General Information About Otitis Media
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the condition where microbes enter the normally air-filled middle ear space located between the eardrum and the inner ear, causing inflammation (pus) and stretching the eardrum.
The 'Eustachian Tube,' which ventilates the middle ear from the throat (nasopharynx), is shorter, narrower, and more horizontal in infants and young children compared to adults. A cold or bacteria in the throat can easily travel to the ear.
Symptoms include sudden, severe ear pain that causes crying and disrupts sleep in children, a feeling of fullness in the ear, high fever, hearing loss, and a constant pulling or rubbing of the ear in infants.
Yes. If too much purulent fluid accumulates inside, the eardrum may not withstand the pressure and can create a small perforation outwards. When the eardrum perforates, bloody or yellow pus drains from the ear, and the pain stops suddenly as the pressure is relieved.
An ENT doctor examines the inside of the ear using an illuminated instrument called an 'otoscope'. If a red, swollen eardrum with pus behind it is observed instead of a healthy gray eardrum, the diagnosis is made immediately.
If the infection is bacterial, oral antibiotics appropriate for the child's age and condition are prescribed. Analgesic syrups are used to relieve pain. In frequently recurring (chronic) cases, the insertion of a ventilation tube into the ear may be required.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
