Ear Infections - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

                                                                                         

Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

Causes of Ear Infections

Kids develop ear infections more frequently in the first 2 to 4 years of life for several reasons:

Their eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults, which allows bacteria and viruses to find their way into the middle ear more easily. Their tubes are also narrower and less stiff, which makes them more prone to blockage.

Ear infections also can be associated with dysfunction or swelling within the eustachian tubes — the narrow passageways that connect the middle ear to the nose. Normally these tubes equalize pressure inside and outside the ear. But a child's eustachian tubes are narrower and shorter than those of an adult. This makes it easier for fluid to get trapped in the middle ear when the eustachian tubes dysfunction or become blocked during a cold.

What are the symptoms of an ear infection?

Earache is common, but does not always occur.

Dulled hearing may develop for a few days.

Fever (high temperature) is common.

Children may feel sick or vomit, and can be generally unwell.

Fluid draining from the ear.

There may be some difficulty in hearing.

Dizziness (not very common).

The actual infection normally only lasts a few days, but the decrease in hearing may last for a few weeks after the initial infection.

Pain or discomfort in the ear. However, it is difficult to determine if a infant or child who hasn't yet learned to speak has an ear infection. Some children may indicate pain if they have trouble swallowing food and rejecting it. Some parents believe that tugging on the ear indicates an infection, but this gesture is more likely to indicate pain from teething.

Ear Infections - Treatment

Initial treatment

The first treatment of a middle ear infection focuses on relieving pain. The doctor will also assess the child for risk of complications. If your child has an ear infection, does not seem very sick, and is not at risk for complications, your doctor may ask you to watch your child's symptoms for a couple days before deciding whether to give antibiotics.

Pain relievers like acetaminophen (brand names: Children's or Infants' Tylenol) and ibuprofen (brand names: Children's Advil or Children's Motrin) can help make your child feel better and reduce fever. Never give your child aspirin, as it have been linked to Reye's syndrome.

# A warm (not hot) heating pad held over the ear can also help relieve pain from the earache.

Surgery to remove the adenoids may be needed to allow the eustachian tube to work properly. The surgeon may make an opening in the eardrum to allow fluid to drain. This is called a myringotomy. The procedure may or may not involve placing tubes in the ear.

Surgery to repair a ruptured eardrum may prevent further chronic ear infections.

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