Is your child scratching their ear and crying? It’s common for infants with ear infections to display this behavior. Any concerned parent should take their baby to the doctor for immediate evaluation and diagnosis.
Some ear infections are minor, while others can have lasting complications if left untreated. This post discusses how to recognize and treat middle ear infections common in children.
How to Recognize and Treat Middle Ear Infections
What is a Middle Ear Infection?
A middle ear infection, also known as otitis media, specifically refers to an infection or inflammation of the middle ear. The middle ear is the space located behind the eardrum and in front of the inner ear. It contains three tiny bones called ossicles, which transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Middle ear infections often occur when the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat, becomes blocked or swollen, leading to a buildup of fluid in the middle ear. This fluid provides a breeding ground for bacteria or viruses, which can cause an infection.
Common symptoms of a middle ear infection include ear pain, a feeling of fullness or pressure in the middle ear, difficulty hearing, fever, and sometimes drainage from the ear.
Middle ear infections occur more commonly in children but can also affect adults. Treatment typically involves antibiotics if the infection is bacterial, or pain management and observation if it’s viral. In some cases, particularly if the infection is severe or recurrent, further medical intervention such as drainage of fluid from the middle ear or surgical procedures may be necessary.
Diagnosing the Issue
Upon arriving at the doctor’s room for medical assessment, your physician will base their diagnosis on the child’s symptoms and the physical exam results.
The doctor uses a specialized tool called a pneumatic otoscope to diagnose the ear infection. The instrument lets the doctor look in the baby’s ear to determine if they have fluid caught behind the eardrum.
Additional Diagnostic Testing
If the doctor is uncertain of the diagnosis, they’ll order further tests to confirm their ideas or make new discoveries about the issue. Some of the types of alternative diagnostic testing include.
- Acoustic reflectometry – Measures sound reflecting off the eardrum. This measurement provides an indication of the quantity of fluids in the ear.
- Tympanometry – This device measures the movement of the eardrum. It gives an indication of the indirect pressure inside the middle ear.
- Tympanocentesis – This process drains fluid from the ear in severe cases. The physician sends the liquid to the lab for microbiological testing.
The Types of Ottis Media Diagnosis
Acute Otitis Media
There are three types of Ottis Media diagnosis. Acute Ottis Media occurs when there are signs of fluid in the middle ear, infection, or sudden onset of symptoms.
Otitis Media with Effusion
In this diagnosis, the doctor doesn’t notice any signs of infection despite there being evidence of fluid in the middle ear.
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media
This diagnosis describes the tearing of the eardrum due to long-term infection. This diagnosis often coincides with pus draining from the baby’s ear.
Otitis Media Treatment
The doctor provides treatment recommendations based on the diagnosis. The treatment scale in Ottis Media ranges from doing nothing to using antibiotics to kill an infection. The severity of the disease and the child’s age play the biggest roles in the doctor’s treatment recommendations.
The Wait-and-See Strategy
Most ear infections resolve by themselves within a few days. Conditions lasting longer than 72 hours could be signs of complications.
Most infections heal completely without any need for medical interventions in around one to two weeks. The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend parents take a “wait-and-see” approach along the following threshold guidelines before seeing a doctor.
- Children 6 to 23 months show signs of infection for less than 48 hours and a temperature under 102.2 F.
- Children 24 months and older show signs of infection for less than 48 hours and temperature under 102.2 F (39 C)
Pain Management
In some cases, the doctor may recommend pain management in the treatment of Ottis Media. Over-the-counter acetaminophen and ibuprofen products such as Advil, Tylenol, or others may relieve pain. Use these remedies as directed on the label.
Never give a child under the age of 18 Aspirin. Research shows that giving Aspirin to kids can lead to the onset of Reyes Syndrome in the child. While it doesn’t happen in all kids that use Aspirin or Aspirin based products, it’s not worth the risk.
Antibiotics
If the doctor deems the infection bacterial, they’ll prescribe antibiotics. However, the doctor doesn’t take the approach of handing out antibiotics with every case of Ottis Media. To meet the requirements for antibiotic treatment, the child must meet the following guidelines.
- Children 6 months and older with moderate to severe ear pain for at least 48 hours. A temperature of 102.2 F or higher.
- Children 6 to 23 months experience mild middle ear pain for less than 48 hours. A temperature under 102.2 F.
- Children 24 months and older with mild middle ear pain for less than 48 hours. A temperature under 102.2 F.
- It’s important to note that physicians are more likely to treat children under 6 months with confirmed acute otitis media using antibiotics without a waiting time.
Anesthetic Ear Drops
If the patient’s eardrum has a hole or tears in it, the doctor may use these eardrops to relieve pain.
Urgent Care Omaha Walk-In Clinics and in Bellevue, NE – Family and Children’s Urgent Care Omaha
Our staff works to provide prompt, personal, and professional care for all of our patients. We strive to provide the attention patients need in as quick a time as possible. Urgent Care Clinics in Omaha & Bellevue, Nebraska has four locations in the Omaha metropolitan area. Our four walk-in clinics are:
Disclaimer
The information contained on this webpage is for educational purposes as well as to provide general information and general understanding of the pertinent medical issue only, not to provide a specific diagnosis. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. By using this blog/web site you understand there is no doctor patient relationship between you and the blog/web site publisher. The information included on this site should not be used as a substitute for medical advice from a licensed medical professional in your state. Neither Urgent Care Network, its subsidiaries, affiliates, assignees or successors in interest, nor any other party assume liability for loss or damage due to reliance on content of this blog/web site. If you are experiencing a severe medical issue, you should seek emergency assistance immediately.
