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Cleaned Child's Ear With Peroxide. Having Pain And Ear Feels Like Pins And Hurts. What Should I Do?
Question: I cleaned my sons ear with peroxide earlier today and now he is in pain and says his ear feels like pins and hurts bad what should I do.
Hi,
Thanks for asking in Healthcare Magic.
3% hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and is commonly used to treat external wounds. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent, oxidizes bacteria and kills it. In ear it helps in removing slough and ear wax. But, the ear skin is fragile and hence Hydrogen peroxide should be used only under the supervision of Dr. especially in a child's ear.
In chronic ear infection, perforation of ear drum is common. The constant pus discharge would have resulted in inflammation of your sons' ear skin. Sometimes the skin would have peeled totally leaving a raw wound. Application of Hydrogen peroxide in a raw wound causes severe pain. In case of ear drum perforation, Hydrogen peroxide application is much more harmful.
In ear, pain is usually very intense because the protective layer of subcutaneous tissue and fat between skin and the bone is absent and the ear skin is directly covering the bone. Please take him to an ENT surgeon, as physical examination of his ear is necessary to find out the extent of damage.
Antibiotic eye/ear ointment like Neomycin should be applied in the raw wound (if present). He might need Tobramycin ear drops, mild analgesic like Paracetamol (as he is an asthmatic strong analgesics like Ibuprofen may better be avoided) to ease the pain and oral antribiotics. Your treating Dr will know about these drugs.
I hope this helps. Please address to me if you have any other concerns.
Regards.
Thanks for asking in Healthcare Magic.
3% hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and is commonly used to treat external wounds. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent, oxidizes bacteria and kills it. In ear it helps in removing slough and ear wax. But, the ear skin is fragile and hence Hydrogen peroxide should be used only under the supervision of Dr. especially in a child's ear.
In chronic ear infection, perforation of ear drum is common. The constant pus discharge would have resulted in inflammation of your sons' ear skin. Sometimes the skin would have peeled totally leaving a raw wound. Application of Hydrogen peroxide in a raw wound causes severe pain. In case of ear drum perforation, Hydrogen peroxide application is much more harmful.
In ear, pain is usually very intense because the protective layer of subcutaneous tissue and fat between skin and the bone is absent and the ear skin is directly covering the bone. Please take him to an ENT surgeon, as physical examination of his ear is necessary to find out the extent of damage.
Antibiotic eye/ear ointment like Neomycin should be applied in the raw wound (if present). He might need Tobramycin ear drops, mild analgesic like Paracetamol (as he is an asthmatic strong analgesics like Ibuprofen may better be avoided) to ease the pain and oral antribiotics. Your treating Dr will know about these drugs.
I hope this helps. Please address to me if you have any other concerns.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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