Acute Otitis Media Swimmer’s Ear: Common Ear Infections In Children

Most children will get ear infections during their lifetime. Acute otitis media and swimmer's ear are common ear infections in children. Read on to know more

Ear infections are more common in children than adults. If your child complains about a pain in the ear, take him/her to a child's doctor. It could be due to an ear infection. Get to know the most common ear infections in children, their causes, symptoms and how to treat or prevent them.

Middle ear infection

Acute otitis media (AOM) is an infection in the middle ear (the area behind the eardrum), and it is a common pediatric diagnosis in the emergency department. Here, the middle ear becomes inflamed and infected. Although this type of ear infection can occur at any age, it is most commonly seen in infants aged between 6 to 24 months.

There's another condition, called otitis media with effusion, and it occurs when fluid builds up in the middle ear sans an infection. But it does not cause fever, ear pain, or pus in the middle ear.

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Most children will get otitis media during their lifetime, and many will experience otitis media with an effusion before school age.

Causes of middle ear infection

A middle ear infection could be caused by a bacteria or virus. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae (nontypeable) are mostly responsible for middle ear infection while viruses that cause colds are known to cause middle ear infection as well.

In acute otitis media, the eustachian tube that connects the middle ear to the back of your throat becomes swollen or blocked, causing fluid build-up in the middle ear and leading to infection. The blockage or swelling of the tube can result from allergies, a cold, the flu, a sinus infection, exposure to cigarette smoke, exposure to high levels of air pollution, or drinking while laying down (in infants).

Symptoms of middle ear infection

Fussiness, irritability or intense crying (in infants)
Pulling on the ears while wincing in pain (in toddlers)
Ear pain
Fever
Headache
A feeling of fullness in the ear
Rubbing or tugging at an ear
Difficulty sleeping
Fluid drainage from the ear
Hearing loss

Treatmentof middle ear infection

Some middle ear infections may get better on their own, but antibiotic treatment would be needed in case of infections that last longer than 2 3 days. If your child's ear is hurting, the doctor may prescribe eardrops or medicines for pain relief.

If the infection doesn't respond to treatment or in case of recurrent ear infections, surgery may be recommended to remove your child's adenoids or drain out fluid from the middle ear.

Swimmer's ear

Swimmer's ear or otitis externa is a bacterial infection in the outer ear canal. It typically occurs when water gets trapped in the outer ear canal for a long period of time, providing a favorable environment for bacteria to grow. Swimmer's ear is also commonly seen in children.

Signs and symptoms include pain when tugging the outer ear, itchiness inside the ear, drainage from the ear, redness and swelling in the ear.

If your child has ear pain or drainage from the ear, consult a doctor. There are antibiotic ear drops to treat swimmer's ear.

How to prevent ear infections

Here are some measures you need to follow to prevent or reduce your child's chances of having ear infections.

Wash hands regularly.
Clean your child's toys frequently.
Avoid cigarette smoking
Get recommended flu and pneumococcal vaccines.
If possible, breastfeed your child instead of bottle feeding them.
Avoid giving your infant a pacifier.
Keep your ears as dry as possible when swimming.
Make sure you dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or showering.

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