. Never leave a child unattended on an elevated
surface for even a few seconds. Keep you eyes and a hand on them at
all times.
- Place the tip of the dropper just inside the ear in the little
crook above the earlobe.
- Then allow the drops to roll across the inside if the outer ear
before they go into the ear canal. This will further warm them
before they arrive at the eardrum. Just repeat this on the left
side.
Do not try to drop the liquid directly into the ear canal. If the
drops were to land directly on the eardrum, much pain will result.
Do not put cotton in the ear canal after placing the drops, as it
will just soak up the medicine before it’s absorbed.
Good Job!
Now your child should not have a fear of medications being placed in
his ears. That means his infection will be easier to treat, you’ll
avoid more doctor visits, and overall he’ll be healthier. Later in
life, he’ll be more prone to take his medicines.
Dr. Frank |
