Does A Humidifier Help with Ear Infection?

humidifier and ear infections

The human ear is one of the five major sensory organs in the body.

As it is the only important organ in our body through which we can hear any sound, maintaining its good health is highly important.

When it comes to ear infections, one thing you essentially need to know is their causes.

Knowing the causes of ear infections can help you best avoid the problems you may suffer from.

Ear Infection Causes

In general, the infection is caused in the middle ear section, which is connected to the upper respiratory tract through a small channel known as the Eustachian tube.

When not cleaned, the germs present in the ear (in the form of clogged wax) quickly pass into the middle ear through this Eustachian tube which causes an ear infection.

The most common causes of getting ear infection & ear pressure pain are as follows:

  • Very low or high humid conditions
  • Activities such as swimming, flying and listening to high-sound music
  • Respiratory infections like cold, flu, allergic rhinitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, etc.
  • Respiratory allergy due to inhalation of toxic fumes, gases, smokes, and other environmental toxins

Who Is At Higher Risk?

The incidence of ear infections is higher in the case of males when compared to females.

Individuals with poor immune systems or with chronic respiratory disorders such as bronchial asthma are highly prone to getting an ear infection.

Infants and babies (especially those who are fed with unhygienic baby bottles) are highly prone to getting these kinds of infections too.

Kids studying in daycare centers also have a higher chance of suffering from ear infections.

Symptoms of Ear Infection

Generally, the onset of signs and symptoms is rapid in the case of ear infections. These symptoms may include:

  • Experiencing headaches and fever all the time
  • Sharp and prickling ear pain experienced in the lying posture
  • Drainage of watery substance or thick fluid from the ear passage
  • Difficulty in sleeping because of the sharp shooting pain in the ear
  • Difficulty in hearing the sounds and thus responding poorly to others

Small children usually cry and scream due to severe intolerable pain in their ears due to infection. They may lose their appetite and usually refuse to eat.

How To Treat Ear Infection Naturally?

In general, ear infections can be acute or chronic.

Where the acute infections are painful and shorter in duration (they may get healed on their own), chronic infections do not stop on their own.

Chronic ear infections may reoccur and lead to permanent ear damage if not treated promptly.

It is therefore essential that you get your infection treated as soon as possible to avoid getting it severe and chronic.

The best-recommended method that can work in relieving the symptoms of an ear infection include:

  • Over-the-counter medications, decongestants, and ear drops
  • Warm compress therapy – applying the warm cotton cloth to the affected ear

Although the above tips may help get rid of mild ear infections, you should not ignore the signs and symptoms that last for more than 48 hours.

In case you see any discharge of fluid or pus from the ears, you should visit the doctor as soon as possible.

This can be a sign of a severe infection in your ear, and visiting your doctor early may help you avoid the severe pain you cannot tolerate.

Does Installing Humidifier Help with Ear Infection?

Studies show that weather changes (usually barometric pressure) can cause ear pressure pain in humans.

In mild conditions, this can cause a sensation of fullness or a popping sound in the ear.

However, in severe conditions, you can even feel intolerable pain or permanent hearing loss due to pressure changes.

Besides the barometric pressure, low or high humidity levels can also be a major cause of ear infections for individuals.

Not only your ears but also your hearing aids are at high risk when there is very low or high moisture around you.

Keeping your indoors at a balanced humidity level can hence help you in avoiding several kinds of ear problems very well.

Especially when you have infants at home (who are at higher risk of getting ear infections), you need to maintain a proper atmospheric humidity level to keep the ear infection at bay.

Just in case you want to buy a good humidifier to avoid possible ear problems, we recommend getting a well-branded humidifier with a built-in humidistat.

As it comes with an automatic humidity monitoring and controlling feature, it adds only the right amount of humidity to the environment, which is essential to make the interiors most comfortable.

These devices are available at an affordable price and can be conveniently used in your home or at the office.