WHAT IS EAR INFECTION? 

An ear infection usually occurs when a bacterial or viral infection affects the middle ear. It can be immensely painful because of inflammation and fluid buildup in the middle ear and might be chronic or acute in nature.

Causes: Ear Infections can happen because of the following causes: allergies, cold, sinus infections, smoking, excess mucous, infected or swollen adenoids etc.  

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF EAR INFECTIONS?

A few of the common symptoms of ear infections include:

• Mild pain or discomfort inside the ear
• Headaches and loss of appetite,
• Persistent feeling of pressure inside the ear 
• Crying or irritable infants
• Pus drainage from ear
• Loss of hearing

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT 

Diagnosis: For making a diagnosis of an ear infection, Doctor will review the symptoms, medical history and a physical examination of the patient's ears with an otoscope to detect any redness, air bubbles, or pus-like fluid inside the middle ear, fluid drainage, check for perforation, bulging or collapsed eardrum. 

In case of advanced infections, the Doctor may take a sample of the fluid inside the ear and test to determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additional investigations such as Head CT to check for spread and hearing test for patients suffering from chronic ear infections.  

Treatment: Most mild ear infections do clear up without medical intervention while some of the following methods relieve the symptoms of a mild ear infection: application of a warm cloth to the affected ear, taking over-the-counter pain medication and ear drops or decongestants.

Based on reason for the infection, the Doctor may prescribe medications to and in some cases, surgery (adenoids removal, etc) may be an option. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 

Risk factors for ear infections include:

1. Age. Children between the ages of 6 months - 2 yrs are more susceptible to ear infections. 
2. Group child care. The children in group settings are exposed to more infections, such as the common cold.
3. Infant feeding. Babies who are fed from a bottle, in lying down position, tend to have more ear infections 
4. Seasonal factors. Ear infections are most common during the fall and winter and when the pollen counts are high.
5. Poor air quality. Exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of air pollution 
6. Cleft palate, etc

PREVENTION 

The following tips may reduce the risk of developing ear infections:

• Preventing against common colds and other illnesses
• Avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke
• Breastfeeding infants
• Getting vaccination done such as seasonal flu shots, etc