OTITIS MEDIA
INTRODUCTION
Otitis media is the inflammation or infection of the middle ear. It is also called a middle ear infection. It mainly occurs during early spring and winter. It is most common in children of around three years.
It occurs when a bacteria or virus causes inflammation in the area behind the eardrum. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza are the most common organisms related to middle ear disease.
In general, it can also occur due to cold, sore throat, or respiratory infections. There are different types of Otitis Media; acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, and chronic otitis media effusion. Acute otitis media occurs due to Eustachian tube dysfunction, which is a respiratory tract infection.
CAUSES
The central portion of this painful disease is a eustachian tube present between the middle of the ear and the throat’s back. Acute otitis media occurs when this tube gets swollen or blocked and traps fluid in the middle ear. This trapped fluid then causes the infection.
Bacteria that are found the causative agent of this infection are:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Haemophilus influenza
These bacteria can grow in the fluid and cause pain and infection. This fluid is present due to blockage or swelling on the eustachian tube. The significant causes of swelling or blockage of the Eustachian tube are:
- Allergies
- Cold and flu
- Sinusitis
- Cigarette smoke
This blockage of fluid in the middle ear becomes the occurrence site because of the presence of bacteria. Bacteria grows in this fluid and eventually causes pain and infection.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
There are several symptoms of every type. They are primarily present in children. So, they may experience different symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Irritability
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Fever mostly in infants and young children
- Hearing difficulties
- Ear pain
- Crying
- Fluid drainage from the ear
- Lack of balance
- Ear pulling or tugging
Along with these symptoms, some of the most common symptoms are also present, like diarrhea, headache, neck pain, and vomiting.
DIAGNOSIS
There are many different methods to diagnose Otitis media. Some of the methods are:
Otoscope
In this method, the doctor uses an otoscope instrument to examine the child’s ear and detect swelling, pus, redness, or fluid.
Tympanometry
It is a test that measures the air pressure in a child’s ear to determine if the eardrum is ruptured or not.
Reflectometry
It is a test in which the doctor uses a small instrument to create a sound near the child’s ear and determines the presence of fluid in the ear by listening to the sound reflected from the ear.
Hearing Test
This test determines the condition of a child’s hearing loss. We made A sound near the child’s ear and evaluated his response according to the sound made.
Along with all these tests, it is pretty easy for healthcare professionals to diagnose this disease’s severity.
TREATMENT
Before starting the treatment, we consider several things. Some of them are:
- Child’sChild’s age, health
- The severity of the infection
- Medical history
Primary treatment involves antibiotics administered orally or by ears, antipyretic for fever, or a combination of these two treatments.
We consider Serious treatments if the infection is not healing after primary treatment. There are several surgeries introduced to help in this condition. Adenoid removal and insertion of ear tubes in the child’s ear are considered the bottom line of treatment because no other methods are available to overcome this condition.