Balance Health - Ailments - Ear Infections or Otitis Media

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Next to the common cold, ear infections are the most commonly diagnosed childhood illness.

The ear is responsible for hearing and balance and is made up of three parts - the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. To function properly, the middle ear must be at the same pressure as the outside world. This is taken care of by the eustachian tube, a small passage that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat behind the nose.

By letting air reach the middle ear, the eustachian tube equalizes the air pressure in the middle ear to the outside air pressure. (When your ears "pop" while yawning or swallowing, your eustachian tubes are adjusting the air pressure in your middle ears.) The eustachian tube also allows for drainage of mucus from the middle ear into the throat.

When a child has a cold or an allergy affecting the nasal passages, the eustachian tube may become blocked by congestion in its lining or by mucus within the tube. This blockage will allow fluid to build up within the normally air-filled middle ear. Bacteria or viruses that have entered the middle ear through the eustachian tube can also get trapped in this way. These germs can breed in the trapped fluid, eventually leading to an ear infection.

Otitis media refers to inflammation in the middle ear area. There are different forms of otitis media. Typically, when the doctor refers to an ear infection, he or she is most likely talking about "acute otitis media" or swimmer's ear.

Acute otitis media is the presence of fluid, typically pus, in the middle ear with symptoms of pain, redness of the eardrum, and possible fever.

The reason that doctors try to distinguish between the different forms of otitis is because it affects treatment options. Not all forms of otitis need to be treated with antibiotics.

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