The start of winter often means the worst part of cold and flu season, and with that, the dreaded ear infection.
An ear infection is a bacterial or viral infection that affects the middle ear. It happens when the small space between the eardrum and the back of the throat (the eustachian tube) becomes blocked with mucus. This creates pressure inside the ear, which can be painful.
Unfortunately, ear infections affect infants and young children more than others. Their eustachian tubes are smaller and not as slanted. This makes it more difficult for fluid to drain out of the ear.
And because a child's immune system is not as developed as an adult's, it may be harder for them to fight a sore throat, cold, or respiratory infection that can trap fluid behind the eardrum.
Older children and adults can also get ear infections, but they are less common because their eustachian tubes are larger and slanted, so they drain fluid better.
What to look for in your child
If your child is not old enough to communicate pain, here are a few signs to look for:
- Tugging or pulling at the ear(s)
- Irritability and crying more than usual
- Trouble sleeping
- Fever (especially in infants and young children)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Loss of balance
- Difficulty hearing or responding to quiet sounds
Your child's health care provider can check for an ear infection by using an otoscope. This lighted tool shows redness in the ear, fluid that might be in the ear canal, or (less likely) a rupture in the eardrum.
They will typically ask whether your child has had a runny nose, cough, or fever since the virus or bacteria that cause colds can spread to the middle ear.
What to do
Some ear infections clear up on their own. However, if your child’s health care provider prescribes an antibiotic, it’s important that your child takes the medicine exactly as it’s prescribed. Even if your child feels better before finishing the medicine, they should take it for the full amount of time. This is to prevent the infection from returning. Typical treatment for ear infections lasts seven to ten days.
If your child has repeated ear infections, their health care provider may suggest a surgical procedure where small tubes are inserted through the eardrums. The tubes improve air flow and prevent fluid backup in the middle ear so that the child can hear better. These tubes usually stay in place for six to nine months until they fall out.
Reducing the risk
Here are ideas to help your child get through winter without an ear infection:
- Stay up to date with all their vaccinations, including the flu shot
- Wash your and your child’s hands frequently
- Avoid cigarette smoke (studies show that babies who are around smokers have more ear infections)
- Limit your child's exposure to playmates who are sick
- Avoid baby bottles in the crib (babies drinking from the bottle lying down could have liquids back up in the middle ear)
What's next?
Researchers sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) are exploring vaccines against some of the most common bacteria and viruses that cause middle ear infections. NIDCD also supports research into why some children have more ear infections than others. For example, Native American and Hispanic children have more infections than other racial and ethnic groups. NIDCD is hoping to find out what kinds of measures could lower the risks of infection.
Researchers are also learning more about antibiotic-resistant bacteria called biofilms, which can be found in the middle ear of most children who have had multiple ear infections. If we can kill these biofilms, we could better treat chronic ear infections.
Consider joining a clinical trial to help scientists develop new ways to treat and prevent ear infections.
*This article was originally published on January 14, 2019. It has been updated.
