No Appointment Necessary – Just Walk In!
Earaches and ear infections can be quite painful, which is why if you or your child experiences one, you’ll want to see a medical professional right away. Unfortunately, a primary care physician may not be able to fit you into their schedule right away and the condition isn’t serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room. For quick ear infection treatment, head to the Express Urgent Care nearest you.
Most earaches only involve one ear, although they can impact both. Earaches can cause dull, throbbing, sharp or burning pain. Fortunately, most earaches don’t last very long. However, you should see a medical professional anyway due to the fact that an earache that’s the beginning of a chronic ear infection can be a serious matter. Chronic ear infections can cause irreparable damage to the middle ear, inner ear or both.
Earaches are caused when the Eustachian tubes, which are the tubes that run from the back of the throat to the ear, either become clogged or swell up, resulting in the buildup of fluids in the middle ear. This can be caused by a variety of things, such as allergies, the common cold, sinus infections, smoke irritation, infected adenoids and more.
It’s easy to diagnose an earache if you have one yourself, but it can be a bit more challenging to determine if your child has an earache or an ear infection, especially if your child is a baby or toddler. Some of the common symptoms of an ear infection include:
If you or your child is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, then you should seek medical attention.
Medical treatment will depend heavily on what the cause of an earache or ear infection is. One of the more common treatments is the prescription of antibiotics or other medications that will reduce inflammation, thereby relieving some of the symptoms. The use of over-the-counter pain relievers will help to lower any feverish symptoms as well.
The best way to prevent earaches and ear infections is by practicing good hygiene. This includes limiting contact with sick individuals, washing your hands frequently, wearing earplugs while swimming and limiting your exposure to cigarette smoke.
If you or your child is experiencing the symptoms of an earache or an ear infection, then visit one of our Express Urgent Care facilities in Dickson City as soon as you can. Here at Express Urgent Care, we are open seven days a week and we do not require patients to schedule appointments ahead of time. This means that you can just walk in at your convenience.