Use ear drops only in the correct ear with a suitable product. Check with a clinician if there is a perforation, tube or previous ear operation; some drops are unsuitable.
Wash hands and check the label and expiry. Warm the bottle in your palms, not with heat. Lie with the affected ear up, apply the prescribed amount without touching the ear with the nozzle and wait as instructed. Ask how to position a child's ear. Do not share drops or exceed the dose. Seek prompt advice about use if a rash, marked dizziness or increasing pain occurs.
The ear canal and eardrum are examined; hearing tests and tympanometry may be needed. Do not insert cotton buds or other objects. If you have a perforation, a tube or previous ear surgery, a clinician should choose drops or irrigation.
Sudden hearing loss, facial weakness, severe dizziness, swelling behind the ear or rapidly worsening pain require urgent assessment.
This information does not replace an individual consultation. Diagnosis and treatment depend on a medical assessment.
Consultation and treatment