The most frequently diagnosed disease in children who see a doctor is otitis media. Approximately one-third of all children develop otitis media by the age of three. Otitis media is also
the most common cause of hearing loss in children.
What is Otitis Media?
It is the name given to the microbial inflammation of the middle ear section consisting of the eardrum and ossicles. It occurs in one or both ears. Although it is common in children, it can also be seen in adults. It is often seen
at the beginning of winter and spring.
Is it important?
Yes, it is important because the hearing loss it causes causes a decrease in the child's learning capacity and
speech delay. . It is also important because it can cause severe ear pain and spread to other areas, especially the ear
bone and head.
However, if necessary and regular treatment is applied, it is not important and hearing loss occurs in almost every
condition. > time improves. Therefore, it is very important to diagnose otitis media and start treatment immediately.
How Does the Middle Ear Work?
The middle ear is a pea-sized tissue separated from the outer ear canal by a paper-thin eardrum. It is a space filled with
air. In the middle ear, three ossicles form a kind of bridge between the eardrum and the inner ear. When sound waves hit the eardrum, these three ossicles vibrate along with the membrane, and the waves reflected in the inner
ear meanwhile turn into nerve impulses sent to the brain.
In the healthy middle ear, there is as much pressure as the (atmospheric) pressure outside the ear. air is available so the membrane
and ossicles can vibrate freely. The middle ear is ventilated through a tube called the 'eustachian tube', which extends from the space behind the nose (nasal cavity) to the middle ear. When you yawn or swallow
you hear a 'snap' sound in your ear, which means that air has passed into the middle ear to equalize the air pressures. This event is repeated spontaneously more than a thousand times every day.
What Causes Middle Ear Inflammation?
Most commonly, it is an infection that enters through the mouth or nose. Microbes that reach the middle ear through the tube cause it. In cases such as flu, flu, allergies, sinusitis or cold, the eustachian tube also swells and becomes blocked,
thus air cannot pass into the middle ear and the middle ear cannot be cleaned. During the inflammation, ear pain, red
eardrum, pus accumulation behind the membrane may occur. .
Sometimes the eardrum ruptures and the pus flows out of the ear. However, mostly because the Eustachian tube cannot be opened, ear discharge accumulates in the middle ear. This is called 'fluid accumulation in the middle ear' and is often persistent. After the painful, febrile middle inflammation subsides, this fluid may remain there for weeks, months or even years. Worse still, the presence of fluid causes microbes to easily multiply here, causing frequent middle ear infections.
What are the Complaints of Middle Ear Inflammation?
The most common, severe earache occurs. The person feels pressure and congestion in the ear. Children who cannot describe their earache pull or scratch their affected ear. Especially in children, fever is accompanied by pain.
Hearing is often reduced. This phenomenon is caused by the fluid in the middle ear reducing the vibrations of the ossicles.
With appropriate treatment, this fluid disappears and hearing returns to its previous state. If not treated appropriately, unfortunately, permanent hearing loss may develop.
What to Expect in an Ear, Nose and Throat Examination?
During the examination, the ear, nose and throat physician examines the eardrum, It evaluates the color and, if there is discharge, its character.
At the same time, two tests can be performed to reveal findings that cannot be detected by examination.
One of these is the hearing test (audiogram). In this test, different intensity and tone are recorded in the ear. It is determined how much he/she hears by giving sounds. The other test is a test that measures middle ear pressure (tympanogram). These two tests
help the physician determine the extent of the disease and the selection of the appropriate treatment.
Important of Medications: The physician may prescribe one or more for your child. One could be antibiotics that fight
against germs. Although antibiotics are good for earache by reducing inflammation,
it may take a long time for the inflammation to disappear completely. Appropriate treatment, 10 to It may be 14 days, so
make sure your child receives full treatment. Fully understand the instructions for using the medicine.
The doctor may also prescribe auxiliary medicines, which may support each other and help recovery faster.
If you have the slightest doubt about the medicines or if the complaints do not go away in sufficient time. Please
call your doctor immediately.
What Other Treatments May Be Necessary?
Most middle ear infections improve with appropriate medication. In some cases, the physician may also prescribe other
treatments. For example, the inflammation can be drained out by scratching the eardrum. This helps both to reduce pain immediately and to speed up recovery. The hole closes spontaneously within a few days. However, fluid may accumulate again as the eardrum will close before the inflammation is fully resolved. To overcome this, the ear, nose and throat physician may insert a very small ventilation tube into the eardrum. This tube helps the person hear by equalizing the
middle ear pressure and air pressure.
The ear, nose and throat physician selects a ventilation tube that will remain in the membrane until the middle ear infection and the Eustachian tube heals. This period may be weeks or even months. The tube does not cause any complaints, and there is a significant increase in the child's hearing. And the frequency of middle ear infection decreases considerably.
Middle ear infection may recur due to the adenoids and tonsils that constantly harbor microbes. If this is the case, the physician may also perform adenoid and tonsil surgery while installing a ventilation tube.
Allergies may also require treatment.
Remember: Otitis media is treated appropriately. Time is not a concern. You can ensure that your child hears better and recovers with the help of your
physician.
Make sure you follow the treatment plan carefully until your physician says that your child is completely healed.
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