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Approximately, 3 quarters of children will have at least one kind of an ear infection by their 3rd birthday. In fact, ear infections could be at top of the list & as the foremost common reason, parents take their child to see a doctor or probably an ENT.
Ear infections, which are also known as ‘glue ear’, ‘secretory otitis media’, ‘otitis media with effusion’, ‘middle ear infection’ or ‘serous otitis media’ & they are a very common problem, particularly in children.
Because of their extensive occurrence, ear infections are very well known and still broadly researched.
Some Hasty Facts Of Ear Infections
Below are some key facts about ear infections-
- Young boys typically suffer more from an ear infection as compared to girls.
- Most ear infections improve & heal itself without intervention.
- Vaccinating your child as an encounter for flu can help protect them from any sort of ear infection.
- Prolonged & repeated cases of an ear infection could occur in children using Biofilms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
- Some recent studies have proved that ear infections may have a genetic component.
- Pre-own or secondhand smoke increases the risk of ear infections.
- Different racial groups have distinct levels of susceptibility to ear infections.
An ear infection is a bacterial infection of the ear, particularly of the middle ear. This infection causes irritation or tenderness and the up-turn of fluid within the internal ear cavities. The middle ear is a fluid-filled area, located behind the eardrum that consists of the vibrating bones, necessary to convert external sound into significant signals for the brain.
Ear infections are sometimes severely painful because the inflammation and build-up of plethora fluids cause pressure on the eardrum.
Usually, ear infections can be improved by themselves, and the only medication needed is pain management. Sometimes, where young infants are concerned with more prolonged & relentless cases, doctors may recommend antibiotics.
Babies, below six months, need antibiotic treatment to aid stop spreading the infection. Physicians generally suggest a watch-and-wait strategy without antibiotics for kids below 6 months to 2 years, unless it’s clear that the reason behind symptoms is actually an ear infection.
Antibiotics are not normally prescribed for children older than 2. The exaggerated use of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance, which means that more serious infections become more difficult to treat or may cure lately.
Types Of Ear Infection
Ear infections are generally divided into 3 subclasses listed below-
Acute Otitis Media (AOM)
It is the most typical and least serious kind of an ear infection. Due to this condition, the patient’s middle ear is infected and swollen, and ear fluid is ambush behind the eardrum. In many cases, fever may also present.
Otitis Media With Effusion (OME)
There could also be some fluid left behind the eardrum that remains in the area, even after an ear infection has run its course. A person with OME might not show any outward symptoms, however, an ENT doctor will be able to spot the residual fluid.
Chronic Otitis Media With Effusion (COME)
Either the infection is present or not, the increased fluid repeatedly returns to the middle ear, the main problems with COME are a decrease in ability to fight against different infections and it gives a negative impact on hearing ability too.
Related: 4 Reasons Why You Should Never Use Cotton Swabs To Clean Ears
Symptoms Of Ear Infection
In adults, the symptoms are ear pain, increased fluid from the ear and abate hearing. In kids, there’s an extended list of signs to appear out that include-
- Towing or pulling the ear
- Having Ear pain especially when lying down
- Sleeping difficulty
- Crying more than normal or fussy
- Imbalance or lack of balance
- Difficulty hearing or diminished hear
- Having temperatures
- Lack of appetite
- Headache
Causes Of Ear Infection
The Role Of Eustachian Tubes
These tubes connect the middle ear to the back of the throat. The ends of these tubes open and shut to regulate air pressure in the middle ear, it refreshes the air in the middle ear and drains away normal or natural secretions.
A respiratory infection or allergy can block the Eustachian tubes, causing an aggregation of fluids in the middle ear. If this fluid became contaminated or infected either bacterially or virally, this causes an ear infection.
The Eustachian tubes of young children are smaller and more horizontal than in older children and adults. This makes the fluid more likely to collect in the tubes rather than to drain, which increases the chances of an ear infection.
The Role Of Adenoids
The adenoids are pads of tissues, which lie high in the back of the nasal cavity. Their function is to pass bacteria and viruses and play a part in immune system activity. Bacteria can sometimes get trapped in the adenoids, however, which may lead to infection and inflammation of the Eustachian tubes and the middle ear. The adenoids are close to the opening of the Eustachian tubes, and if they swell up or escalate, they can cause the tubes to close. Children have relatively large adenoids that are more active than those of an adult, which is another reason that they are more likely to bond with ear infections.
So, if you feel like having an ear infection or you suspect having any symptoms mentioned above. Feel free & Log On to our website, Book your online appointment or you may ask any medical related questions to the best ENT specialist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad & other cities of Pakistan.
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