Your child complains of earache in the middle of the night, and sometimes "deaf ears" to what you say, so pay attention to the fact that your child may be suffering from otitis media.
Otitis media in children is like a naughty little monster, bacteria and viruses always like to find it.
At first, it cries and makes a "hissing" sound, making the child feel that a naughty ant lives in his ear! If left untreated, it may cause symptoms such as hearing loss and tinnitus.
Four characteristics of otitis media in children:
1. Otitis media disease that occurs in children
2. Infection by pathogenic bacteria or Eustachian tube dysfunction, etc
3. Cause symptoms such as earache, hearing loss, and tinnitus
4. The prognosis is generally good
Otitis media is a common and frequent disease in children, and the highest incidence age of the disease is preschool age, among which acute otitis media is more common in winter and spring, and is associated with upper respiratory tract infection. Epidemiological studies have shown that 90% of children under 6 years of age have at least one history of acute otitis media.
Pediatric otitis media can be divided into the following types according to the cause and severity of onset:
1. Acute otitis media
Often within 48 hours, pathogens such as bacteria and viruses directly enter the tympanic cavity through the eustachian tube, causing infection of the mucosa of the middle ear cavity, which can be secondary to the common cold and can be accompanied by middle ear effusion.
2. Secretory otitis media
Also known as exudative otitis media, it is a non-purulent inflammatory disease of the middle ear, characterized by an intact eardrum, fluid accumulation in the middle ear, and hearing loss.
3. Chronic purulent otitis media
The patient has intermittent or persistent pus discharge in the ear.
There are different types of otitis media in children, and the causes are different:
Secretory otitis media can be related to a variety of factors, including eustachian tube dysfunction, infection, immune response, etc., acute otitis media is mostly caused by acute infection of bacteria or viruses, and chronic purulent otitis media can be caused by recurrent episodes of otitis media or immunocompromised patients.
Typical symptoms of otitis media in children:
1. Earache
Acute otitis media presents with sudden onset of earache at night or after sleeping, and most cases have a history of upper respiratory tract infection. However, secretory otitis media is usually without earache
2. Lowering of the force
Hearing loss is mostly mild to moderate, generally no more than 60 decibels, and the main manifestations of children are "ahhh
3. Tinnitus
Some children may have tinnitus.
4. Ear discharge
Acute otitis media may present with eardrum perforation and/or chronic otitis media.
5. Abnormal balance
Individual children may have unsteady walking.
How to prevent otitis media in children?
1. Pediatric otitis media may be caused by pathogenic bacterial infection and other factors, so it can be prevented by adjusting diet and exercising to enhance children's resistance.
2. Try to limit the time children spend in crowded public places to reduce the risk of infection.