The air-filled space deep behind the eardrum is called the middle ear. Infections here are usually caused by bacteria and viruses coming from the nasal area via the Eustachian tube. In case of discomfort that continues during or immediately after an upper respiratory tract infection, the ears should be checked.
Earache, feeling of pressure, hearing difficulties, fever, headache, in some cases nausea and appetite disorders are common findings in children. If the infection causes the eardrum to perforate as a result of intense pressure, it spreads out of the ear. Inflammatory discharge may be observed. In younger children, findings such as fever with unknown cause, disruption in eating and sleeping patterns, crying attacks, and putting one's hand towards one's ear should raise suspicion.
The main functions of these channels (eustachian tubes), which connect both middle ear cavities to the nasal area at the back of the nose, are to discharge the natural discharges in the middle ear and balance the air pressure. This task is also very important for healthy hearing. Upper breathing Due to reasons such as tract infections, adenoid problems, allergies, etc., the Eustachian tube may become blocked and its functions may be impaired. This causes the microbes in the nose-nasal area to spread to the middle ear, causing inflammatory fluid accumulation and infection. In the treatment, painkillers and antipyretics are used to relieve the child. Many In this case, antibiotics may need to be used. The main purpose of using antibiotics is to prevent possible complications.
Feeding babies in a lying position and with a bottle is also a facilitating factor.
Another common problem of the middle ear in childhood is the disease called Serous Otitis. Since it does not have an exact equivalent in Turkish, this problem can be a bit confusing for parents. It is generally referred to as "fluid in the middle ear".
In this case, similar to normal otitis, there is an unnatural accumulation of fluid in the middle ear. However, since there is no microbial inflammation, infection symptoms such as pain and fever are usually not seen.
Since most of the time the only symptom is hearing loss, it is possible to make a late diagnosis or even not make a diagnosis at all, especially in young children.
some research According to reports, there is also a familial tendency to this disease.
Close follow-up is at the forefront in treatment.
Sometimes spontaneous improvement may be observed, but treatment and environmental measures aimed at an underlying cause such as allergy or chronic infection. It may also be useful.
In cases where the fluid does not improve, there is a progressive hearing loss, and speech development is affected, especially in young children, surgical interventions such as inserting an ear tube and removing the adenoid may be required. In this intervention, the eardrum is scratched and the fluid accumulated inside is removed. is removed, and a small tube is placed in the membrane to ensure ventilation and prevent recurrence.
Read: 0
