Otitis media - toddler

Mareike Müller is a freelance writer in the medical department and assistant doctor for neurosurgery in Düsseldorf. She studied human medicine in Magdeburg and gained a lot of practical medical experience during her stays abroad on four different continents.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Often, otitis media affects toddlers and babies. The causes and symptoms of otitis media in children are sometimes different from those in adults. Here you can read everything you need to know about otitis media: toddlers.

ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. H65H67

Facts about otitis media - toddler

Otitis media in young children is a common disease. It mainly affects children between the ages of six months and six years. It is assumed that around 75 to 95 percent of all children develop otitis media in the first three years of life, around a third of them even multiple times.

There are several reasons for the frequency of otitis media in children. In contrast to adults, children have a narrow and short ear trumpet. Even with minor inflammations, it swells up slightly. This can affect the pressure equalization in the middle ear and the outflow of fluids, and it can lead to an otitis media.

In addition, amniotic fluid sometimes gets into the baby's ear trumpet at birth - otitis media is the result here too.

Otitis media - toddler: symptoms

An otitis media is very painful and uncomfortable. This is not only true for adults, but also for the little ones. In particular, toddlers and babies with otitis media show signs of malaise because they cannot express their symptoms in any other way. That means that with otitis media, toddler and baby

  • often grab each other's ear,
  • restless and
  • are easily irritable.

They often scream more than usual, especially if you touch their ear or the mastoid process behind the ear.

In addition, otitis media in small children can be accompanied by other unspecific symptoms, for example:

  • Fever and chills
  • Refusal to eat and loss of appetite
  • weakness
  • Vomit
  • diarrhea

Sometimes the eardrum ruptures with an otitis media. Purulent-bloody secretion then runs out of the ear and the pain suddenly subsides.

The symptoms of otitis media show slightly different symptoms in older children and adolescents. From around the age of four, children can indicate that they have less hearing on one side. In addition, they are less likely to have a fever than younger patients.

Risk factors of otitis media - toddler

In addition to diseases of the upper respiratory tract such as runny nose, cough or tonsillitis, there are other risk factors that can promote the development of otitis media in children. These include:

  • Enlarged tonsils (colloquially called polyps)
  • Kindergarten care or living together with several siblings
  • Smoking in the home environment
  • No breastfeeding during the first few months of life

Therapy of otitis media - toddler

In principle, antibiotics should not always be used immediately for every otitis media. They are not always helpful, and can even be harmful. Viruses cause about a quarter of middle ear infections. Antibiotics do not work against them. Various types of bacteria can be considered as triggers. An antibiotic cannot be effective against all of the bacteria in question.

Therefore, in the case of an otitis media, the doctor will first prescribe antipyretic and pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, as well as decongestant nasal drops. A follow-up appointment is then made for two days later. If the symptoms have not improved by then, an antibiotic will be prescribed. This should be taken exactly as directed by the doctor and should not be discontinued prematurely on your own.

If the otitis media persists, an ear, nose and throat doctor can insert a ventilation tube into the eardrum. These ensure adequate ventilation of the middle ear and allow secretions to drain. If an otitis media affects young children or older children due to enlarged tonsils, an adenotomy can be performed - i.e. surgical removal of the tonsils.

Prognosis and course of otitis media - toddler

As a rule, otitis media in children heals within a few days without any consequences. But sometimes dangerous complications can arise like

  • Mastoiditis (inflammation of the mastoid process)
  • Meningitis
  • Facial nerve paralysis (facial nerve palsy)

It is therefore advisable to make an appointment with the pediatrician.

An otitis media can recur, especially if the child has certain risk factors, such as enlarged tonsils. These recurring otitis media should be clarified by an ear, nose and throat doctor. This is particularly important because a possible hearing loss as a result of otitis media may delay toddlers and babies in their speech development.

Otitis media prevention - toddler

Breast milk seems to offer some protection against infection against otitis media. With it, helpful antibodies against various pathogens are transferred from the mother to the child. It is therefore advisable to breastfeed babies for the first few months of life.

The baby's environment should be smoke-free.

If your child has a cold, decongestant nasal drops can sometimes help prevent otitis media. Baby and child should not have these for longer than a week, as they damage the nasal mucosa in the long term.

Experts officially recommend vaccination against pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) in infants and toddlers. These bacteria are often responsible for a purulent otitis media. The vaccination protects toddlers and babies from this.

Tags:  therapies Baby Child alcohol 

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