Live Life Team
Fluid gets build up in middle ear between inner ear and eardrum. This is Otitis media.
Air is filled in the middle ear, during cold, mucus or fluid gets filled. When this mucus gets infected with bacteria it results in ear infection. A short duration ear infection is called acute otitis media, which suddenly occurs. When any ear infection keeps recurring or it lasts longer it is called as chronic otitis. As the symptoms are mild it often goes untreated and unnoticed causing damage more than acute otitis.
When the middle ear is filled fully with fluid it is called as glue ear. This is one type of chronic otitis media. Pus coming out of the ear, earache or fever are not caused by glue ear.
Symptoms
Few symptoms caused by acute otitis media:
- Slight deafness
- Children with flu like symptoms like lethargy and vomiting,
- fever
- severe earache, due to pressure of mucus
- Ear infection in babies will be irritable and hot. It can be difficult to tell what can be wrong with the baby as it cannot point any discomfort. If your baby is rest less an ear infection can be considered. In few cases pus can be running from the ear as the eardrum gets perforated. At times this relieves pain on eardrum by releasing pressure, but this can also lead to re-infection.
- Chronic otitis media mostly has milder symptoms, but it may stay for a long and keeps returning back. The chances for fluids or pus running from ear are very high.
- Earaches are not only caused by ear infection, in case the symptoms are same. The build up uninfected mucus caused by toothache or cold can also cause ear ache.
Causes
Common cold causes Otitis media. Infection can spread from throat or nose through Eustachian tube, which is a passage between middle ear and throat. Fluids in ear normally pass through the nose via Eustachian tube. Blocking of this tube leads to otitis media. Tonsils or enlarged adenoids located behind the throat usually block this tube. If chronic otitis media is caused due to tonsils and adenoids, it can be removed.
Children whose ears are filled with mucus for many weeks and glue ear can get ear infection quickly. In case there is a tissue growth in the middle ear or if a permanent hole present in the eardrum this results in chronic otitis media. During swimming or bathing if water enters the ear and infects the perforated eardrum. Measles can also cause otitis media in children. Children immune system can get weak by illness and often find it hard to fight the bacteria when infection is caused in the middle ear. It is called as secondary infection. At times there are no apparent reasons for the cause of this infection.
Diagnosis
An Otoscope or Auriscope is an instrument to examine the eardrum. Diagnosis is done by examining eardrum using these instruments and also by symptoms. These instruments have a light that shows interior of the ears with magnifying glass.
Middles of the ear is not seen by an auriscope, however the doctor uses it to check if there are any leakage of fluids in the outer ear. Examining of eardrum is also possible by which we can determine the status inside the ear. You will be asked to do a small exercise like by closing your mouth and pinching your nose, blow slow out. An instrument can be used to puff air in your ear alternatively. If Eustachian tube is clear, ear drum moves slightly, in case it is blocked the eardrum will stand still. You can also notice if in case the eardrum is perforated. Pink is the normal color of eardrum, in case of otitis media it turns to yellow or red and also looks lumpy. It can also bulge outwards because of the mucus pressure.
