Dos and Don'ts
Ear Wax
Do
- You may use wax softening ear drops or boiled and cooled olive oil
- You may use soft cotton bud to extract some of the wax, which is in visible range
- Get wax removed by an expert doctor / ENT specialist
Do Not
- Never pour warm water, hydrogen peroxide, any oil other than olive oil, cow's urine, honey etc. in the ear
- Do not use objects like Pen, Pencil, Hair Pin, Match stick etc. to extract wax / scrap ear
- Don't let quacks remove wax
Pain in Ears
Do
- Take some pain killer tablet (containing Paracetamol or Nimesulide)
- If you are having associated cold / cough then take its treatment
- Luke warm fomentation may be done
- Consult your doctor if the pain persists even after above measures
Do Not
- Do NOT use any ear drop unless it is prescribed by your doctor
- Do not put pen, pencils etc. to get a false sense of comfort
- Do not blow your nose
Insect in Ear
Do
- You may tilt your head and fill ear with clean water to drown the insect. However if you have ear discharge then DO NOT do this
- IIf insect is still alive than put sterile olive oil to drown it
- Visit your ENT specialist as early as possible for removal of insect
Do Not
- Do not throw light into ear, this will frighten the insect and it will go deeper in the ear
- Do not try to remove the insect by forceps or any other object. You may get your ear damaged
- Do not let quacks remove the insect at your home
- Do not panic
Seed / grain / vegetable foreign body in ear
Do
- Nothing much can be done by you in this case other than visiting your ENT specialist (These kind of foreign bodies are usually hygroscopic, they absorb water, swell up and impact the ear more tightly, leading to pain and infection)
Do Not
- Do not use Water. The seed will swell and will impact ear more tightly and infection will follow
- Do not attempt removal of the seed/ foreign body, on your own. Ear may be damaged by doing so
Bleeding from Nose
Do
- Bend head down. Keep nose closed firmly by applying pressure with fingers and thumb
- Cloth soaked in Ice cold water may used to apply pressure on the nose
- Pour cold water on head
- You may wash nose with cold water
- If you are on drugs for high blood pressure take your medication (if missed)
- In case of there are crusts or scab in nose some vegitable oil may be put to liquify it
- If you are on medicines for diabetes/ hypertension, then take your medications regularly
Do Not
- Do not panic. Increasing anxity will increase your blood pressure and bleeding might increase
- Do not blow the nose
- Do not apply hot water or heat in any form
- Do not pluck your nose. If there is a blood clot, do not remove it. It will increase the bleeding
Common Cold / Throat Infection
Do
- Steam inhalation ( optionally with Vicks / Tincture Benzoin )
- Plenty of Warm Fluids
- Luke warm salt water gargles
- Take pain killer tablet or syrup ( e.g. Paracetamol )
- Rest
Do Not
- Do not blow your nose too hard.
This may spread the infection in your ears
- Do not Exert yourself
- Do not get exposed to dust / smoke / chilled winds
- Do not take Oily foods
- Stop smoking if you are a smoker