How often do kids get told to put on their hats before going out into the cold weather? Not only does a hat help to preserve body heat in cold weather, but many people also believe that covering the ears helps protect against ear infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it gets cold, breaking out the coats, hats, and scarves is essential, especially when the temperatures drop at night. Some people find that cold weather results in aches, illnesses, and pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might notice that your ears start hurting when you\u2019re spending time in cold weather. Does this experience mean that you are at a higher risk for an ear infection?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth is that cold air isn\u2019t the cause of ear infections. But there are many ways your ears can be affected by the cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sensitive areas of the body are prone to aches and pains when exposed to cold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the ears, the nerves are just under the skin. So when the cold air hits, the pain can travel through the nerves and deeper into the ears. For some people, this experience can be unbearable at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes people confuse this sensation with an ear infection or illness. However, even though you are feeling pain and symptoms, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that there is an underlying infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cold weather can make the pain more pronounced. But there is a difference between temporary ear pain in cold weather vs. an ear infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that there is minimal protection on the ears. There isn\u2019t much fat or tissue to offer a barrier against cold and wind. So, the ears are exposed when the wind is blowing, which can result in nerve pain that causes an earache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can cover the ears with a hat, scarf, or earmuffs to protect against outside elements. This helps to reduce immediate symptoms so you can avoid the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, limit the time you are spending outside when it is cold. If you can reduce your cold exposure to short periods of time, it reduces the way the cold affects the ears, nose, and throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One common symptom when people spend time in the cold is that the nose starts to run, known as \u201ccold-induced rhinorrhea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nose plays a vital role in warming and humidifying the air you breathe before it moves into your lungs. When you are in cold, dry air, the nose generates liquid to prepare the air. Any excess moisture drips out of the nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to understand how much the nose and ears are connected. For example, if your nose is running a lot or you are dealing with sinus issues, it could cause a domino effect that impacts your ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, even though cold weather isn\u2019t a direct cause that creates ear infections, the cold weather can affect the nose and eventually lead to the development of an ear infection in some cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though cold exposure to the ears doesn\u2019t cause the development of an ear infection, it\u2019s possible that spending too much time outside can lead to congestion and coughing. The upper respiratory symptoms can lead to secondary infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if your nose is running and you have congestion in cold weather, it creates a breeding ground for bacteria that cause infections. This infection can travel to the sinuses or ears and become a painful infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cold weather itself didn\u2019t cause the infection. Instead, the cold temperatures made the nose start running, which set the conditions that could develop an infection as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you feel ear pain in cold weather, the sensory nerve issues will usually subside when you warm up again. Simply step back inside a heated building, and the pain will start to diminish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, ear infections cause ongoing pain and other symptoms as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the middle ear is clogged, the moisture in this portion of the ear develops a breeding ground for bacterial growth. As the infection worsens, it puts more pressure and pain in the ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Symptoms of an ear infection include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Children often get ear infections, but adults are at risk as well. Anyone can develop an infection if there are conditions that promote bacterial growth in the middle ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do children have a higher risk of ear infections? It\u2019s because they have shorter Eustachian tubes positioned more horizontally, making it harder for the ears to drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The risk of ear infections<\/a> goes up when people have upper respiratory infections, such as the flu or a head cold. Since these illnesses are more common in the winter months, the risk of ear infections also increases when it\u2019s cold outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ear infections\u00a0are usually caused by bacteria, so antibiotics can be helpful to clear up the infection. However, if it\u2019s a viral infection, then the doctor won\u2019t prescribe antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, you can use other home remedies to relieve the symptoms. For example, over-the-counter pain medication can be helpful so you can cope with the symptoms while you are healing from the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before taking any medication, it\u2019s always wise to talk to the doctor about specific recommendations based on your unique health condition and medical history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few things you can do to prevent ear infections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minor ear infections can clear up with home remedies. But if you notice that the pain is getting worse and the earache is sticking around for a few days, then it might be time to talk to a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can schedule an ENT appointment with our team if you live in or near the Collin County or Dallas area. Contact Collin County Ear, Nose, and Throat to talk to an ENT specialist at one of our offices in Frisco or Plano, TX. We have an\u00a0online form\u00a0for appointment requests, or you can call:\u00a0(972) 596-4005.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How often do kids get told to put on their hats before going out into the cold weather? Not only does a hat help to preserve body heat in cold weather, but many people also believe that covering the ears helps protect against ear infections. When it gets cold, breaking out the coats, hats, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2728"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2731,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2728\/revisions\/2731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collincountyent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Ear Infection Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Everyday Tips to Prevent Ear Infections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Do You Need to See a Doctor for an Ear Infection?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n