Acute otitis media in children
Acute otitis media in children is a common disease in children in winter and spring, and is more common in children aged 1 to 6 years. Acute otitis media in children refers to the infection of the middle ear cavity caused by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens directly entering the tympanic chamber through the Eustachian tube, usually secondary to the common cold, that is to say, after the child catches a cold, he may suffer from acute otitis media.
Common pathogenic bacteria mainly include pneumococcus, haemophilus influenzae untyped, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, etc., and these bacteria are also the most common bacteria in colds. Acute otitis media is usually divided into two types:
01. Acute non-purulent otitis media
Predominantly presented as a local symptom, i.e. earache is persistent; Earache in infants and young children can be characterized by irritability, sometimes by covering and tugging on the ears, and even affecting sleep, and only in people with early upper respiratory tract infections, they may have fever.
02. Acute purulent otitis media
In addition to the main complaints of local persistent severe ear pain symptoms and infant ear pain characteristics, it can also be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as high fever, crying, nausea, and vomiting, and the symptoms are relieved until the ear drains pus.
Why are children the "hardest hit areas"?
Because the Eustachian tube in children is shorter, flat and straighter than that of adults, the eustachian tube pharynx in infancy is lower and softer, its hardness and elasticity are insufficient, and the coordination of the eustachian tube opening is limited, so children are more likely to develop acute otitis media.
In addition, the lymphatic follicular tissue of the nasopharynx and posterior pharyngeal wall of children is developed, which is easy to increase and hypertrophy, resulting in the accumulation of a large amount of viscous and purulent secretions at the pharynx of the Eustachian tube, and the bacteria or viruses in the secretions are easy to enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, which in turn causes acute otitis media in children.
If the child always shouts that the ear hurts in the middle of the night, parents should consider the following points:
1. Whether there are any symptoms such as cold, fever, pus, cough and so on in the near future;
2. Have you recently written or behaved in swimming, choking, ear gouging, flying, etc.;
3. Judge the overall condition of the child's consciousness, spirit and other overall conditions;
4. Observe whether there is any viscous discharge from the ear, and whether there is a bulge or redness behind the ear.
Detect early and don't ignore earache in children
The treatment of acute otitis media in children is mainly early detection and active treatment.
Children will have persistent earache during the onset of acute otitis media, but the length of earache varies, some children will have earache lasting for a few minutes and then say that it is not painful, and some children will continue earache for 3 days.
Children with short earache time are often ignored by parents, for example: a child has just recovered from a cold, ready to go to school, said earache in the morning, parents repeatedly confirmed, the child said that it was not painful for a while, parents are likely to think that the child does not want to go to school and lie, thus ignoring the possibility of acute otitis media after the child's cold, delaying the treatment of otitis media.
The ear does not hurt, is otitis media better?
In daily life, many parents think that as long as the child's ear does not hurt, otitis media is getting better, and there is no need to go to the hospital for re-examination.
In fact, this is a misunderstanding, the recovery of acute otitis media in children is not determined by the presence of earache, but to follow the doctor's instructions for regular follow-up, the doctor according to the child's ear ear membrane local symptoms combined with ear acoustic conduction antimetry to determine the recovery of otitis media, so as to adjust the treatment plan and follow-up cycle, until the cure stops follow-up.