Causes of otitis in children
The hearing organ consists of three components:
- External ear – consists of the auricle and external auditory canal, and is separated from the middle ear by the eardrum.
- Middle ear – here we have three ossicles, the eardrum cavity and the auditory trumpet, the so-called Eustachian tube, it is this part of the ear that connects to the throat and most often inflammation occurs here.
- inner ear – is of great importance in the transformation of vibrations into nerve impulses and is part of the sense of balance.
Inflammation most often occurs in the middle ear. It is the middle ear infection that children suffer from, and quite often, according to statistics it is about 90% As you can therefore easily guess, infants and young children have had or will have otitis media at least once in their lives. So why is it possible to observe such frequent otitis in a child? This is due to the specific structure of the ear trumpet in a child. Its shape is slightly shorter and wider, which makes infections of the upper respiratory tract and throat easily spread. With age, the structure of the ear changes, and the child also acquires immunity, which has the effect of reducing the frequency of illness.Of course, it should also be remembered that in the context of otitis in a child, the causes may also have other causes, including allergies, tonsillar hypertrophy, polyps or even gastroesophageal reflux.
Symptoms of otitis in a child
The child, being especially at a younger age, is not able to show precisely that something is wrong with him. Thus, he may become weepy, whiny, irritable, but he may also experience symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhea. Such symptoms may not always outright suggest an ear infection, which often causes parents stress and anxiety.
Ear inflammation can be divided into three types of infection depending on the exacerbation of symptoms: acute, exudative and chronic. So how do we recognize which form of inflammation we are dealing with?
- Acute otitis media – the most annoying and uncomfortable form of infection. It is associated with inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. It manifests itself with severe throbbing pain in the ear area, fever, tinnitus, headache and even vomiting.
- Exudative – there is an exudative fluid in the eardrum cavity, the infection is caused by bacteria or viruses.
- Chronic – the most difficult to treat without surgical intervention. It is characterized by chronic inflammation combined with purulent exudate, which significantly impairs hearing. The infection is caused by bacteria.
What steps to take and how to treat otitis?
Particularly in the case of infants and children, it is important to take a correct medical history and make an accurate diagnosis. So often the treatment of otitis in children begins with a thorough ENT examination. During the examination, the doctor will assess the condition of the eardrum, the type of exudate, the size of the tonsils and take a general medical history to learn all the symptoms. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment are especially important to guard against complications. Untreated otitis in an infant, older children, but also in adults is a high probability of developing chronic inflammation and damaging hearing. If we suspect that our child may be struggling with an infection, which is important especially with an infant and young child, then it is worth carefully observing his behavior – as the inflammation develops, the symptoms of earache, headache, irritability, crying, diarrhea or even vomiting will also increase. Sometimes children reflexively try to rub or paw at the ear area.
