18 Jan 2022 | 3 min Read
Dr Ashka Shah
Author | 1 Articles
Children between 6 months to 2 years are prone to ear infections. The most common type of ear infection seen in children is Otitis media. Upper respiratory tract infections cause swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat; and reduces the clearance of bacteria from the nose. Along with this eustachian tube ( short tube connecting the nose/throat area and the ear) function gets impaired resulting in fluid collection in the middle ear. Bacteria and viruses follow ultimately causing inflammation in the middle ear.
Younger children tend to suffer from such infections as eustachian tube is often soft or immature in them and gets easily blocked by cold or allergens.
Factors that can lead to Otitis Media include:
Otitis media when they get severe can lead to loss of hearing, tearing of the eardrum, delayed development of speech, and infection in the adjacent areas like the bone present behind the ear (mastoid bone), membrane coverings around the brain, and spinal cord. Severe spread of infection towards the brain and spinal cord can lead to meningitis.
It is important to prevent your little ones from such adverse health conditions.
A few of the ways to prevent and manage Otitis Media or ear infection in children include:
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