Most ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria. They can also be brought about by allergies, cold weather or upper respiratory problems. Ear infections can cause the ear to fill up with fluid and pus, causing a lot of discomfort.
There are two common types of ear infection: otitis media and otitis externa. Otitis media affects the middle ear and is more common in kids. This is because kids have shorter eustachian tubes than adults. This infection usually causes fevers and pain but does not result in fluid drainage. Otitis externa is also known as swimmer’s ear. It affects the ear canal and is often accompanied by pain, external swelling and fluid drainage.
Ear infections can be extremely painful. They are more common in children but can affect adults at any age. When this happens, the pain or discomfort can interfere with one’s daily activities. Ear infections can cause earaches, loss of hearing, fever, trouble maintaining balance and sore throat. Severe ear pain can make sleeping difficult. Luckily, there some home remedies can speed up recovery and help alleviate the pain.
Neck Exercises & Chiropractic Treatment
Exercising the neck can bring great relief. It reduces the pressure infections caused in the ear canal. Neck exercises can be completed while sitting or standing in these simple steps:
- Bend your neck to the right so it’s parallel to the right shoulder. Maintain this position for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this on the left side.
- Raise both shoulders towards your earlobes as if you want them to touch. Maintain this posture for 10 seconds.
- Repeat the exercise multiple times.
Chiropractic is a method of treatment that manipulates the structure of the body to relieve pain, headache and lower high blood pressure. Chiropractic treatments can help relax the muscles of the ears, so trapped fluid can escape. This is relevant for individuals with swimmer’s ear. Research [1] has also shown that chiropractic therapies may lower the symptoms of ear infections in children.