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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffYou can reduce your child's risk of ear infections with a few simple steps.
- Keep your child away from sick children. If you can, limit the time your child spends in group child care. A child care setting with fewer children may help.
- Protect your child from secondhand smoke. Make sure that no one smokes in your home. Away from home, stay in smoke-free environments.
- Breast-feed your baby for at least six months. Breast milk contains antibodies that offer protection from ear infections.
- If you bottle-feed, hold your baby in an upright position. Avoid propping a bottle in your baby's mouth while he or she is lying down.
- Ask your child's doctor about the pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar). Prevnar is intended to prevent serious, life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia and meningitis. Prevnar might reduce the risk of ear infections as well.
- For adults, try over-the-counter decongestants or allergy medications. If your sinuses are congested because of allergies or colds, talk to your doctor about using allergy medications or over-the-counter decongestants to reduce your risk of future ear infections.
