Otitis media has become a high-incidence disease. For patients with otitis media, there will be a very obvious abnormal sensation in the ear, and it may also have a serious impact on the patient's hearing. Otitis media is often related to colds, and the child's constitution is weak, it is easy to get a cold, and the germs will be retrograde through the Eustachian tube and enter the middle ear, resulting in inflammation.
Why are young children more susceptible to otitis media?
- It is related to immunity
Children's immunity is relatively low, and children are prone to cold symptoms and upper respiratory tract infections. If your child's upper respiratory tract infection does not heal for a long time, it is possible to cause a bacterial infection of the middle ear, which can cause otitis media.
- Related to anatomy
Children are indeed more susceptible to otitis media than adults. This has a lot to do with the structure of the eustachian tube of the child, because the child Eustachian tube is short and straight during this period, and the lumen is relatively wide, so the pipe of the eustachian tube of the child is different from that of the adult, and it is in a horizontal position. Therefore, it is at the same level as the bottom of the child's nose. It is precisely because of this structural feature of the eustachian tube in children that some secretions from the nose and pharynx are very easy to enter the child's middle ear, which triggers inflammation in the middle ear and causes otitis media.
In addition, the incorrect way children drink milk can also lead to the occurrence of otitis media in children. If the child is lying flat, the milk can easily enter the middle ear, increasing the child's chance of developing otitis media.
When the child has ear discomfort, he should go to the doctor in time, and if it is diagnosed with otitis media, it should be treated as soon as possible. Because most otitis media affects hearing, resulting in moderate to mild hearing loss, which can lead to conductive deafness in the short term and mixed deafness in the long term.
Otitis media is not like a cold and fever, you can see it at once. Some babies are still young and will not clearly indicate "ear pain" and ear tightness or hearing loss, etc., and parents will not be easy to detect. How can I find out if my child has otitis media?
If a child suffers from otitis media, the main manifestations are tinnitus, earache, hearing loss and ear canal pus, and the entire clinical process can be roughly divided into 4 stages:
Eustachian tube obstruction: children are characterized by lack of energy, loss of appetite, tinnitus, discomfort in the ear, etc., but the discomfort of the ear will affect the baby's play and sleep. Examination may reveal an inverted tympanic membrane and an effusion in the middle ear.
Presuppurative: it is manifested by high fever, body temperature up to 39 ° C ~ 40 ° C, children crying and restlessness, hearing loss and earache, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive tract symptoms. These manifestations are similar to colds or enteritis and are highly overlooked or misdiagnosed. After examination, the eardrum may be congested, red and swollen auditory bone, and convex.
Purulent phase: high fever, refusal to eat in children, severe graying, fluctuating tinnitus, hearing loss and earache radiating to all sides. Examination may reveal a convex eardrum and pus in the middle ear.
Dissipation phase: Generally after 4-5 days of illness, the child's body temperature drops, earache disappears, and it is possible to fall asleep, but the eardrum ruptures, pus flows out of the ear canal, and tinnitus and hearing loss remain.
The acute phase of otitis media generally lasts for about a week, after passing through ear drops and nose drops, the child's eardrum congestion will disappear, and earache is not obvious, but this does not mean that acute otitis media has healed. Because after the acute phase, the mucous membrane in the middle ear cavity is congested and causes mucus to leak; the oozing mucus accumulates in the middle ear cavity; then this mucus is slowly discharged through the Eustachian tube, and there needs to be a time process: as short as 2 weeks, as long as 3 months. It is recommended that after the child has acute otitis media, he should have an outpatient review of the acoustic anti-resistance and hearing examination every 2 weeks or so. If otitis media is not good, continue to follow up.
For acute otitis media, it should be prevented before it occurs.
For infants who are nursed artificially, especially those under 3 months of age, the correct feeding position should be adopted. If feeding with a bottle, the baby should not be allowed to lie flat on his back, but should first pick up the baby and put it on his lap, then rest his head on his left arm, and then hold the bottle with his right hand to feed. The feeding speed should not be too fast and too fierce, and when the baby is crying, the feeding should be temporarily stopped to avoid coughing and squirting milk into the Eustachian tube.
If otitis media is not treated in time, it can expand to nearby organs, such as causing serious consequences such as mastoiditis or even intracranial infection. Children who are too young can only rely on parental observation, and older children can ask where the child is uncomfortable to judge. Suspected otitis media should prompt medical attention.