How to treat otitis media in babies with effusion? It is recommended to see a doctor

Since babies cannot speak, parents need to carefully observe their physical condition. So, how to treat otitis media with effusion in babies?

How to treat otitis media with effusion in babies

Observation and antibiotics

If the child is not infected with other diseases, about 75-90% of otitis media with effusion can be cured by self-absorption. The purpose of antibiotic treatment is to control infection and prevent other subsequent complications. Therefore, when the baby's middle ear inflammation develops into chronic otitis media with effusion, the doctor will first observe the baby's condition. If the baby also has nasopharyngeal inflammation, or turbid pus is found through otoscope observation, the doctor will consider prescribing antibiotic treatment. Otherwise, antibiotics are not very effective in treating otitis media with effusion.

If hearing loss occurs, surgery

If the child has significant hearing loss, changes in the eardrum or middle ear, a middle ear ventilation tube may be placed. If there is inflammation of the nasal passages or posterior nasal obstruction or chronic sinusitis, a nasal constriction may be considered.

Symptoms of otitis media in babies

1. Fever

Fever is a typical symptom of acute otitis media. If your baby has a fever of 37.5℃ or above for three consecutive days and the fever does not subside after taking medicine, you should consider the possibility that your baby has otitis media and go to the ENT department for examination as soon as possible.

2. Scratching your ears

Children cannot tell where they are hurting before they are 2 years old, but they will tell you with their actions. If they keep touching, scratching, or pulling their ears, you should think about whether they have otitis media.

3. Shake your head left and right

Shaking the head left and right is also an important symptom of otitis media. Because the ears are uncomfortable, the baby will try to relieve the symptoms by shaking the head. Therefore, if you find that the baby is restless and shaking his head, you should think that his ears may be uncomfortable.

4. Crying

If your child suddenly becomes irritable, keeps crying, and has trouble sleeping at night because of pain, take him to see a doctor immediately.

5. Water in the ears

When acute otitis media occurs, water accumulates in the middle ear and the eardrum swells. When the eardrum is perforated, yellow secretions will flow out. If dry skin appears around the child's ears, you should pay attention.

6. Poor hearing

Exudate in the eardrum can cause hearing loss. If you find that your baby is slow to respond to your calls and does not respond after you call him several times, you should take him to an ENT doctor for examination.

Causes of otitis media in children

1. Characteristics of Eustachian tube development in children: In normal people, the nasopharynx and ear are connected. The channel from the nasopharynx to the middle ear is called the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube of children is relatively short, wide, straight and horizontal. Pathogens and secretions can easily pass through the Eustachian tube into the middle ear and cause acute inflammation.

2. Respiratory and nasopharyngeal diseases: such as colds, rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc., and certain infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, influenza, etc. often cause increased nasopharyngeal secretions. When there are a large number of bacteria in the nasopharynx, these pathogens can easily enter the ears.

3. Improper feeding of infants: If infants drink water or milk while lying flat, the water or milk will flow into the nasopharynx, which may cause otitis media. Therefore, when infants drink milk or other beverages, their heads should be raised higher and the water or milk should be wiped off at any time.

4. Spread to the external ear: When cleaning the ears of children, the external auditory canal mucosa or eardrum may be accidentally damaged, leading to infection. It may also spread to the middle ear and cause inflammation.

5. Sepsis: A small number of otitis media are caused by sepsis. Common pathogens include Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus and Pneumococcus.

6. Unclean environment: Such as smoking, poor ventilation, and crowded public places greatly increase the chances of children being exposed to cold germs or viruses, thereby increasing the possibility of otitis media.

7. Fatigue, lack of sleep or excessive physical exertion: causes decreased immunity and makes respiratory infections more likely.

8. Treatment interruption: Usually, the symptoms of acute otitis media will be relieved or even disappear after taking medicine for a few days. At this time, do not judge that the baby has recovered and stop taking medicine and treatment. Stopping treatment midway is one of the reasons why acute otitis media does not heal for a long time or even turns into chronic.

Precautions for baby otitis media

1. Pay attention to oral hygiene. When you have a cold and have a lot of nasal secretions, do not pinch both nostrils to blow your nose at the same time. Blow one nostril first, then blow the other nostril to prevent mucus and bacteria from entering the middle ear through the Eustachian tube and causing acute otitis media.

2. Be careful to prevent children from inserting foreign objects into the external auditory canal, which may cause infection and spread to the middle ear. Parents should not pick earwax casually. Some parents like to use toothpicks or matchsticks to pick earwax for children, which is not advisable. Because improper earwax picking can easily puncture the eardrum, allowing bacteria from the external auditory canal to enter the middle ear through the damaged eardrum and cause inflammation. 3. When children suffer from acute infectious diseases such as measles and scarlet fever, pathogens can easily invade the middle ear and cause otitis media. Children often have low fever and reduced resistance during teething, which makes them prone to middle ear infections. These situations should attract the attention of parents.

4. When swimming or bathing, be careful to prevent water from entering the ears. If water enters the ears accidentally, remove it as soon as possible. When feeding infants and young children, pay attention to the correct method and do not feed them in a lying position to prevent the overflow of milk from flowing into the Eustachian tube or external auditory canal, causing middle ear infection. People with external ear tympanic membrane trauma need to pay more attention.

5. Pay attention to the cleaning of the external auditory canal. Those with a lot of earwax should go to the hospital to remove it, and foreign objects in the external auditory canal should be removed as soon as possible. In fact, otitis media is not difficult to treat. The key is early and systematic treatment.