acute otitis media

Acute otitis media is a bacterial or viral infection of the middle ear.

 

The three parts of the ear are the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. The eustachian tube keeps equal ear pressure between the middle ear and the throat.

 

Any secretions formed in the middle ear flow into the throat through the esutachian tube.

 

Otitis media often begins when a virus, such as the one that causes colds, or a bacteria, enters the nose and travels into the eustachian tube and causes it to swell. The infection can also travel up the eustachian tube to the middle ear, causing an acute infection.

 

The symptoms of otitis media vary depending upon the age of the child. An infant with an acute infection of the middle ear may show the following symptoms:

 

In an older child, symptoms of an ear infection can include:

 

If the infection is more severe, the eardrum may bulge. There may be pus behind the eardrum. If the drum has ruptured, there is often clear or pus-like material in the ear canal.

 

Otitis media is an infection caused by a virus or bacteria. The following children are at higher risk for this type of infection: children in day care children under the age of 3 or 4 years children who live with smokers children who take bottles to bed children whose parents had childhood otitis media children with chronic allergies or sinusitis Native American and Eskimo children

If a child has abnormalities of the eustachian tube, there is often no way to prevent the disease. These children often need ventilation tubes placed through their eardrums to bypass the poorly functioning eustachian tube.

Diagnosis of acute otitis media begins with a medical history and physical exam. The healthcare provider will look at the child's eardrum through an otoscope.