Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of an Ear Infection

Home Care in Pacific Palisades CA

Ear infections can be truly miserable medical situations. While some people think of these infections as only being issues of babies and young children, if you are on a home care journey with your aging parent it is important to know that these infections can, and do, occur in people of all ages. This means that you should keep this possibility in mind if your parent starts exhibiting unusual behaviors and symptoms that you cannot attribute to other conditions. This is especially applicable if your aging parent suffers from cognitive limitations and challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this situation he might not express the same types of symptoms, so it is important to be able to take the information offered by a variety of behaviors and understand the possibility of such an infection.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of an ear infection include:

• Ear pain
• Diminished hearing
• A sense of pressure or fullness in the ear
• Loss of balance or feeling “woozy”
• Drainage of fluid from the ear
• Foul smell coming from the ear
• Throat pain
• Fever

If your elderly parent has Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, it may not be as straightforward to recognize symptoms. Because he might be unable to properly express what he is feeling, or may not feel them, you might miss these symptoms. Instead, look for behaviors and symptoms such as:

• Pulling or rubbing on the ear. Your parent might not be able to express verbally that he is in pain, so watch for behaviors that signal that he is having this experience. Rubbing or pulling on the ear can be his way of indicating that his ear is hurting. Even if you do not see his doing this yourself, look for unusual redness on the ear and surrounding tissue.
• Favoring the ear. Just like a person may coddle or “baby” a limb that is injured, your parent might act this way about an ear that hurts. Look for him to hold his ear, tuck it against his shoulder or a pillow, or turn it away from other people and loud sounds.
• Attempting to “clean” the ear. The pain, itchiness, and full feeling of an ear infection can be incredibly uncomfortable. This might encourage your parent to try to ease this discomfort by “cleaning” the ear with a cotton swab, bobby pin, or other object. Discourage him from doing this as it can cause serious structural damage as well as worsening an infection.
• Combative behaviors. Seniors with moderate to advanced Alzheimer’s disease may not be able to tell you that they are feeling pain, and may not even realize that what they are feeling is pain. They only know that there is something going on that they do not like. If this happens to your parent, he may begin to display negative behaviors. Combativeness, argumentativeness, and even refusal to accept care can all be indications that your parent is going through something, so be sure to pay close attention.

If you or an aging loved one needs home care in Pacific Palisades, CA, call Livewell Private Care at (310) 933-4986.  Servicing Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas.

Source:   http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/basics/definition/con-20014260