How to effectively treat otitis media in children and what to eat to recover

Children are the most susceptible group to otitis media, and parents should pay attention to it. So what is the cause of otitis media in children? What are the symptoms of otitis media in children? How to treat otitis media in children? How to prevent otitis media in children? What is good to eat for children with otitis media? The following editor will introduce you in detail.

Causes of otitis media in children

Listening to music with headphones: Listening to loud rock music with headphones for a long time can easily cause chronic otitis media and tissue damage to the ears. In severe cases, it can lead to hearing loss and other complications, such as otitis media.

Improper breastfeeding: If infants and young children are feeding in a supine position, the milk can enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, which is relatively straight, short and wide, and can cause otitis media. Therefore, mothers should sit when feeding their children, hold the baby in an oblique position, and suck the milk with the head upright.

Swallowing water while swimming: In the hot summer, more and more people are swimming. When swimming, you should avoid swallowing water into your mouth to prevent water from entering the middle ear through the nasopharynx and causing otitis media. For perforated eardrums caused by trauma, it is forbidden to drip any watery liquid to avoid affecting the healing of the wound. Sterilized cotton balls can be used to block the external auditory canal to prevent infection and induce otitis media.

Improper nose blowing: Some people often pinch the nostrils on both sides with two fingers and blow the snot out with force. This method of blowing the nose not only fails to blow out the snot completely but is also very dangerous. Therefore, the correct method of blowing the nose should be promoted: press one nostril with your fingers, blow out the snot from the opposite nostril with a little force, and then blow the other nostril in the same way.

Cold-induced: After a cold, inflammation of the pharynx and nose spreads to the Eustachian tube, causing congestion and swelling of the pharyngeal opening and mucosal cavity of the Eustachian tube, and impaired cilia movement. Pathogenic bacteria take advantage of this opportunity to invade the middle ear, causing otitis media. Common pathogens are mainly pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae, etc. Therefore, preventing colds can reduce the chance of otitis media.

Symptoms of otitis media in children

Pus in the ear canal: Pus in the ear canal refers to the phenomenon of pus in the ear canal when the external ear canal or middle ear is inflamed. In traditional Chinese medicine, diseases with tympanic membrane perforation and pus in the ear as the main symptoms are collectively referred to as purulent ear.

Pain behind the ear: The mastoid process behind the ear is where the facial nerve runs. The facial nerve runs in a very narrow facial nerve foramen. When the facial nerve is invaded by the virus and edema occurs, pain will occur after compression.

Tinnitus: Tinnitus refers to the abnormal sound sensation that people produce without any external stimulation. It is often a precursor to deafness and is caused by auditory dysfunction. It is caused by ear diseases and often occurs at the same time as deafness or vertigo.

How to treat otitis media in children

Treatment of acute otitis media in children The treatment principle of acute otitis media in children is to control infection, ensure smooth drainage and treat the cause. Use sufficient antibiotics to control infection in the early stage, take pus from the tympanic membrane for bacterial culture and drug sensitivity test after perforation, and select sensitive antibiotics.

Ephedrine can be used as nasal drops to reduce swelling of the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube to facilitate drainage. At the same time, you should pay attention to rest, adjust your diet and receive systemic supportive treatment. Before the tympanic membrane perforation, phenol glycerol can be used as ear drops to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Since this drug is corrosive to the middle ear mucosa, it should be stopped immediately after the tympanic membrane perforation.

If the symptoms are severe, the tympanic membrane is obviously bulging, and there is no significant relief after treatment, a myringotomy can be performed under sterile conditions to facilitate drainage. After the tympanic membrane is perforated, the external auditory canal should be thoroughly cleaned of pus, and antibiotic aqueous solution should be used locally. After the infection is controlled, the perforation usually heals on its own.

If the inflammation subsides but the perforation does not heal for a long time and turns into chronic otitis media, tympanoplasty can be performed. At the same time, nasopharyngeal or nasal diseases should be actively treated, such as adenoidectomy and inferior turbinate surgery.

Treatment of chronic otitis media in children Local treatment of chronic otitis media includes drug therapy and surgical treatment. Different methods are used according to different types. The principle of treatment for secretory otitis media in children is to remove middle ear effusion, improve middle ear ventilation and drainage, and treat the cause.

Tympanic membrane puncture and myringotomy are not commonly used in children; for children with persistent or recurrent symptoms, tympanic membrane tube placement should be performed, and the ventilation tube is generally left in place for more than half a year. Ephedrine or hormone drops are used in the nasal cavity to keep the nasal cavity and Eustachian tube open, and corticosteroids such as prednisone can be used for short-term treatment.

How to prevent otitis media in children

When bathing or washing your baby's hair, try to avoid dirty water flowing into the ears;

When feeding your baby, avoid feeding too quickly or using a large hole in the nipple, which can cause the baby to choke and cough before swallowing, causing milk to flow up through the Eustachian tube and cause middle ear infection.

Guide children to develop good hygiene habits, actively exercise and enhance their physical fitness.

During seasonal changes or epidemic periods, prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections or infectious diseases should be carried out in advance.

Through various activities, we educate children to help them break the bad habit of picking their ears and learn the correct way to blow their nose.

Have regular physical examinations, create prevention and treatment cards, and actively treat nasal, nasopharyngeal and other diseases.

What to eat for children with otitis media

Bean Rice

Ingredients: 50 grams of white lentils, 15 grams of Prunus mume, 50 grams of black soybeans, and 250 grams of polished rice.

Method: Soak lentils and black soybeans, peel and grind the Prunus mume seeds, cook them together with the rice until half cooked, filter, steam them in a steamer, and eat when they are slightly warm.

Efficacy: This diet strengthens the spleen and eliminates dampness. It is mainly used to treat suppurative otitis media caused by spleen deficiency and dampness, and the type of otitis media that invades the ears.

Silver chrysanthemum tea

Ingredients: 10 grams of honeysuckle, 10 grams of chrysanthemum, and honey.

Method: 1. Wash the honeysuckle and chrysanthemum, put them into a pot, add appropriate amount of water and boil, remove the residue and take the juice; 2. After cooling, add honey and stir well.

Efficacy: This diet has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying, and is mainly used to treat suppurative otitis media caused by excessive liver and gallbladder fire and external invasion of evil heat.

Elsholtzia Drink

Ingredients: 10 grams of Elsholtzia ciliata, 5 grams of white lentils, 5 grams of Magnolia officinalis, and 20 grams of white sugar.

Method: Chop Elsholtzia ciliata and Magnolia officinalis into pieces, fry white lentils until they turn yellow and mash them, put them into a thermos cup, brew with boiling water, cover tightly and soak in warm water for 1 hour.

Efficacy: This product has the effects of dispelling exterior pathogens, clearing away summer heat, strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness. It can effectively treat secretory otitis media. It is also suitable for preventing and treating summer heat and dampness colds and air-conditioning diseases.