Acute otitis mediais one of the most common diseases of childhood. The majority of children will get a middle ear infection at least once during childhood. In men, those who are bottle-fed, those who are younger, if they have a sibling who has otitis media frequently, living in crowded environments, smoking at home, and genetic factors are predisposing conditions that increase the frequency of the disease. It is also more common in patients with cleft palate, patients with immune deficiency, patients with ciliary dyskinesia, Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis patients.
Symptoms of Middle Ear Inflammation
Middle ear< The /strong> space is normally a pneumatic space and its size varies from person to person. The pressure of air in the middle ear is balanced through the eustachian tube. One end of the Eustachian tube opens into the middle ear cavity and the other end into the nasal region. This tube is normally closed and opens when swallowing and chewing. Being normally closed prevents unwanted things from coming from the nasal area.
Middle ear infection; It is more common in winter months due to more sharing of crowded environments and the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections.
Middle ear inflammation is an inflammatory disease of the middle ear cavity behind the intact eardrum.
Middle Ear Inflammation. eardrum image
Acute middle ear infection is a bacterial inflammation.
Adenoids may be the source of these bacterial infections. The backflow of these organisms via the nasal eustachian tube increases with nose blowing and nose-closed swallowing. Another condition that reduces the pressure of the middle ear cavity and has a suction effect is the habit of sniffing.
Middle ear infection occurs more frequently in children with adenoids. This condition is not proportional to the size of the adenoid.
Treatment of acute otitis media
Since antibiotics came into use, complications due to acute otitis media are rare. However, patients are called for a check-up and the effectiveness of the treatment given is evaluated.
The first step in diagnosis is usually given by the child's caregiver or mother. Ku While younger children experience restlessness, inability to sleep, pulling and playing with the sick ear, and fever, older children mostly report earache.
The diagnosis is made with the patient's history and examination findings.
Appropriate group antibiotics are used in the treatment.
Follow-up in the treatment of acute otitis is important for two reasons. The first is to see whether the disease has regressed or complications have developed, and the second is to evaluate whether the fluid in the middle ear has passed. A follow-up after 3 days is useful to evaluate the AB benefit in young children. All children need to be re-examined at the end of two weeks. If (suppuration) discharge occurs in the external auditory canal, it should be followed until it passes.
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