Otitis Media
We talked about Otitis Media before; however, I wish to review you on this topic since it is summertime and because of the weather and the swimming activity of our children, we get to see more cases of otitis media.
This is an inflammation of the mucoperiosteal lining of the eustachian tube, tympanic cavity, mastoid antrum and mastoid air cell system.
The condition is more common in younger children because at this age the eustachian tube is shorter, wider, straighter and more horizontal than older children.
So, it is easier for the invasion of the middle ear by the nasopharyngeal bacterial flora. Also, children who are bottle feeding and in supine position have a higher possibility to otitis media compared to breastfed infants who are feed in a semi-upright position.
Clinically, Otitis media presents as:
– fullness or deafness
– ear pain
– infants may have head rolling, tugging of the ear, irritability
– malaise
– fever
– and when the tympanic membrane ruptures, there may be purulent ear discharges