Ear Bleed

[Patsy33]

My son has has a really bad cold, chest infection with earache. His partner text me to say his ear was bleeding last night. No more detail, but could an infection cause this to happen? He started antibiotics yesterday and steroid inhaler.

[Sqad]

Yes......very common in children whereby a cold can cause ear problems and bleeding.
No big deal....these often clear up without treatment.
However the treatment that has been started is reasonable, the antibiotics being prescribed for the chest infection I presume.
Not sure what the steroid inhaler would offer unless your son is an asthmatic.
All will settle by the beginning of next week.

[Sqad]

Ah! your son is an adult ;-)
Same advice applies.

[retrocop]

Wot. No Ibrubrofen sqad ?

[Sqad]

Ah......!!!
Thanks retrocop....I had forgotten.
ibuprofen 400mgms for the pain.

LOL

[Patsy33]

Thank you sqad. I will pass on your words.
I hope it clears before next Thursday, as he has to go into hospital for a hernia, by tummy botton. ( Cant remember name) Re steroid inhaler, my son is a smoker, so wouldn't be surprised if he has asthma!

[spathiphyllum]

make sure he finishes the full course of Antibiotics

[Sqad]

spath...why?

[Peter Pedant]

standard teaching from the microbiologists ( germ doctors - I know I am on AB sqad)
is that resistance is spreading through taking antibiotics and stopping before every bacterium is dead dead dead

[Sqad]

PP.....yes that is(was) the teaching BUT recent studies are questioning this.
You can only kill the bugs and as you say, when they are dead, what more can be done and this usually happens to the more commoner bugs within 48hours, providing they are not antibiotic resistant.
So when you feel clinically well......why continue? It is that continuation with no more bugs to kill that may cause drug resistance.

[237SJ]

Has he burst his eardrum?

[Patsy33]

^^^^^
I wondered that too. Just heard he's a bit better now. So fingers crossed!

[Sqad]

It doesn't make any difference if he has burst his eardrum or not....the treatment outlined is the same.
if you looked in his ear, all you would see would be blood.....no sign of eardrum burst or otherwise.
Most burst eardrums heal without further treatment.