Blockage of the eustachian tube during a cold, allergy, or upper respiratory infection and the presence of bacteria or viruses lead to the accumulation of fluid (a build-up of pus and mucus) behind the eardrum. This is the infection called acute otitis media. The build up of pressurized pus in the middle ear causes earache, swelling, and redness. Since the eardrum cannot vibrate properly, your child may have hearing problems. Sometimes the eardrum ruptures, and pus drains out of the ear.

drum during a cold, allergy, or upper respiratory infection and the presence of bacteria or viruses. The build up of pressurized pus in the middle ear causes an earache, swelling, and redness. Since the eardrum cannot vibrate properly, the individual may experience hearing problems.

Otitis media is an inflammation in the middle ear (the area behind the eardrum) that is usually associated with a buildup of fluid. The fluid may or may not be infected. Symptoms, severity, frequency, and length of the condition vary. At one extreme is a single short period of thin, clear, noninfected fluid without any pain or fever but with a slight decrease in hearing ability.

Yes. Otitis media is an extremely common middle-ear inflammation, usually caused by an infection that blocks the Eustachian tube. Up to one-third of the child population will have 6 or more episodes before starting school, and some can have up to 12 episodes in a year. Every year in the United States, approximately 30 percent of children under age three receive antimicrobial (antibiotic) treatment for acute earache.

Otitis media occurs most frequently in children. In fact, it ranks second to the common cold as the most common health problem in preschool children. Fifty percent of children have had at least one episode by one year of age. Between one and three years, 35% will have had repeated episodes. For school children, an estimated 5 million school days are missed every year due to otitis media.

The Eustachian tube, a passage between the middle ear and the back of the throat, is smaller and more nearly horizontal in children than in adults. Therefore, it can be more easily blocked by conditions such as large adenoids and infections. Until the Eustachian tube changes in size and angle, children are more susceptible to otitis media.

Even if there is no pain or fever, there are other signs you can look for that may indicate chronic or recurring fluid in the ear: inattentiveness, wanting the television or radio louder than usual, misunderstanding directions, listlessness, unexplained irritability, pulling or scratching the ears.

Acute Otitis Media refers to infection of the middle ear. The ear consists of 3 parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear and the middle ear are separated by a thin membrane called the eardrum. The middle ear is connected to the side of the throat by a short tube called the Eustachian tube. Dysfunction of the Eustachian tube leads to spread of infections from the throat to the middle ear.

This infection is usually diagnosed by your doctor by a physical examination of the ear. Your physician may take a specimen for further analysis.

Acute Otitis Media may be caused by bacteria or viruses. Your doctor may be able to tell the likely cause of the infection. If the infection is caused by viruses, then your doctor may not prescribe an antibiotic. In this case, symptomatic treatment is required till the virus runs it's course (usually 3-5 days). Symptomatic treatment usually consists of over-the-counter medicines that relieve fever and pain. If the infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics may be prescribed by your doctor.

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Three tiny bones in the middle ear carry sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. When fluid is present, the vibrations are not transmitted efficiently and sound energy is lost. The result may be a mild or even a moderate hearing loss. Therefore, some speech sounds may be muffled or inaudible. Generally, this type of hearing loss is temporary.

Acute Otitis Media usually follows an infection of the throat. A throat infection is usually caused by germs (bacteria or viruses) that enter through the nose or the mouth and ascend the eustachian tube to reach the middle ear. These germs are usually spread in the air by other children or adults who have these conditions.

Since this infection is spread through the respiratory tract, close contact with another child or adult with these conditions may increase the risk. If another child or adult in your house has these infections, spread may occur from sharing of toys and other objects.

Avoid prolonged contact with other children and adults who have these conditions. If possible, avoid day-care and other crowded places. During “Flu season” or if another child in your house has these infections, frequent hand washing may prevent transferring the infection to other children. about us | products | manufacturing / r&d | business development | newsroom | employees | Lupin Limited | site search

Children learn speech and language from listening to other people talk. The first few years of life are especially critical for this development. If a hearing loss exists, a child does not get full benefit of language learning experiences. Consequently, critical delays in speech and language development may occur. Otitis media without infection presents a special problem because symptoms of pain and fever are usually not present.

A physician should handle the medical treatment. Ear infections require immediate attention, most likely from a pediatrician or otolaryngologist (ear doctor). If your child has frequently recurring infections and/or chronic fluid in the middle ear, two additional specialists should be consulted: an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist.

Cy, JUDGE DREDD, Madtoscratch, Lianne, lutece, SueB, akesingland, riaY, bryndavell, Groovygirl, david_8, SJ, Terrimayormaynot, jjoblogs1, anglichanin, Tom_B, bubble, TrishR, squoink, GATTACA, willy, Roger, margurita_simpson, snowy, beacon, LyndsayA, stripe77, Snow Surfer, lighthearted The material has been extracted from Psoriasis at your fingertips by Dr Tim Mitchell & Rebecca Penzer (Class Publishing).