If your child suffers from an ear infection more than once, it’s not an unusual situation. Over 80% of children experience at
least one ear infection by the age of three. Multiple infections are common. In fact, ear infections are the primary reason parents seek medical care for their kids.
Your Child’s Developing Body
Children suffer far more from ear infections than adults for two main reasons, both of which are associated with their young bodies.
First, developing immune systems need time to build strength and acquire the biological programming that keeps them safe against pathogens. As your child’s system learns to recognize and defeat bacteria and other infecting agents, their ears may react to exposure levels that they’ll handle easily in just a few years’ time.
Second, the size and shape of children’s young bodies tend to aggravate the conditions that support ear infections. Due to some biological factors in children, fluid tends to build up during an infection and doesn’t always properly drain.
Drainage Issues
The middle ear is an air-filled area containing the tiny bones that vibrate and conduct sound waves. This space behind the eardrum maintains equal air pressure with the outside world via eustachian tubes that run between your ears and the back of your nose. When your ears “pop” due to sudden altitude changes, it’s a function of equalizing pressure through these tubes.
The middle ear also acts as a drainage route for fluid that sometimes accumulates in the ears. In adults, eustachian tubes are slanted, encouraging middle ear drainage thanks to the effects of gravity.
Your children, on the other hand, don’t receive the same gravity benefits. Their eustachian tubes are much closer to horizontal. Combine that with the smaller diameter of their growing tubes, and you can see that drainage is much more difficult. This is particularly true when their heads are congested with mucus, such as during a cold.
Adenoid Complications
Located next to the eustachian tube openings behind the nose, the adenoids play a role in immune system activity, and they frequently become swollen. The challenges that the near level eustachian tubes face can be complicated when swollen adenoids block regular drainage.
When the tubes are blocked, the middle ear becomes a haven for bacterial development. Though in many cases the infection will clear up naturally, in some cases pain and fever may be such that your doctor chooses to use antibiotics to help your child’s body clear out the infection.
The Dangers Infections
Though ear infections are common, it doesn’t mean they’re harmless. In many cases, the infection will burn itself out, but there are times when medication may be necessary. Failure to seek treatment in these cases can lead to permanent hearing damage.
If your child demonstrates any of the signs and symptoms of an ear infection, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician. The pediatrician and staff can quickly assess and treat your child’s ear pain.
Serious or recurring infections may be a reason to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. ENT doctors, like our pediatric specialists at ENT Associates, have advanced treatment options to address chronic issues. Your ENT doctor may also recommend a hearing test, especially if your child has had ear infections in the past.
Ear Infection Treatment
Ear pain can be managed with ear drops or medications like Tylenol or Motrin (be sure to avoid giving your child aspirin, which has been linked to a dangerous condition known as Reye’s syndrome). Use a warm washcloth pressed to the ear for comforting relief.
If the ear infection doesn’t go away on its own and is the result of a bacterial infection, antibiotics will be prescribed.
Ear tubes are highly effective in reducing chronic ear infections. Ear tubes provide ventilation to the middle ear and allow fluids to drain, reducing the chances of an ear infection from recurring. Tubes can also restore hearing loss caused by excess middle ear fluid. An ENT doctor can perform this outpatient surgical procedure.
If you have any concerns about your child’s ear health, reach out to the pediatric ENT specialists at Ear, Nose & Throat Associates for a consultation at (260) 426-8117. No referral is required. Ear, Nose & Throat Associates offers top-notch, child-friendly care. Visit ENTFW.com to learn more.
“They made my little girl feel less anxious and more comfortable during her visit.” – Cindy