Inflammation of the middle ear in children: Causes and remedies

Childhood otitis media is a common but difficult to recognize. Therefore, you should be aware of the signs that your child has otitis media so that you can bring your child to the hospital for prompt examination and treatment.

The immune systems of infants and young children are not yet complete, so babies are prone to many health problems, such as babies with otitis media. So where does the cause of inflammation in children come from and what are the remedies? Let's join aFamilyToday Health to find out the answer to this disease through the following article.

What disease is my baby with inflammation in the middle?

The ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. In the ear there is a tube connecting the middle ear to the throat, called the ear canal or eustachian tube. The ear canal serves three important functions:

Vent helps keep the air pressure in the middle ear in balance with the outside air pressure. This explains why children often lose their balance when they have ear infections, tilt their head to the side ...

Protect middle ear from sound pressure and prevent nasal and throat fluid ingress from middle ear.

Helps drain fluid from the middle ear to the throat.

When pus or fluid builds up in the ear canal behind the eardrum, it causes pain for a child and leads to a slight risk of hearing loss , which requires parents to pay close attention to the child. If your baby has a cough or runny nose, and then suddenly has a fever for 3-5 days, he or she probably has otitis media.

If infected, the baby may get irritated in the ear and often pick the ear. If your baby is learning to walk, he may lose his balance and become more clumsy than usual with this disease. When you are sick, your baby may feel pain while feeding or weaning. When breastfeeding, babies often turn their face away or remove mouth from the nipple, whether bottle feeding or breastfeeding.

Causes of otitis media in children

In infants and young children, the ear canal is shorter, wider, and more horizontal than in adults. As a result, fluids from the throat and outer ear containing bacteria easily pass through the tube into the middle ear.

Children with inflammation of the upper respiratory tract easily cause the ear canal to become blocked, inflammation and inflammation leading to secretions being stuck in it. This creates a moist environment for bacteria and viruses to multiply. When an infection occurs, the eardrum becomes pus-filled and puts pressure on the eardrum, causing the eardrum to swell and even tear due to increased pressure. Inflammation of the middle ear can cause a baby to have a fever as the body tries to fight off bacteria or viruses. This is called acute otitis media .

Middle ear infections are very common in babies and young children, especially in winter. Most babies between the ages of 6 and 18 months are infected.

Signs and symptoms of otitis media in children

Symptoms in infants and young children, in fact, are difficult to recognize. The reason is that the babies cannot describe their condition. Children often have the following symptoms:

Fever can reach over 39 degrees Celsius

Show restlessness, irritability, and often cry when lying down. This is a sign that the baby is in pain due to the increased pressure in the ears while lying down

Try to pull your ear or rub it against your body

Crying, restless, having trouble sleeping

Does not react to sound

Fluid or pus discharge from the ear. This is a sign that your baby's eardrum has broken due to excessive pressure

Dry scaly patches of fluid or pus around the ear

Unbalanced, tilted his head to one side

How to cure otitis media in children

Most middle ear infections in children go away on their own in three or four days, with or without antibiotics. If the baby is unwell and the infection is not caused by a virus, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics. Better yet, you should take your baby to the doctor if:

The baby is acting very painful

Children younger than 3 months old

Fluid comes out of the baby's ear

Both children's ears are infected

Symptoms of infection worsen after 24 hours

Use paracetamol or ibuprofen for middle ear infections in children

You can give your child paracetamol or ibuprofen  as directed by your doctor if your baby is 3 months old or older. These medications will help relieve pain and reduce fever.

Breastfeeding helps treat middle ear infections in children

Breastfeed your baby more and more often to avoid dehydration caused by fever. If your baby is drinking formula or solids , mothers should give him extra water. In addition, you should use a soft pillow to rest your baby's head while sleeping to limit fluid from the throat from flowing into the eardrum.

Primary surgery to get ear glue

When the ear is filled with thick liquid, ear glue can form. If the antibiotic is unable to clear the pus, a minor surgery is required ² . Your doctor will make a small hole, insert a tube called a grommet, into your ear to help suck fluids. In some cases, a child needs to be injected with strong antibiotics. Ear glue will be less and less as children grow.

Take earwax

Sometimes, the ear gets filled with earwax, causing a child's hearing loss. Your doctor may use a syringe to gently fill the ear canal with warm water and remove the wax.

Measures to prevent babies from otitis media

You can prevent otitis media in children by:

Limit contact with children with colds.

Breastfeeding : Breast milk helps strengthen your baby's natural immunity. You should not bottle-feed because when you turn the bottle, the milk can run into the Eustachian tube and increase the risk of ear infections.

If your baby is formula fed : Feed your baby in a sitting position and remember to help your baby burp after the feed.

If your baby is five miles old , you should let your baby sit to eat instead of lying or holding him on his lap.

Do not let your baby suck on a pacifier. If you really need to use it, pay attention not to too long.

Do not smoke or allow anyone to smoke around your baby, do not take your baby to smoke.

Check to see if your baby has had a pneumococcal shot, flu vaccine or not. Vaccination can reduce the risk of disease in some children.

Try not to let your baby go to kindergarten when you are under 1 year old. Going to kindergarten too early can cause children to cough, cry a lot, catch colds more often, and easily lead to otitis media in children. 

Above are some tips to prevent and care for a child with otitis to help you know how to take better care of your child when he or she is sick. At the same time help other mothers know how to prevent their babies from otitis media more effectively.

Besides, parents should also read the article “ What diet middle ear infections to improve the condition faster? "To help you quickly recover from the disease!