Middle-Ear Infection (Otitis Media)

Prevention

You may be able to lower your child’s risk of otitis media by doing the following:

• Breastfeed your child because breastfeeding seems to offer some protection against otitis media.

• Make sure your child gets all of her Pneumococcal and Haemophilus vaccines.

• Avoid rooms with any with secondhand smoke, because environmental cigarette smoke may increase a child's risk of ear infections. Secondhand smoke causes the Eustachian tube not to work right and changes the protection mucous provides (if you smoke cigarettes, try to quit, or at least avoid smoking near children).

Treatment

The treatment of a middle ear infection depends on how bad the symptoms are and what’s causing the infection. Many infections will go away on their own (80% of ear infections may go away without antibiotics), and the only treatment necessary is medication for pain. Antibiotics are prescribed for any child under the age of six months, and in any person with severe symptoms. Sometimes doctors will write a prescription for antibiotics but ask the patient or family to wait 48-72 hours before filling it, to see if symptoms improve.

Your doctor may prescribe a decongestant or antihistamine as well, to decrease swelling in the area of the Eustachian tube.

In cases of particularly severe infections or those that do not respond to treatment, tubes may need to be inserted through the eardrum. This is done by a specialist in illnesses of the ears, nose, and throat (an otolaryngologist), usually under anesthesia. If enlarged adenoids or tonsils are causing recurrent or persistent infections, the specialist may recommend surgery to remove them.