Ear infections are among the most common minor ailments to strike, but luckily these infections can be treated by an online medical provider. It can be inconvenient to go to a brick-and-mortar clinic over a relatively minor infection, but even a minor infection still needs medical intervention like antibiotics.
Online medical providers, such as doctors, APRNs, and Physician Assistants, are capable of diagnosing and treating ear infections. Online medical providers can diagnose and treat most non-emergency conditions such as ear infections, upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergies, and the flu.
Online medical providers may be able to diagnose and treat ear infections over a phone or video appointment, but they aren't capable of everything a regular doctor can do. Keep reading to learn more about using a virtual medical provider to diagnose and treat an ear infection.
Online medical providers can treat many different non-emergency medical conditions. These conditions include ear infections, along with conditions such as:
In the case of an ear infection, an online medical provider will usually make sure that you are not running a high fever that could indicate a stronger systemic infection as a complication from the ear infection. In this case, an online medical provider may recommend that you attend a medical facility in-person if they're concerned the condition might be serious.
Attending an appointment with an online medical provider can prevent you from having to miss work or school to go to the doctor's office. It can also prevent you from having to show up in-person to a doctor's office, which may expose you to contagious diseases brought in by other patients.
Using an online medical provider to treat non-emergency conditions like ear infections is just as safe (if not safer) than visiting a doctor in person. Avoiding a doctor's clinic can help prevent you from being exposed to secondary infections or illnesses. Online medical providers are also certified by a medical board, just like any other doctor. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants also receive their certification in their respective fields.
Online medical providers are great for handling spur-of-the-moment conditions like ear infections. They're also a good option for other illness and related medical conditions. They can handle many chronic conditions that require regular prescription refills. Seeing an online medical provider rather than a general practitioner can save you a trip to the doctor's office.
Online medical providers are a convenient way to treat non-emergency medical conditions like ear infections since they can prescribe the same types of mild antibiotics prescribed by general practitioners (such as amoxicillin). These drugs are not considered controlled substances, so that they can be prescribed without an in-person appointment with a general practitioner.
An online medical provider may be able to prescribe medications such as antibiotics or other medications such as prescription-grade antacids. Online medical providers usually are not able to prescribe painkillers or other controlled substances such as the following:
Online medical providers can prescribe these types of medications, but only after an in-person evaluation with a medical professional has already been established. (Source: Policy & Medicine)
If your ear infection comes with associated inner or middle ear pain, an online medical provider will usually prescribe Tylenol or some other fever-reducing medication with a painkiller added. Most of the conditions that are treated by online medical providers do not require stronger controlled substances such as opiates or mood stabilizers.
Since the pain associated with most ear infections is considered mild, these over-the-counter pain control medications should be adequate to treat the pain associated with most ear infections. These over-the-counter medications can also reduce any associated fever without the need for stronger prescription medications.
Because online medical providers address relatively mild conditions, the examination and interview to diagnose one of these conditions are usually quick affairs. If you think about it, most of the time lost going to a doctor's appointment is lost in commuting to the doctor's office and sitting around waiting for a doctor to be available. Neither of these issues comes into play with an online medical provider.
The average consultation for an online medical appointment is fifteen to twenty minutes. Short visit times mean that it's easy to make an appointment for an online medical assessment even if you are already trying to work around a busy schedule. Online medical appointments are also a good option for those who have a strict sick leave policy at work.
Evaluation of the patient's clinical presentation is important in making the correct diagnosis for ear infections. Making an accurate diagnosis of acute otitis media is essential to avoid overtreatment with antibiotic therapy.
Adults often get seasonal allergies with nasal congestion or an upper respiratory infection before getting an ear infection. You may present with muffled hearing and or one-sided ear pain.
Mild changes in hearing as a feeling of being "off" in balance are usually temporary. These symptoms improve with treatment and time.
If you have severe pain, facial paralysis, total hearing loss, or severe pain behind the ear, you should see your in-person provider or go to the emergency room. It is also best to get in-person treatment if having visible discharge from the ear. These conditions require an otoscope to visualize the inner ear canal.
VirtualWalkinCenter.com usually recommends an in-person examination for possible ear infections. However, they will do an initial telehealth evaluation to buy you the time to get in to see your primary care provider.
Online medical providers can provide treatment for ear infections and other non-emergency conditions, whether or not the patient has health insurance, as long as they can pay for the examination and medication treatment. This and the fact that they are typically cheaper than a traditional doctor's visit can make them a good option for those without health insurance coverage.
Most online medical providers accept major healthcare insurance providers, which means you can receive treatment for an ear infection through an online medical provider either way.
The answer to whether online medical providers are cheaper than a visit to the traditional doctor's office is complicated. While on the whole, a visit with an online medical provider is cheaper than a visit to the doctor, the convenience of online medical providers means that people are more likely to visit the doctor for minor illnesses that they would have just weathered without medical care otherwise.
For conditions such as ear infections that may require an antibiotic prescription or symptom management medications, visiting a virtual medical provider versus going to a general practitioner is almost assured of saving you some money.
Most ear infections can be safely treated through online medical providers. In many cases, it is safer to treat minor illnesses at home with an online medical provider to avoid exposure to secondary illnesses. Safety of telehealth visits is especially true during cold and flu season when doctor's offices become flush with people carrying contagious illnesses. It also goes without saying that during the Covid-19 pandemic, utilizing virtual care is the safer bet.
However, there are a few instances where online medical care should be avoided, and in person care should be sought over a suspected ear infection instead. Here are a few symptoms to watch out for:
The above symptoms can indicate a more severe ear infection or other severe conditions of the head and ear that can mimic the symptoms of an ear infection. If any of the above symptoms are present, an urgent care center should be sought for medical evaluation rather than an online medical provider.
Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses that can strike both adults and children. In many cases, these infections are treated easily with mild antibiotics. An online medical provider is a quick and convenient way to access medical services for an ear infection compared to the traditional method of going to a doctor's office for treatment.
