What is an otitis will not be forgotten by any person, if he ever had it at least 5 years later. Such an unpleasant thing is remembered for many years and no one would like to get sick with otitis again. Quite often this disease occurs in infants. Each mother should know the symptoms of this disease, its types, ways of treatment and prevention measures.
Otitis in the baby
The number of subspecies of this disease is quite large, otitis for various reasons and is able to give different symptoms. Moreover, the otitis can be at once bilateral, hitting both ears.
The lack of treatment can not only seriously worsen the overall well-being of the baby, but also lead to irreversible consequences in the future. To timely diagnose the disease and prevent its development you need to know all the signs of otitis.
Symptoms of
The problem of early diagnosis of the disease in infants is the inability to tell about discomfort. A more adult child may complain of pain or hearing damage. Even children after a year who are not yet able to talk, are able to simply show that something is wrong with the ear.
Breastfed women are deprived of this opportunity, but they try to convey information to their parents by any means, and they may have quite specific symptoms.
The following signs suggest the developing otitis in the infant:
- Sleep disturbance.
- Causeless crying.
- Problems with balance.
- Nasal congestion and redness.
- More frequent regurgitation or vomiting.
- Any discharge from the ear, except sulfuric.
- Decreased appetite or total refusal to eat.
Not every kind of otitis can cause a sharp increase in temperature - it can stay normal with a mildly pronounced lethargy of the baby. Also a number of symptoms may indicate other diseases.
If you suspect a baby's otitis, you can try to check its presence in the old way - you need to gently press the front bulge at the inner edge of the ear( tragus). Severe signs of anxiety, screaming, or sharp crying indicate an evolving disease caused by one of many causes.
The photo shows where the tragus is located in the photo.
Causes of a newborn
The most common cause of frequent pediatric otitis is the anatomical and physiological factor - the eustachian tube is still small in length with a much larger width. This contributes to casting mucus and bacteria closer to the middle ear during colds or improper training of babies to be flown.
Other causes may also cause otitis:
- Weak immunity;
- Allergy or addiction to it;
- An uncontrolled intake of antibiotics;
- Wrong position when breastfeeding;
- Abuse or lack of ear hygiene;
- Various pathologies of the broncho-pulmonary system;
- Not suitable nipples for artificial feeding.
Allergies, weak immunity, uncontrolled intake of antibiotics, as well as pathologies of the respiratory system, can cause swelling of the nasopharynx, which leads to the development of the inflammatory process.
Too inclined position during natural feeding and unsuitable nipples for bottles may help to throw milk or mixture into the Eustachian tube.
Errors in the feeding process lead to the appearance of frequent regurgitation, during which unwanted food is also thrown into the nasopharynx.
To do this, there are chopsticks with a stop, but more correct is the use of cotton wicks during the first year and a half of life.
Ears should be cleaned once a week, during bathing, gently wash them with your finger and do not direct the flow of water from the tap or shower.
No matter what causes otitis occurs - the disease can lead to hearing impairment. Regardless of the severity of the course and type of disease, urgent treatment is required.
Treatment of
In some cases, mild forms of otitis can pass by themselves, but this does not mean that it is necessary to wait for it.
Treatment is all early to be done, and with different types of otitis it can seriously differ.
Doctors divide otitis by three criteria - the severity of the form, the depth of the inflammation and the type of pathogen, but only the specialist can determine the type and stage of the disease.
These factors influence the choice of medication and physiotherapy procedures.
Outer
This type of otitis is more safe for the health of the child and easier to treat if it is not a trauma to the membrane with improper hygiene. In cases of development of this type of otitis due to allergic reactions or inflammatory processes, the treatment is fairly rapid with mild disease.
Admissible lotions, ointments and compresses, often prescribed gauze turundas with alcohol and physiotherapy. The development of diffuse external otitis with a high fever may require inpatient treatment and antibacterial or antifungal therapy.
Medium
Treatment of otitis media differs from that of internal forms - acute and chronic forms require different medications. The same applies to other subspecies - the appearance of perforation with purulent otitis media excludes the possibility of using alcohol turundum because of severe pain. The catarrhal appearance without the ear canals is treated differently.
Physioprocedures, such as UFV or UHF therapy, are mandatory, but any of these forms require medical intervention. It can be tableted preparations or injections, vasoconstrictor nasal drops are also mandatory, for example, "Ciprolet" for removing edema and healing the outflow of the extrudate.
Purulent
Often under purulent otitis is meant the bacterial form of the disease of the middle ear. The appearance of pus from the ear complicates the process of treatment - pathogens can be many and it is necessary to know exactly the efficacy of the prescribed therapy. It is also important to know that it is necessary to ensure the outflow of pus and not cover the auditory canal.
Antibiotics are required for treatment, physiotherapy and nasal drops are also provided. With purulent otitis it is necessary to permanently remove the cotton wicks detachable from the external ear canal, regardless of the type of pathogen.
Viral
Viral otitis is also called bullous, it can develop in different parts of the human hearing aid. The principal difference of this type of otitis is the type of pathogen.
The inflammatory process starts because of the penetration of the virus, but externally it can appear as a secretion of pus. In this case, antibiotic therapy is meaningless, antiviral treatment is necessary.
Bullous otitis weakens immunity and therefore a bacterial infection can join it, which will require complex therapy with antiviral drugs, antibiotics and immunomodulators.
Some kinds of physiotherapy, ear hygiene, vitaminization and removal of nasopharyngeal edema by means of vasoconstricting sprays or drops are also shown. It is forbidden to warm up the ear, but it is also necessary to protect it from hypothermia.
Often, an external form of viral otitis occurs, but without treatment and attachment of secondary purulent inflammation of the middle ear, the disease takes serious forms. If viral damage to the inner ear occurs, it can provoke irreversible neurosensory deafness or hearing loss.
Allergic
This type of disease is more often external, but without treatment it can provoke the appearance of bacterial infection with the transition to purulent otitis media of the middle ear. Allergic otitis in children is difficult to notice at the beginning of the disease, because there is no pronounced pain syndrome.
For treatment of external otitis, vasoconstrictors, antihistamines and antibiotics are used. The main treatment is necessary to control the fight against the allergy itself, without this it is impossible to fully recover.
Fungal
It is clear from the name that the causative agents of this type of otitis are fungi. Like allergic otitis, a fungal infection is more often of an external form and can be manifested by itching in the ears, the appearance of crusts or peeling in the area of the auditory canal.
Treatment is carried out with antifungal drugs, immunotherapy and additional vitaminization of the body are carried out. Also, a diet and certain hygiene of the ears are recommended, avoiding unnecessary moisturizing and heating.
How to treat otitis in infants, the advice of young mothers in our video:
Prevention of
On the question of what to do if frequent otitis media in a child under one year, there is only one answer - it is necessary to take preventive measures:
- First and foremost it concerns immunity strengthening and eliminationprovoking factors.
- Do not understand by the prevention of an infinite number of caps, dressed for a child - it is not able to teach the baby's body to resist inflammation.
- It is necessary to choose the optimal program of hardening, observe the refusal of self-treatment of ARI and ARI, and minimize contact with the colds of children.
- Also it is worth to neglect the cold - the children of the first year of life often have otitis as a result of nasal congestion.
Otitis often persists in infants, so mothers should be informed about the signs of the disease and the likely preventive measures. Then the otitis will either bypass the child, or it will not bring serious consequences.