Are Ear Infections Contagious in Adults: How to Prevent Ear Infections

Are Ear Infections Contagious in Adults: How to Prevent Ear Infections . Question: How To Prevent Ear Infections In Adults?

Answer: Ear infection in adults is of two type, one is called otitis externa it is infection of the outer canal of the ear, the other is called otitis interna or infection in the middle ear.

Are Ear Infections Contagious in Adults

Doctors usually diagnose the ear infection by looking at the outer ear and the eardrum with a device called an Otoscope. A healthy eardrum appears transparent and pinkish-grey. An infected eardrum looks red and swollen.

Ear infections are not contagious in adults or in children as the fluid is well behind the ear drum in middle ear infection.

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But virus cold can be contagious, which is one of the causes of ear infection.

How To Prevent Ear Infection In Adults

• The biggest cause of ear infection is the common cold, so one strategy for prevention is to keep cold viruses at bay. The most effective way to do this is frequent and meticulous hand washing.
• Other line of defense against ear infection in adults includes avoid smoking.
• Getting allergies under control can help reduce and treat ear infection in adults.
  
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• Avoid trying to clean the ear wax with pins and matchstick.
• Surgical removal of adenoids and nasal polyp is advocated if they happen to be the cause.

Otits externa: It is also called swimmer’s ear, this is because swimmers get this infection when water gets trapped in the external ear canal. Bacteria breed it the water and cause pain, swelling and itching of the outer ear.

Although it often associated with swimming, anyone can get swimmer’s ear. The condition is usually treated with ear drops and is not a cause of middle ear infection.

Middle ear infection or otitis externa in adults:

Ear infection in adults is because of cold, allergic rhinitis, perforation of ear drum due to trauma, airplane journey. Eustachian tube is a canal that connects the middle ear to the throat. Cold, flu and allergies can irritate the Eustachian tube and cause the lining of this passageway to become swollen and blocked by fluid in the middle ear. This creates a heaven for bacteria and viruses, which can cause infection.

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Symptoms of Ear Infection

• Severe, piercing pain in the ear.
• Pain worse while lying down.
• Hearing trouble
• Fever up to 103 degrees.
• Draining of purulent fluid from the ear.
• Loss of balance.
• Nausea, vomiting.