Is chronic otitis media common in children?
Although OM can occur at any age, 80-90% of cases occur in children younger than 6 years. Children who are diagnosed with AOM during the first year of life are much more likely to develop recurrent OM and chronic OME than children in whom the first middle ear infection occurs after age 1 year.
What is chronic serous otitis media?
Chronic Serous Otitis Media This condition is commonly caused by long standing Eustachian tube blockage, or from a thickening of the fluids so that it cannot be absorbed or drained down the tube. Chronic otitis media may be irritating or painless, but ear pressure and popping of the ears is often constant.
What is the treatment for serous otitis media?
Etiologic treatment of serous otitis rests on restoration of satisfactory nasal ventilation (education to improve nose-blowing, adenoidectomy), improvement of eustachian tube patency (corticosteroids), and modification of the characteristics of middle ear secretions (mucolytic agents and mucomodifying agents).
What is the cause of most chronic otitis media?
Frequent upper respiratory tract infections and poor socioeconomic conditions (e.g., overcrowded housing, poor hygiene and nutrition) are often associated with the development of chronic suppurative otitis media.
What are the symptoms of chronic otitis media?
Chronic otitis media (COM) is a recurrent infection of the middle ear and/or mastoid air cells in the presence of a tympanic membrane perforation. Symptoms commonly associated with chronic ear disease include hearing loss, otorrhea, aural fullness, otalgia, and occasionally true vertigo.
How do you get rid of fluid behind eardrum?
A warm, moist cloth placed over the ear may also help. Usually the fluid goes away in 2 to 3 months, and hearing returns to normal. Your doctor may want to check your child again at some point to see if fluid is still present. If it is, he or she may give your child antibiotics.
Does chronic otitis media go away?
Chronic otitis media- This is a middle ear infection that does not go away, or happens repeatedly, over months to years. The ear may drain (have liquid coming out of the ear canal). It can often be accompanied by a tympanic membrane perforation and hearing loss.
Why does my child get recurrent ear infections?
Kids (especially in the first 2 to 4 years of life) get ear infections more than adults do for several reasons: Their shorter, more horizontal eustachian tubes let bacteria and viruses find their way into the middle ear more easily. The tubes are also narrower, so more likely to get blocked.