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Ear treatment with boric alcohol

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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The severity of ear pain can be compared, perhaps, only with toothache. And if there is no opportunity to visit a doctor immediately, it is worth knowing that you can treat the ear with boric alcohol.

Everything depends on the condition of the auricle, whether there is a purulent process, whether purulent or serous discharge is visible, and the correctness of the procedure is also important. But you should not remove a consultation with an otolaryngologist (ENT doctor) from the agenda. He will examine the ear canals more professionally and, if necessary, adjust the therapy.

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Indications for ear treatment with boric alcohol

Ear pain usually indicates an inflammatory process that begins to develop in the auricle. Depending on its localization, the doctor can, for example, diagnose otitis media, which mainly develops as a consequence of an ear infection. Being a good antiseptic, the drug provides itself with a list of diseases, the provoking factors of which give it the opportunity to stop the pathology. Hence, there are indications for the treatment of the ear with boric alcohol - these are inflammatory processes that capture the tissues of the auricle. The drug is used as a means for ear drops. In the case of therapy, the use of a three-percent alcohol solution of boric acid will be pharmacologically justified, since a higher concentration can lead to burns.

But in any case, you should first consult a specialist who should exclude the presence of deep otitis, especially if it is aggravated by purulent manifestations. The causative agents of inflammation that provoke otitis are mainly pathogenic microorganisms such as staphylococci, streptococci, hemophilic bacilli, pneumococci and other pathogenic bacteria that enter the human body through the nose and oral cavity. During the disease, they become active, gradually the inflammatory process and pathogenic bacteria from the nasal mucosa pass through the auditory tube into the ear space. Often, the "throwing in" of bacteria occurs during sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.

Due to the peculiarities of the imperfection of the anatomical structure of the ear of a child's body, it is the little ones who are most susceptible to this disease, but, although to a lesser extent, it does not bypass the adult population. With such a picture of pathology, ear treatment with boric alcohol is an auxiliary therapy, and the main calculation is made on antibacterial drugs: drops and tablets.

It is worth mentioning that the modern pharmacological market offers more innovative antiseptic drugs, considering the treatment of the ear with boric alcohol an outdated method, but, nevertheless, such a drug should be in the medicine cabinet of any housewife: it is not expensive compared to new drugs, but this does not detract from its good antiseptic properties.

How to treat ear diseases with boric alcohol?

It is necessary to dwell in more detail on the features of using boric alcohol as ear drops. How to treat ear diseases with boric alcohol - rules for step-by-step actions. Just do not forget that an alcohol solution of boric acid is still a medicine and its independent administration, without the consent of a specialist, can do more harm than good. Discomfort in the ear cannot always be treated with drops. For example, in case of perforation (the presence of through holes) of the eardrum, it is strictly forbidden to use any drugs in the form of solutions in treatment. Their use can be fraught with significant complications. You should not use boric drops and when there is discharge of ichor or pus from the ear.

To carry out the procedure correctly, it is necessary to prepare the solution itself and a pipette for its introduction, as well as a cotton swab and gauze swabs.

  1. Before inserting into the ear canal, the drops must be warmed to human body temperature. A liquid at a lower temperature can only increase the pain symptoms.
  2. It is better to check the dosage of drops with an ENT doctor. Usually it is two to five drops. It is better to drip the drug in a lying position, put your head on one side. After instillation, close the ear with a cotton swab.
  3. After the procedure, you need to lie down without moving your head for 20-30 minutes. Similarly, we put drops in the other ear. It is better to do this exercise two or three times during the day.
  4. If necessary, in case of deep "location" of the pathological zone, turundas made of gauze (or cotton wool) soaked in an alcohol solution are used. For this, the tourniquet is abundantly soaked in the medicine and very carefully inserted into the ear. This method can be more effective. Once a day is enough (the tourniquet is mainly changed at night) to obtain a therapeutic result. The tourniquet method can also be used in parallel with the administered drops.
  5. For the procedure to be more effective, the ear canal must be clean. Therefore, before using boric acid, it is necessary to drip 5-8 drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ear - this will soften the earwax, if it is present in the canal, and it can be easily removed with a cotton swab.
  6. The duration of the treatment course is from three to five days. If there is no noticeable improvement in the condition during this period, it is necessary to urgently make an appointment with an otolaryngologist.

It is worth noting that if the patient complains of pain in one ear, both will still have to be treated, since due to their anatomical structure, the ears have a direct connection with the nasopharynx, and the absence of pain does not mean that the pathology has not affected the "healthy" ear. It should not be forgotten that the relief of pain symptoms does not mean that the disease has completely receded. Treatment of the ear with boric acid must be continued, because untimely treatment of ear infections or incomplete recovery is fraught with serious complications.

What ear diseases are treated with boric alcohol?

Since this article is about the specifics of treatment with boric acid alcohol solution, it would be useful to discuss the question: what ear diseases are treated with boric alcohol? Due to its characteristics, this medicine has a limited scope of action.

The drug can be used only in cases of limited hyperemia, not accompanied by pathological discharge from the ear. This may be pus or ichor. In other cases, it is necessary to first verify the diagnosis. If not otitis, but another disease is diagnosed, the treatment protocol is prescribed somewhat differently, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory drugs can be connected. In this case, boric acid can be used as an adjuvant therapy. For other diseases, this drug is not prescribed, and its independent use can only lead to a worsening of the situation. Therefore, all your actions must be coordinated with your doctor.

Complications of ear treatment with boric alcohol

Any medicine is, first of all, a complex preparation with an active substance that specifically affects certain pathological areas, but, at the same time, its effect, to a greater or lesser extent, extends to all organs and systems of the body. Complications of ear treatment with boric alcohol are also possible. This drug has a limitation on the duration of administration - no more than ten days. The toxic effects of drops during administration can cause side symptoms. This can be:

  • There is a feeling that “the ground is slipping away from under your feet” and everything starts to spin around you.
  • The patient begins to feel nausea, the strong intensity of which can lead to the emergence of a gag reflex.
  • A person may experience temporary clouding of the mind.
  • Sometimes cramps appear.
  • In particularly difficult cases, complications from treating the ear with boric alcohol can cause problems with the kidneys and urinary system.

You should be more attentive to your body. At the first unpleasant signs listed above, the patient should stop using the solution and tell his doctor about it.

You should also know the contraindications, in which it is not recommended to use an alcohol solution of boric acid in treatment, since its use can significantly worsen the pathology.

  • This medication should not be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
  • In case of individual intolerance to the components of the solution.
  • If the patient has a history of renal dysfunction.
  • The drug is also not prescribed to children who are under one year old.

Agree that it is quite difficult to endure ear pain. A person gets the impression that a nasty worm has settled there, trying to drive you crazy. Only a qualified doctor can get rid of this problem by providing professional help. If there are no contraindications, he may well prescribe treatment of the ear with boric alcohol, and if the situation is more complicated, this solution can also be used as an adjuvant therapy. One thing must be clearly known - even with the obvious safety of the drug, self-medication is not worth it. Otherwise, the body may respond with more severe pathological symptoms.

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