What is an acute otitis media?
AOM-Acute otitis media is a painful ear infection. It happens when the space behind the eardrum known as the middle ear gets infected and inflamed.
The following child behaviors usually indicate they have AOM:
- Excessive crying and fussiness episodes (in newborns)
- Grasping the ear while wincing (in toddlers)
- Complaining of an ear pain (in older children)
What are the sign and symptoms of acute otitis media?
Babies and children can have one or more of the following signs:
- Weeping and irritability
- Lack of sleep
- Tugging at the ears
- Ear Pain
- A Headache
- Pain in the neck
- Having a complete ear feeling
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Vomiting and Fever
- Having diarrhea
- Anger
- Unbalanced
- Deafness
What causes acute otitis media?
The tube that runs from the middle of the ear to the back of the throat is called the eustachian tube. When your child's eustachian tube swells or clogs, fluid is retained in the middle ear, resulting in an AOM. The trapped fluid may become contaminated. Young children's eustachian tubes are more horizontal and shorter than those of adults and older children. It is hence more prone to infection.
The eustachian tube may expand or get blocked for a number of reasons:
- Allergies
- A cold
- The flu
- A sinus infection
- Swollen or infected adenoids
- Smoke from cigarettes
- Drinking while lying down (in babies)
Who is at risk for acute otitis media?
The risk factors for AOM are:
- Age between 6 and 36 months
- Having a pacifier
- Day care attendance
- Bottle feeding compared to breastfeeding (in infants)
- Drinking while reclining (in infants)
- Exposure to cigarette smoke
- Exposure to high levels of air pollution
- Experiencing changes in altitude
- Experiencing changes in climate
- Living in a cold climate
- Having recently had a cold, flu, sinus, or ear infection
- Genetics also increase your child's risk for AOM.
How is acute otitis media diagnosed?
To diagnose AOM, your child's doctor will employ one or more of the following techniques:
Otoscope: Using an instrument known as an otoscope, your child's doctor examines your child's ear to look for:
- Blood
- Pus
- Middle Ear Fluid
- Bubbles of Air
- Redness
- Swelling
- Damage to the eardrum
- Tympanometry
Tympanometry test: During a tympanometry test, your child's physician applies a small device to gauge the air pressure inside your child's ear and to see if the eardrum is broken.
Reflectometry test: In a reflectometry test, a small device which produces a noise is placed beside your child's ear by their doctor. They can tell if there is any fluid in the ear by observing the sound reverberating through the ear.
Hearing Test: They may conduct a hearing test in order to tell whether your child is suffering from hearing loss.
How is acute otitis media treated?
Most AOM infections resolve on their own without treatment with antibiotics. Home care and pain killers are typically suggested before to using antibiotics to prevent antibiotic overuse and minimize the possibility of adverse antibiotic reactions. Treat for AOM include:
Home Care
Your doctor can suggest the following home care techniques to ease your child's discomfort until the AOM infection clears up:
- Covering the infected ear with a warm, damp washcloth
- Using over-the-counter ear drops to relieve pain
- Taking over-the-counter painkillers like Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Eardrops and other painkillers will also be prescribed by your doctor. If your symptoms don't go away after a few days of at-home treatment, your doctor will also prescribe antibiotics.
Surgery
Your child's doctor can suggest surgery if your child's infection is not responsive to treatment or if your child has recurring ear infections. Surgical options for AOM are:
- Adenoid removal: Your child's doctor might suggest that your child's adenoids be removed surgically if they're infected or enlarged and your child has recurring ear infections.
- Ear tubes: Your physician can prescribe a surgical process to put very small tubes inside your child's ear. The tubes let in air and the draining of fluid from the middle ear.
Medication
Your physician will also prescribe eardrops for relief of pain and other painkillers. Your physician will also prescribe antibiotics if your symptoms persist after a couple of days of treatment at home.
What is the long - term outlook for AOM?
Most AOM infections go away without serious repercussions, though the condition may return. Your youngster may have temporary hearing loss for a brief period of time. But soon after treatment, your youngster should be able to hear again. AOM infections usually lead to:
- Recurring infections in the ears
- Adenoids that are enlarged
- Enlarged tonsils
- An eardrum rupture
- A middle ear tumor known as a cholesteatoma
- Delays in speech (in kids with recurrent otitis media infections)
In some instances, an infection in the mastoid bone of the skull (mastoiditis) or an infection in the brain (meningitis) is possible.
How to Prevent AOM?
The following actions can reduce your child's risk of developing AOM:
- Hands and toys should be often cleaned to reduce the risk of getting a cold or other respiratory illness.
- Stay away from cigarette smoke.
- Vaccinate against pneumococcal disease and seasonal flu.
- If at all feasible, breastfeed babies instead of giving them bottles.
- Don't give your infant a pacifier.
Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for acute otitis media treatment in Lucknow, India?
Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital has the most trusted team of ENT Specialist and surgeons with advanced diagnostic equipment care for Acute otitis media treatment in Lucknow, India. Our ENT department follows international safety standards and has years of experience in successfully managing ear related disease and conditions like acute otitis media.
To seek an expert consultation for Acute otitis media treatment in Lucknow, India
Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com
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