Does Your Child Have Frequent Ear Infections?

Next to the common cold, ear infections are one of the most worrisome illnesses for

both parents and children to go through, especially if they frequently recur. Also called otitis media, ear infections effect about 50 percent of infants by their first birthday. Causing pain in the ear, fever, temporary hearing loss and general signs such as loss of appetite and irritability, ear infections are bothersome. Some children get better without specific antibiotic treatment but most young infants benefit from the use of an antimicrobial agent.

Usually causes by bacteria, an ear infection is an inflammation of the middle ear that occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum. Anyone can get an ear infection, but children are more prone to him or her than adults with three out of four children having at least one ear infection by their third birthday.

Symptoms of an Ear Infection

With three main types of ear infections, each has a different combination of symptoms. Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common ear infection. Parts of the middle ear are infected and swollen and fluid is trapped behind the eardrum.

The second type of ear infection is otitis media with effusion (OME), which sometimes happens after an ear infection has run its course and fluid stays trapped behind the eardrum. A child with OME may experience no symptoms, but a doctor will be able to see the fluid behind the eardrum with a special instrument.

The third type of ear infection is chronic otitis media with effusion (COME). This type of ear infection happens when fluid remains in the middle ear for an extended period of time or returns over and over again, even though there is no infection present. COME makes it harder for children to fight new infections and can also affect their hearing.

Your Child Keeps Getting Ear Infections - Now What?

To keep a middle ear infection from coming back, it helps to limit some of the factors that might put your child at risk, such as not being around people who smoke and not going to bed with a bottle. In spite of these precautions, some children may continue to have middle ear infections, sometimes as many as five or six a year. Your ENT may want to wait for several months to see if things get better on their own, but if the infections keep coming back and antibiotics aren't helping, many doctors will recommend a surgical procedure that places a small ventilation tube in the eardrum to improve airflow and prevent fluid backup in the middle ear. The most commonly used tubes stay in place for six to nine months and require follow-up visits until they fall out.

Talk to your ENT in Nampa and Meridian for more information on ear infections. If your child experiences recurring infections, it is important to visit your ENT for proper diagnosis and treatment.

by: Gen Wright

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