What should I do if my child has otitis media?

Probably, almost every parent at least once in his life came across a situation where a child has otitis media. This very unpleasant disease is accompanied by an inflammatory process and a strong, sharp pain. In the absence of treatment, the disease can lead to complications, so it is extremely important to know about its main symptoms and effective therapy.

Otitis and its forms

As already mentioned, otitis in modern medicine is called ear inflammation. Of course, often the inflammatory process is observed in the outer part of the auditory analyzer and is associated with mechanical damage of the ear or auditory canal tissues, complicated by the penetration of the infection.

However, most often pediatricians diagnose it is acute otitis media in children - a disease in which the focus of inflammation is localized in the middle ear. This form of the disease is accompanied by an increase in temperature and acute, shooting pain in the ears.

By the way, it is not uncommon for a child to have repeated otitis media. 3 years is a peculiar "transitional" age in children, as the statistics confirm a disappointing fact that almost 60% of small patients suffer from repeated inflammations. This is due to some anatomical features of the structure of Eustachian tubes in children.

Why does the baby have otitis?

The main cause of the inflammatory process is infection, most often bacterial. It is worth noting that often otitis develops against the background of sore throat and some other respiratory diseases, since the middle ear cavity is connected to the nasopharynx by Eustachian tubes.

Nevertheless, in some cases, the disease is the result of the activity of a particular virus, for example, it can arise as a complication of the flu or cold. Much less often the cause of inflammation is a fungal infection.

The child has otitis: what are the symptoms?

In fact, such a disease is difficult not to notice or ignore, since its symptoms are very specific. The main sign of otitis is a strong, sharp pain in the ear, which the child simply can not tolerate. In addition, the inflammatory process often leads to an increase in temperature. In some cases, you can notice abundant discharge from the auditory canal (often it is sulfur mixed with exudative fluid or pus).

But how do you know if a child has otitis, if it is too small to report discomfort to parents? In such cases, you need to closely monitor the baby. Sick children become capricious, often cry out and without any reason suddenly come in strong crying, often wake up at night. In addition, newborn babies often rub their aching ear, and also refuse to eat and drink, as sucking movements only increase soreness.

How to treat inflammation of the middle ear?

It is extremely important to show a small sick child in time to a specialist. The fact is that the inflammation of the middle ear, especially if it is accompanied by a build-up of pus, can lead to a decrease or total loss of hearing.

Treatment depends on the age of the child, and on the severity of the disease. To begin with, doctors prescribe anesthetic ear drops, as well as nasal sprays, which remove the mucosal edema and facilitate breathing. If necessary, antipyretic drugs are also used. If the larynx is inflamed, then, of course, it is treated. In the case when these methods do not give results or the body temperature rises to 39 degrees, it is advisable to use antibiotics.