Otitis is an ENT disease, which is characterized by the presence of inflammatory processes in the human body. In this case, people manifest pulsating, shooting or aching pains, fever, hearing loss and other signs.
However, the severity of this ailment directly depends on the type of microorganisms that enter the human body. In addition, the health of the immune system is taken into account. As a rule, ear otitis is caused by bacterial and viral infections. In some cases, the respiratory tract, sinuses, throat and lungs are affected. For example, a cold or ordinary flu can easily provoke the appearance of this pathology. The disease manifests itself not only in adults, but also in the youngest children. This is because their middle ear is much smaller than the older generation, so the infection spreads there much faster.
Types of disease
Speaking about otitis media, it is necessary to take into account existing types of pathology. If a person is diagnosed with an external type of disease, then this means that inflammatory processes occur on the skin of the ears. Also, problems are observed in the ear canal. Otitis media affects the tympanic cavity. The internal type of ailment is characterized by inflammatory processes of the cochlea and inner ear (labyrinth). All these types of pathology lead to serious problems.
Most often, people with problems come to the therapist, who are then diagnosed as otitis media. It is worth considering its features in more detail.
Symptoms of otitis media in a child
As a rule, ear infections of this type are most often diagnosed in infants under the age of 18 months. Accordingly, the treatment of otitis media in children is given increased attention. It is also worth considering that this pathology is more common in boys than girls.
If we talk about the signs that are most often manifested in children, then it is worth highlighting the following symptoms:
- The kid tugs, twitches or rubs his ears.
- His temperature rises (usually above 38 °).
- There is irritability, loss of appetite and anxiety at night.
Also, the baby may suffer from cough, runny nose, he will also not respond to quiet sounds. This is due to stuffy ears. In this case, the kids have a loss of balance. If these symptoms of ear otitis media do not disappear within 24 hours and by all signs it becomes obvious that the child is suffering from severe pain, you should immediately consult a doctor. If the baby has fluid from the ear, then this is another alarming signal of a serious malaise. It is urgent to call an ambulance.
Signs of otitis media in adults
As a rule, the symptoms of this ailment develop very quickly (in a few days). If we talk about the main symptoms, then they include ear pain. In this case, the unpleasant sensations do not stop and bring very strong discomfort. Also, many note:
- Redness. In this case, the ear canal and the auricle change color.
- Hearing impairment. This symptom develops against the background of the opening of abscesses and filling the ear canals with liquid masses.
- Temperature rise. If we are talking about otitis media in adults, then in some cases the heat is not observed.
- Liquid discharge from the auricle. As a rule, such signs are observed almost always. Inflamed fluid begins to come out.
In some cases, in the process of inflammation of the middle ear, pus appears on the eardrum. Because of this, their surface becomes rough.
In such a situation, there is a big risk that this ailment will manifest itself again. If such symptoms of ear otitis in adults are observed for several months, then we are talking about a chronic ailment. However, it is extremely rare. Among the main symptoms of a chronic condition, it is worth noting the constant mucous discharge from the affected organ of the body. In addition, the patient hears much worse.
Reason for occurrence
Considering the features of the treatment of ear otitis in a child or adult, it is first of all necessary to understand why exactly such an ailment began to develop. As mentioned earlier, most often the factors affecting the appearance of this pathology is a bacterial or viral infection.
As a rule, the disease develops against a cold and inflammation begins to spread to the Eustachian tube. Through it, the output of mucus and dirt from the ear canal is carried out.
Even if the infection is located in another part of the human body, this often leads to blockage of the auditory tube, which entails infection. In addition, the overlap of this organ can cause an increase in tonsils and adenoids. In this case, inflamed organs can be removed.
Such procedures are recommended to be performed only if a person suffers from a chronic or frequently recurring ear infection. This treatment is usually prescribed for otitis media in a child. This is because the adenoids of the baby are much larger than that of an adult.
There are also factors that increase the risk of otitis media. If the child attends a nursery or kindergarten, in this case he is susceptible to infection from other babies. Also, this happens in the process of feeding industrial food. In addition, children suffer from the development of otitis media when passively inhaling tobacco smoke.
Diagnostics
First of all, it is worth saying that it is not recommended to independently determine the presence of ear otitis in the photo. The same applies to forums and various specialized sites. Especially if a child suffers from an ailment. It is better to personally visit a specialist.
It will not be difficult for a doctor to determine the development of acute ear otitis media without special instruments or studies. To do this, it is enough to inspect the auricle, as well as the auditory canal.
In some situations, doctors recommend a blood test to confirm the diagnosis. If, according to the results of this study, a specialist pays attention to an increase in the number of leukocytes, then this may indicate otitis media. Radiography and computed tomography of the temporal region are very rarely used.
Treatment
Most often, inflammatory processes localized in the middle ear pass independently after 72 hours without any therapy. If we are talking about a small child, then you can reduce the fever with standard painkillers, which are dispensed without a doctor’s prescription. These include Ibuprofen and Paracetamol.
If we talk about the treatment of otitis media in adults, then they can take the Aspirin pill. However, adolescents under the age of sixteen are not recommended to give such drugs. To reduce pain, you can apply warm tissue to the sore spot.
Should I take antibiotics
This type of aggressive medication is recommended only if it is a treatment for advanced ear otitis media. With the appearance of standard signs of the disease, there is no special need for taking these drugs.
This is primarily due to the fact that today there is no evidence that the means of this category significantly accelerate the healing process. If otitis media is caused by a viral infection in the middle ear, then antibiotics will be completely useless. However, they will have a negative effect on the digestive system and upset the microflora of the stomach.
In addition, it must be understood that every time a person undergoes a course of antibiotics in the treatment of the most minor infection, this increases the likelihood that bacteria will gradually become more resistant to this type of drug. This means that if a serious illness occurs, treatment will be complicated.
Antibiotics are recommended only if the child suffers from serious illnesses (for example, heart disease). Also, similar drugs are used if a baby under the age of 3 months suffers from otitis media.
As a rule, the doctor prescribes Amoxicillin, which must be drunk for 5 days. For a child, it is better to purchase this product in liquid form. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that antibiotics lead to other unpleasant consequences. For example, a child may develop a skin rash, nausea, and diarrhea. In addition, it is necessary to make sure that the baby is not allergic to the components of the drug. In case of individual intolerance, this antibiotic can be replaced with "Erythromycin".
There are also a number of additional procedures, however, they are performed only if it is a chronic malaise.
Middle ear ventilation
If the child suffers from recurring infections, then in this case a small tube is inserted into the eardrum, which helps pump out the fluid. However, you need to be prepared that this design is introduced only under general anesthesia.
The procedure itself will take about 15 minutes, and discharge is made on the day of surgery. After this, the tube will gradually be ejected independently from the ear as the child's body recovers. After a while, it will completely fall out. In this case, no pain is observed.
Myringotomy
This procedure is an operation in which a small dissection is made on the eardrum. Due to this, the pressure that falls on the middle ear is reduced. Also during this procedure, excess fluid is pumped out. In some situations, after performing this procedure, a ventilation pipe is also inserted into the ear of a person.
Complications after otitis media
Even if the human body managed to cope with an unpleasant pathology, then this is not a reason to relax. In some situations, patients develop mastoiditis. In this case, the infection spreads from the middle ear to the bones located under the auricle. There is also a risk of cholesteatoma and facial paralysis.
In addition, many note ear congestion after otitis media. This condition may persist for a long time. Sometimes pathology causes even deafness.
Myths and reviews of the disease
On the network you can find a huge number of opinions of different people regarding the symptoms and treatment of ear otitis media in children. Among them are often theories that have nothing to do with reality or the opinions of experts.
For example, some believe that otitis media is a phenomenon when the ear blows. However, it must be understood that even with prolonged local cooling of the ear region, there is no chance of developing this disease. In this case, neurological manifestations may occur, which will be accompanied by severe pain in the ears.
As a rule, otitis media begins to develop due to the fact that there is a sampling of the contents located in the nasal cavity. This leads to the fact that numerous harmful microorganisms begin to penetrate through the auditory tube. This often happens if a person blows his nose severely, sniffs, or even performs a washing procedure. Therefore, you should avoid any forced flow of fluid into the nasal cavity. This can lead to the fact that it penetrates the region of the middle ear. This explains why children very often suffer precisely from this pathology. The thing is that adults love to rinse the nasal cavity using various natural remedies. However, doing this categorically is not worth it.
Also on the network you can find reviews that say that when otitis media occurs, something needs to be instilled into the ear. It must be understood that in the process of developing this pathology, the tympanic membrane openings are completely closed. This means that the drops simply will not be able to pass to the inflammatory focus. Accordingly, they will not have any therapeutic effect. The only thing that makes sense to dig into your ears is the means in which there is lidocaine. This is only to reduce pain. But no drops will help get rid of the appearance of pus. Therefore, it is imperative to contact a specialist. Otherwise, the membrane may rupture, and pus will come out. At this point, the person is relieved, but there is a risk of hearing loss.
Also, do not adhere to the recommendations, which say that a hot compress on the ear for otitis media is the best remedy for pathology. You do not need to be a doctor in order to understand that any warm-up measures only increase vein microthrombosis. In this case, there is a high probability of serious complications that not only often cause deafness, but also contribute to poor health in general. Therefore, you should not put such experiments on yourself, and even more so on your child. It is better to consult a doctor and have an examination at the nearest medical facility.