Ear Infections - Middle Ear Infection

What is a middle ear infection?

The middle ear is the small part of your ear just inside your eardrum. When it gets infected liquids and air accumulate and apply pressure on the ear drum which causes ear pain.

What causes a middle ear infection?

A small tube connects your ear to your throat. A cold can cause this tube to swell. When the tube swells enough to become blocked, it can trap fluid inside your ear. This makes it a perfect place for germs to grow and cause an infection.

Ear infections happen mostly to young children because their tubes are smaller and closer to the nose which transmits the infection to the ear and triggers  ear infection and get blocked more easily. But many adults also suffer from ear infections.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of ear infection is an earache. It can be mild, or it can hurt a lot. Babies and young children may be fussy, they may pull at their ears and cry, have trouble sleeping or may also have a fever.

You may see thick, yellow fluid coming from their ears. This happens when the infection has caused the eardrum to burst and the fluid flows out. This is not serious and usually makes the pain go away. The eardrum usually heals on its own.

When fluid builds up but does not get infected, children often say that their ears just feel plugged. They may have trouble hearing, but their hearing usually returns to normal after the fluid is gone, It may take weeks for the fluid to drain away.

How is a middle ear infection diagnosed?

Your doctor will talk to you about your child's symptoms. Then he or she will look into your child's ears. A special tool with a light lets the doctor see the eardrum and tell whether there is fluid behind it. This exam is rarely uncomfortable. It bothers some children more than others.

How is it treated?

Most ear infections go away on their own. You can treat your child at home with an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol or Tempra), a warm washcloth or heating pad on the ear, and rest. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. Your doctor may give you eardrops that can help your child's pain.

Sometimes after an infection, a child cannot hear well for a while. Call your doctor if this lasts for 3 to 4 months. Children need to be able to hear in order to learn how to talk.

Your doctor can give your child antibiotics, but ear infections often get better without them. Talk about this with your doctor. Whether you use them will depend on how old your child is and how bad the infection is. read about the dificulties of Minor surgery to put tubes in the ears may help if your child has hearing problems or repeat infections.

In some ear infection cases ear tubes are inserted to externally drain the fluids however there are Alternative to Ear Tubes

The Eardoc is an efficient and proved non-invasive device that reduces the ear pain by treating the problem rather than the symptom. The eardoc significantly reduces the need for ear tube surgery (Myringotomy) by naturally opening the closed Ear tube and drying the trapped fluids. The eardoc is the most sufficient device for ear infections.

Can ear infections be prevented?

There are many ways to help prevent ear infections. Do not smoke. Ear infections happen more often to children who are around cigarette smoke. Even the fumes from tobacco smoke on your hair and clothes can affect them. Handwashing and having your child immunized can help, too.

Also, make sure your child does not go to sleep while sucking on a bottle, and try to limit the use of group child care.

The Eardoc is a natural non invasive device for treating the problem.

Learning about ear infections and Treatment:

Myringotomy

Alternative to Ear Tube 

14 Natural Remedies for Earaches

Does your doctor recommends Ear tube surgery?

Otitis media

A bit about Otitis media 

Otitis media is an infection or inflammation of the middle ear. This inflammation often begins when infections that cause sore throats, colds, or other respiratory or breathing problems spread to the middle ear. These can be viral or bacterial infections. Seventy-five percent of children experience at least one episode of otitis media by their third birthday. Almost half of these children will have three or more ear infections during their first 3 years. It is estimated that medical costs and lost wages because of otitis media amount to $5 billion* a year in the United States. Although otitis media is primarily a disease of infants and young children, it can also affect adults. infact air travlers and divers suffer from it as well. more on Otitis media...