For virus in ear

For mild cases of middle ear infection, your doctor might recommend watchful waiting or delayed antibiotic prescribing. Be careful about giving over-the-counter medicines to children. Not all over-the-counter medicines are recommended for children of certain ages.

You can help prevent ear infections by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Antibiotic Prescribing and Use. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Ear Infection. Minus Related Pages. On This Page.

They are much less common than outer ear infections or middle ear infections. The most common inner ear infections include labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis , which are slightly different conditions.

Labyrinthitis affects the labyrinth, which is a system of fluid-filled sacs that helps you hear and gives you a sense of balance. Labyrinthitis can cause both hearing changes and dizziness, or vertigo. Vestibular neuritis is an inner ear infection that affects the vestibular nerve and usually causes dizziness and balance issues, but no hearing changes.

There is no specific diagnostic test to identify an inner ear infection, so misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is common. Benadryl diphenhydramine and Antivert meclizine are two OTC medications that may be used to treat the dizziness and nausea associated with an inner ear infection. OTC medications can help alleviate symptoms of an inner ear infection but do not treat the actual infection.

Several different prescription medications may be used for the treatment or management of symptoms caused by an inner ear infection, including:. Excessive nausea and vomiting may lead to hospitalization and the need for intravenous fluids in individuals with inner ear infections.

Permanent hearing loss or chronic vestibular problems issues with balance and dizziness may also be complications of an inner ear infection. Having an ear infection can be painful and interfere with your ability to function. It's important to remember that almost all ear infections can be cured with prompt treatment. If you have symptoms of an ear infection, meet with a healthcare professional to discuss your condition.

It is not always possible to identify the exact source causing an ear infection. However, if ear drainage is present, it is possible a sample of the drainage can be sent to a laboratory for testing and the germ may be identified. Over-the-counter pain relievers are often effective at alleviating the pain associated with an ear infection.

Heating pads can also be helpful, if the temperature is regulated properly. For middle ear infections, keeping your upper body elevated may reduce some of the pressure in the ear. Some ear infections will clear up without antibiotics. If your symptoms are mild or your healthcare provider suspects a virus, they may choose not to prescribe antibiotics but rather monitor the infection to see if it gets better on its own.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Swimmer's ear. Stanford Healthcare. Treatment for swimmer's ear. Medline Plus. Malignant otitis externa. Cleveland Clinic. Ear infection otitis media. Otitis media. Nat Rev Dis Primers. NHS Inform. The symptoms of a viral infection of the ear would depend on which part of the ear is infected or affected. Treatment for a viral infection of the ear would depend on the type of ear infection such as middle ear infection or inner ear infection.

Oral or nasal sprays — helps prevent the spread of nasal or oral infections to the ear. For most patients, however, the virus is simply a temporary cause of pain and discomfort. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics generally for ear infections, operating under the assumption that they are caused by bacteria.

If the infection doesn't respond, diagnostic testing may be used to look for viruses. Treatment for viral ear infections typically includes rest and plenty of hydration to keep the patient healthy.

It may be possible to provide anti-virals to treat a viral ear infection, depending on the virus responsible for the infection. Surgery to drain the ear and make the patient feel more comfortable is also an option.