USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Ear
infection
by Kristi Fitzmorris, Class of 1999
What is an ear infection
?
How common is it ?
What causes it ?
How can I tell if my child
has an ear infection ?
How can my doctor tell
if my child has an ear infection ?
How are ear infections
treated ?
What can I do to
help prevent ear infections ?
What are some of
the complications of ear infections ?
Websites for more
information on otitis media
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What
is an ear infection?
An ear infection is an inflamed or swollen
middle ear that is usually caused by a build up of fluid behind the eardrum.
Another name for an ear infection is otitis media. Some people refer
to this problem as “glue ear”.
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How
common is it ?
Ear infections occur most commonly in
kids. It is the second most common health problem in children.
Fifty percent of children have one ear infection by the time they are one
year old. Five million school days are missed each year because of
ear infections.
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What
causes it ?
Ear infections usually start during or after a cold. Bacteria or
viruses enter the nose or the throat and travel to the middle ear through
a tube in the back of the nose (Eustachian tube.) This causes the
tube to get blocked, which can lead to infection.
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How
can I tell if my child has an ear infection ?
Symptoms include the following: earache, ringing in the ears, fever,
tugging or rubbing the ears, problems hearing, and draining fluid or pus
from the ear. Call your doctor if your child has any of these symptoms.
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How
can my doctor tell if my child has an ear infection ?
Your doctor will look in both of the child’s ears using an instrument called
an otoscope. Your child will feel the instrument in the ear, but
it does not hurt. The doctor may see a red, bulging eardrum, usually
with fluid behind the eardrum. The doctor will also check to see
if the eardrum moves by blowing a puff of air in the child’s ear.
If there is fluid behind the eardrum, it will not move as much as it normally
should.
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How
are ear infections treated ?
The doctor may prescribe antibiotics
to help fight the infection. These will also help to make the pain
go away. Even though your child may feel better in 2-3 days, the
infection needs more time to go away. Be sure to take the antibiotics
for the full time. Your child may develop diarrhea or a rash from
the antibiotics.
Acetaminophen, or Tylenol, may also
be prescribed to help with pain and fever. (Do not use aspirin in
children under 21 years old because it can cause a rare, but serious, illness
in children.)
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What
can I do to help prevent ear infections ?
Nothing can prevent all ear infections, but there are some things you can
do to help decrease the chances of your child getting an ear infection.
-
Breast fed infants get fewer ear infections
-
Do not feed with your baby lying down
-
Keep your child away from cigarettes and smoke from wood burning fires
-
Day care increases the chances of ear infections
-
Try to keep your child away from other sick children
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What
are some complications of ear infections ?
Complications
are infrequent with fast treatment, but some of the more common problems
that may occur include:
-
Delays in
speech and language because children learn to speak by listening to
people talk, but if their ears are infected, they can not hear as well.
-
If ear infections
occur over and over, the eardrum or tiny bones of the ear may become damaged,
which can lead to permanent hearing loss.
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Websites
for more information on otitis media