Don't ignore the bad smell that comes from the baby's ears becauseSmelly ears can be a symptom of an ear infection. But don't worry, you can do treatment at home to overcome it.
Basically, earwax is the body's natural way of protecting the ear from the entry of germs and foreign objects, such as dust, that have the potential to infect the eardrum. However, if your baby's earwax smells and is accompanied by white or yellowish discharge, this could be a sign that there is a problem in his ear.
Smelly baby's ears generally occur due to middle ear infection (otitis media), which is caused by disruption of the function of the ear canal eustachius, which is the tube that connects the middle ear to the throat.
Channel eustachius serves to equalize air pressure in the outer ear and middle ear. If channel eustachius If it doesn't work as it should, this will lead to a buildup of fluid behind the baby's eardrum.
If the fluid behind the eardrum builds up and can't drain out, this can trigger the growth of bacteria and viruses, which will eventually lead to a middle ear infection.
Symptoms of Ear Infections in Babies
In addition to smelly baby ears, the following are signs and symptoms of ear infections in your little one that you can recognize:
1. Yellowish white discharge from the ear
This symptom indicates a small hole in the eardrum. However, you don't need to worry, this white or yellowish discharge will stop once the infection is treated.
2. Fussy
Inner ear infections can cause pain in the baby's ears. The pain he feels can cause him to become restless and cranky.
3. Loss of appetite
When a baby has an ear infection, he will tend to be lazy to eat and drink, because ear infections make chewing and swallowing painful.
4. Difficulty sleeping
When you have an ear infection, your baby may also have trouble sleeping because lying down will make the ear infection more painful.
5. Fever
Like infectious diseases in general, ear infections can also cause a baby to have a fever. This is because fever is the body's natural immune response to fight infection.
6. Hearing difficulties and body imbalance problems
Fluid buildup in the middle ear can interfere with your little one's hearing. If the infection has spread to the inner ear, this can upset the balance of the body. Usually these symptoms are seen in children who are able to walk, namely from an unstable way of walking.
How to get rid of smelly baby ears due to infection
Generally, baby's ears smell because the infection can heal on its own without requiring any treatment. However, if the infection does not go away after 2-3 days, you need to check your little one's condition to the doctor.
Smelly baby's ears due to bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics according to a doctor's prescription. Antibiotics should usually be used for 7–10 days. If your baby has a fever, the doctor may also prescribe pain relievers and fever-reducing medications, such as paracetamol.
Maintenance in Rhome ufor ABaby Ears Smell as a resultInfection
The following are some home care tips that you can do to treat smelly baby ears due to infection:
1. Give a warm compress
Place a warm compress on your baby's ear for about 10-15 minutes. This can help reduce pain from ear infections.
2. Maintain adequate fluids
It's also important to make sure your baby is drinking enough water when he has an ear infection. This is because every time your little one swallows water, the ducts eustachius in his ear will open. That way, the fluid trapped in the ear can drain out.
3. Elevate baby's head
You can also elevate your little one's head to speed up the draining of the fluid in the middle ear. However, do not place the pillow directly under the baby's head, you are better off placing 2 piles of pillows under the mattress.
4. Avoid using pacifiers
The use of pacifiers or pacifiers is not recommended for babies with ear infections. The reason is, using a pacifier to soothe a baby who has ear pain is at risk of causing repeated ear infections.
In addition, there are several things you can do to prevent infection in your baby's ears. Following are some of them:
- Breastfeed for at least 6-12 months because the antibodies found in breast milk will protect the baby from ear infections.
- Breastfeed your baby in a semi-upright position if you are bottle-feeding formula or breast milk, so the milk doesn't flow down the ducts eustachius.
- Keep your little one away from exposure to cigarette smoke because exposure to cigarette smoke can make ear infections worse.
Infants and children are more susceptible to ear infections because the eustachiusit is smaller and shorter, so it becomes easily clogged. As your little one grows, the channel eustachiusIt will expand, so the liquid can dry out more easily.
See a doctor immediately if after 3 days of treatment, the baby's ear smell does not go away and there is no improvement in symptoms. Especially if your little one has a fever and is accompanied by blood or pus from the ear.