EAR INFECTION: Causes,Symptoms, and Treatment.

While growing up, I always loved listening to adult conversation. You can see them laughing, making gestures and sometimes speaking in low tones. My sister and I would sit down in between our aunts while they conversed, listening to them, although most of the time we had no idea what was being discussed.. 

If you had asked my younger self what was the worst thing that could happen to me, going deaf would have topped my list. 

Watching one of my classmates back then, suffer from hearing impairment was something I never wished for, not even to my enemies. I always wondered what caused her illness. Now I imagine I may know.

The commonly used term “ear infection” is known medically as acute otitis media or a sudden infection in the middle ear (the space behind the eardrum). The other two compartments of the ear can also be infected; labyrinthitis for inner ear infection, and swimmer's ear for outer ear infection. Anyone can get an ear infection — children as well as adults — although ear infections are one of the most common reasons why young children visit healthcare providers.

The ear has three main parts: 

• The outer ear: Consists of the outer ear flap and the ear canal.
• The middle ear: This is the air filled space between the eardrums and the inner ear. This is where infection often takes place.
• The inner ear: This part looks like a snail shaped labyrinth, it transmits sound waves from the middle ear and converts them to electrical signals.Then, the auditory nerves send them to the brain. 

Ear infections in children are a major health problem and may be associated with hearing impairment and delayed language development. About 3 out of 4 children have ear infection before the age of 3 years.

SYMPTOMS

The onset of signs and symptoms of ear infection is usually rapid. These, in children, include:

• Ear pain, especially when lying down
• Tugging or pulling at an ear
• Trouble sleeping
• Crying more than usual
• Trouble hearing or responding to sounds
• Loss of balance
• Fever of 100 F (38 C) or higher
• Drainage of fluid from the ear
• Headache
• Loss of appetite

Common signs and symptoms in adults include:

• Ear discomfort/pain; persistent feeling of pressure inside the ear.
• Drainage of pus-like fluid from the ear
• Trouble hearing.

Symptoms may be persistent or on/off. May affect one or both ears, pain being more severe when both ears are affected. Chronic ear infection is less noticeable than those of acute ear infection unless in cases of chronic suppurative otitis media.

It is important to note that these listed signs and symptoms of ear infection can indicate several different medical conditions. It is therefore important to get professional diagnosis and prompt treatment.

CAUSES

Ear infections are caused by a bacterium or virus in the middle ear as well as by allergy which causes congestion and swelling of the nasal passages. Certain risk factors can affect the illness.

• Seasonal factors: The inter-phase between the rainy and dry seasons is often a period of increased viral infections and allergies. Also, a change in altitude is a risk factor.
• Age: Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are most likely to get this infection because of the shape and length of their Eustachian tubes as well as their developing immune systems. 
• Poor air quality: Exposure to smoking and air pollution (including women that smoke in pregnancy) increases risk. 
• Low birth weight
• Male gender
• Lack of access to healthcare
• Being in daycare or group homes.

Whereas ear infection may easily pass off, continuous occurrence or recurrence can lead to serious complications like:

• Impaired hearing 
• Speech delays or developmental delays.
• Rupture (tearing) of the eardrum 
• Spread of the infection (to the skull or membranes surrounding the brain)

TREATMENT 

While most mild ear infections clear up without any intervention, treatment may become necessary.Treatment is with antibiotics if cause is bacterial in origin. However, the appropriate treatment options are determined by the clinical status of the individual at the time of presentation to the Healthcare provider.

 PREVENTION.

• Avoid secondary smoking, stay in a smoke free environment. 
• Prevent common cold and other infections.
• Seek help from your healthcare provider.

You may like to read my earlier blogs on Cholera, Typhoid Fever, Climate Change, Malaria, Genital Herpes, Head Lice, Scabies, Telemedicine, Success Mindset, Conjuctivitis, Ebola Virus Disease, Hepatitis B, and Measles

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