How to Use a Hair Dryer to Ease Earache Pain in Infants
Earaches are a common cause of pain among infants. Because of an infant's inability to communicate discomfort, a parent is often left with a distressed and crying baby. Earaches are usually caused by an ear infection, which are often worse at night when the infant is lying down and his or her ear tubes aren't draining well. Many parents feel helpless and unable to soothe their upset baby, but applying warm heat with a hair dryer might provide some instant relief.
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Instructions
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The best time to apply heat to your infant's ear is after administering a normal dose of pain medicine recommended by your pediatrician. This allows you to give your child some relief from the earache while the medicine takes effect.
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Situate your infant in a comfortable position. If the child is very young, you may want to hold him or her in your arms; otherwise, put the baby in an upright position.
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Set your hair dryer to the lowest setting. Test the heat on your hand first, just like you would check the temperature of bath water. Make sure it is not hot---just warm enough to provide comfort.
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Hold the hair dryer nozzle approximately 20 inches from your infant's ear at first. If the child is not too upset by this, then move the dryer as close as 10 inches to the ear. Make sure the warm air is pointed toward the ear that hurts. If you are not sure which ear is aching, or if it is a double infection, then apply air to both ears. Apply the air for about two to three minutes.
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Repeat this process if necessary. The warm air, in conjunction with some pain medication, should bring quick relief.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your infant's head elevated as much as possible to keep the ear tubes drained properly and help stop any further ear pain.
See a pediatrician if you suspect your infant has an ear infection---particularly if it is accompanied with a fever, as antibiotics may be necessary.
Always check the temperature of the hair dryer and do not let your infant's ear get too warm.
