Jul 4, 2016

Dr. Gellner: One of the most mutual reasons a parent brings their children to the pediatrician is because they're concerned their child has an ear infection. I'll talk most the symptoms to watch for and what to exercise if your child does have one on today'southward Scope. I'm Doctor Cindy Gellner.

Announcer: Health tips, medical views, research and more for a happier, healthier life. From University of Utah Health Sciences, this is The Telescopic.

Dr. Gellner: Parents come up in all the time saying their kid has been pulling on their ear and they know this means they accept an ear infection. Well, not so fast. Kids pull on their ears for a lot of reasons, ear infections only being ane of them. Other causes are teething, ear pressure from nose congestion or allergies, and because it just plain feels proficient, especially when kids are tired.

There are a lot of nervus endings in the ear and that's why it's such a pop place for massage therapists and acupuncturists to work on. So other than pulling, your kid has no other symptoms. Ear infection? Maybe not. But say your child as well has a fever, has had a cold for a while, isn't sleeping like they unremarkably do and are simply plain cranky, and then it's time to go those ears checked out.

Despite what a lot of people call back, going exterior in the wind or cold without a hat on won't crusade an ear infection. Ear infections happen backside the eardrum, not in forepart of it where the cold and the wind would hit. An ear infection is caused by bacteria and information technology's a common complication of a viral cold. Nasal congestion and mucus block off the tube that connects to the centre ear to the back of the pharynx. That's the Eustachian tube. And and so the ears can't drain properly if that's blocked. This makes a puddle of fluid, which is a neat breeding footing for bacteria and, hence, an infection is born.

Sometimes, kids have what are called serous ear infections. That means at that place'southward fluid behind but information technology's not all gross, and this fluid usually goes away in a few months. This type of infection does not demand antibiotics.

Kids between six months and two years are most probable to become ear infections, merely they're actually pretty common until age eight when the internal beefcake of the ear starts to change and they aren't every bit decumbent to infections. Virtually kids will have at to the lowest degree one ear infection and over 25% of these children will have repeated ear infections. In a small percentage of children, the pressure in the heart ear fills with puss and that causes the eardrum to rupture and drain. It's usually merely a small pigsty, which heals over the next three months.

Now, you observe out your child does indeed have an infection, you need to be sure your child takes the antibiotics prescribed by the pediatrician and finish the entire course to make sure all the bacteria is treated. Tylenol and Motrin can also assistance with hurting.

Some people talk well-nigh putting warm oil into the ear, only that'south non a adept idea. If the eardrum bursts, follow up in 3 weeks to brand certain the infection is gone and the eardrum is healing. Ear infections seem like a rite of passage for some kids. I've had parents try looking in their child's ears with a flashlight to see if they accept infections. Trust your kid'due south ear exams to the experts. As pediatricians, we get really adept at looking in ears and seeing if at that place truly is an infection or not.

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