Pediatric Otitis: how to recognize? Helping a child with otitis

The information in this article will help in time to recognize and quickly cure otitis in a child.

Otitis is one of the most common ENT diseases in children of early and preschool age. The frequency of inflammation of the middle ear in children of these age categories is due to the immaturity of the immune system and the anatomical features of the hearing organs. The disease proceeds acutely and delivers a lot of trouble both to the child and to his parents. The task of mom and dad is to recognize the disease in time and take urgent measures to treat it.

How to determine otitis in a child? Signs of otitis in children

Acute otitis is an inflammatory process in the ear. Most often it is of an infectious nature and is caused by bacteria( in most cases it is pneumococci or hemophilic rods).

IMPORTANT: It is with otitis media that 95% of ENT patients under age 1 and 40% of ENT patients under the age of 6 are being treated.

Ear structure in humans

In order to understand the mechanism of inflammation development, you need to have a minimum knowledge ofstructure of the organs of hearing in humans. His ear consists of three divisions( cavities):

1. External. This is the visible part of the ear: the auricle and the ear canal up to the tympanic membrane. Inflammation in this department occurs, usually due to non-compliance with personal hygiene rules or improperly performed hygiene procedures, for example, when the mother is too intensively cleaning the child's ears
2. Medium. Its other name is the tympanum, which is located behind the eardrum. Here there are miniature sound bones with memorable names: a hammer, an anvil and a stirrup. Inflammation of this particular department is diagnosed in children especially often by
3. Internal. These are the channels that lie in the tola of the temporal bone. They are called snails. Directly in this department there is a transformation of sound vibrations into nerve impulses. Inflammation of the inner ear rarely happens on its own. Usually, it passes there from the middle department or nasopharyngeal organs

Depending on where exactly the inflammation is localized, the otitis in the acute form in children is external, middle and inner, respectively.

Purulent otitis

Before proceeding to describe the symptoms of acute otitis media, it is necessary to understand why it develops, and why they are so often affected by small children.

1. The cause of inflammation of the middle ear is often an infection that enters the tympanum from the outside or "wanders" from the organs of the nasopharynx. Otitis media is one of the most common complications of acute respiratory viral infections, rhinitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, and others. Mucus containing an infection through the eustachian tubes will enter the middle ear
2. Symptoms of the disease may also arise due to a sudden change in pressure in the tympanum, which is normally atmospheric. This happens if small children fly on an airplane( altitude differences), dive
3. The frequency of acute otitis in children is due to the age peculiarity of the structure of Eustachian tubes: in babies they are short and wide, which contributes to the penetration of infection in them.
4. Unformed infant immunity is not yet able to preventthe spread of the infection on the body, localized in the organs of the nasopharynx
   When regurgitation in the infant, the remains of milk or mixture can enter the Eustachian tubes where
5. begins to rot. Not all genusThey know how to correctly "flaunt" children of early age and preschool children. If both nostrils are closed while blowing, the mucus from the nose does not come out, but is thrown into the eustachian tubes

Although the symptoms of otitis are characteristic, moms and dads do not always recognize the disease in time. This is because in almost half of the cases, in the first couple of days, the disease proceeds in a latent form. Immediately after the onset of inflammation or when it is already purulent, the following signs may appear:

• earache
• ear discharge mucous or purulent( greenish, brownish, with characteristic odor)
• hearing impairment
• headache
• temperature rise
• generalmalaise
• sleep and appetite disorders
• lethargy
• irritability

The main symptom of acute otitis media in a child is intense earache

A baby and a baby who is not yet able to talk,oyanii describe their state of health. It is possible to suspect acute otitis media if:

• the child fusses for no apparent reason
• the child refuses to eat
• the child cries in a dream

IMPORTANT: There is a method by which you can detect the presence of inflammation in the ear cavity of an early child. It is necessary to press on the tragus of the baby's ear. If the baby jerks and screams, instinctively pulls to the ear, so he had a chamber. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor

How many days does otitis occur in children?

With the timely diagnosis of acute otitis and adequate treatment, the illness lasts 7-14 days, two more weeks will be needed to restore

Video: The child's ear hurts. What to do at home?

First aid for a child with otitis?

Otitis sometimes goes by itself, but you should not rely on it! First, the disease itself is very unpleasant, the child feels pain and discomfort. Secondly, the catarrhal otitis media very quickly develops into a purulent one, it will be more difficult to treat it. Thirdly, complications of acute otitis, including:

• mastoiditis( inflammation of the temporal bone)
• meningeal syndrome( inflammation of the brain envelope)
• encephalitis( inflammation of the brain)

Therefore, when the first suspicion of otitis in a child should consult a doctor. It is better to call him at home. But if you have to go to a polyclinic, a child in a sore ear should put a dry cotton turunda, wear a hat that covers the ears.

If the child has otitis, the doctor should definitely go to the doctor

Acute otitis media in children treatment

Treatment of acute inflammation of the middle ear in children is complex and, if you turn to the medical facility on time, conservative. It includes itself:

• treatment of the underlying disease, if any
• antibacterial therapy for 5-7 days
• symptomatic therapy
• physiotherapy
• measures aimed at strengthening the immunity

Usually, in infancy and preschool children, antibiotics in acute otitis are given as a suspension, schoolchildren - already in pills. These are antibacterial drugs of penicillin series( Ospamox, Augmentin) and macrolides( Sumamed, Azimed).

Antibiotic Augmentin in suspension

If the temperature rises to 38.5 ° C, and it is almost always present with an acute otitis in the acute form, the child is given antipyretics( Nurofen, Panadol, Paracetamol, Piaron).
If otitis is accompanied by rhinitis, vasoconstrictive drugs are dripped or sprayed into the nose( Pinosol, Baby Bacterial Spray, others).
Local treatment with ear drops( Otipax, Otinum) is practiced.

Drops Otypaks must be in the home medicine cabinet

In the ears, the child is also inserted turuns with antiseptics and anti-inflammatory drugs( hydrogen peroxide, boric alcohol, furacilin).
Physiotherapy treatment includes dry warming up: UFO( ultraviolet irradiation), UHF, laser.
Severe cases of inflammation of the middle ear in acute form require treatment in the hospital, including surgical.

How to cure otitis without antibiotics?

Many parents are afraid to treat children with antibiotics and believe that pediatricians, when prescribing such drugs, are in most cases reinsured. Indeed, there is an opinion that it is not necessary to take them for otitis, at least until it has gone into a purulent form.
But to rely on immature baby immunity is reckless. Few of the kids are able to overcome the disease on their own. For most, the absence of antibiotic therapy in terms of treatment is fraught with complications and chronic inflammation.

IMPORTANT: To treat otitis media with antibiotics is still necessary. Modern drugs are almost completely safe. The harm from their admission is much less than that which can cause a neglected disease.

Video: Otitis - Dr. Komarovsky's school

Secretory otitis in a child, treatment

Secretory otitis occurs in a child due to obstruction of eustachian tubes and a drum cavity secret( slime)in them from the organs of the nasopharynx.
Treatment of this type of otitis is carried out in parallel with the treatment of the disease of the nasal cavity, throat or larynx, which resulted in hypersecretion of mucus. Assign:

• vasoconstrictive drops
• rinsing the nose
• rinsing throat
• inhalation
• antihistamines

All this will help to remove the inflammation of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
In rare cases, secretory otitis media requires surgical intervention to remove the secret from Eustachian tubes and the tympanum.

Catarrhal otitis in children, treatment

Otitis in the catarrhal form proceeds as soon as the disease has started. It is important to do everything so that it does not transform into purulent, there is no perforation of the tympanic membrane. That is, it is necessary not to let the pathogenic bacteria multiply on the inflamed mucosa of the middle ear. To do this:

• instill bactericidal drops( Otinum, Sofredeks)
• make turunas alcohol, vodka, with broths of herbs
• make warming up

  A child with catarrhal otitis needs to drip in the ears antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drops

Chronic otitis in children, causes

Chronic inflammationprocess in the middle ear occurs:

• in children with reduced immunity
• of diabetics
• of children, often with acute respiratory infections
• of children with a curved nasal septum

Acute middleTitus flows into chronic and because of delayed or improper treatment. At the same time, the symptoms of the disease for a while subsided, and then again brightly manifested. In the tympanic membrane there is a hole, because of which the hearing of the baby decreases.
Along with the treatment of the inflammation of the middle ear at the time of exacerbation of the disease, measures are being taken to strengthen the immunity of the child.

Weakness of immunity in a small child and incorrect treatment of acute otitis - the main causes of chronic inflammation in the middle ear

Prevention of otitis in children

Parents need to know the measures to prevent the inflammation of the middle ear in children. These include:

• Timely and complete treatment of the common cold
• Teaching the correct technique of "blowing out" babies and teaching it to preschoolers and school children
• Preventing water from getting into your ears when bathing in the bathtub and natural reservoirs

• Keeping the ear canals clean
• Removing the sulfur plugs
• Cautious cleansingears( you can remove sulfur from outside yourself, but if it accumulates inside in large quantities, you need to make a visit to the doctor)

Parents should learn how to clean properlyshki children

• infant feeding in high( a semi) position
• Wearing column as prevention of regurgitation
• General measures to strengthen immunity
• Wearing hats at

season Avoiding disease otitis child, tips and reviews

Even very considerate and responsible parents do not always manage to avoid otitis disease in a child. If it happened, do not panic: in time the diagnosed disease is treated quickly and does not pose a threat to the life and health of the baby. To accelerate his recovery, along with traditional treatment, you can use folk methods. But before that you need to consult a doctor treating a child

Video: Earache in children Folk remedy - Our health