Otitis Media Outlook Essay

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Otitis Media is classified as any inflammation of the middle ear characterized by the accumulation of infected fluid in the middle ear, bulging eardrum, and pain in the ear. Otitis Media, which is also known as a middle ear infection, is the second most common disease of childhood after upper respiratory infection (Otitis Media, 2017). The middle ear is a small space behind the eardrum that is supposed to be well ventilated by air. Air normally passes up from behind the nose, through the Eustachian tube in order to keep the middle ear dry and clean (“Understanding Ear Infections - the Basics”, n.d.). However, when there is not enough fresh air ventilating the middle ear causing the Eustachian tube to be clogged and blocked, it becomes damp, still and warm, which causes the infection.

Epidemiology of Otitis Media

It is much more common in children and infants because their Eustachian tube is often too soft and undeveloped so it has a harder time staying open. In children and infants, the tube is also shorter and has more of a horizontal orientation than adults, which causes reflux from the pharynx. The highest occurrence of the infection occurs in the first two years of life and about 90% of children will have a least one infection by age 6. It has been reported that there is a higher prevalence in boys than in girls. Moreover, while 50% of children aged 1 year are likely to have at least one episode of the disease, 1/3 of children will have at least 3 infections by age 3 and 90% of children will have at least 3 one infection by age 6. Otitis Media tends to affect children during winter months.

Types of Otitis Media

There are two main types of Otitis Media and two subtypes. The first type is Acute Otitis Media (AOM). AOM is the more serious and painful type. It has a rapid onset accompanied by one or multiple symptoms such as ear pain, ear discharge, fever, headache, irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea. The other type and the more common one in children is Otitis Media with Effusion (OME).

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OME is a collection of non-infected fluid in the middle ear with symptoms of hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and ear pain (Philadelphia, 2014). OME is usually a result of poor function of the Eustachian tube, which makes it the most common type that occurs in children aged 6 months to 3 years old. The third type of OM is Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media, which is a persistent ear infection that results in tearing or perforation of the eardrum. It is a chronic inflammation of the middle ear that persists for at least 6 weeks and is linked to otorrhea through a perforate TM, an indwelling tympanostomy tube, or surgical myringotomy. The last type is Adhesive OM, which occurs when a thin retracted eardrum becomes sucked into the middle ear space and gets stuck. This could happen during AOM or OME.

Risk Factors

There are a few risk factors that can increase the likelihood of someone getting Otitis Media. These risk factors include upper respiratory infections, allergies, craniofacial abnormalities such as cleft palate, Down’s syndrome and passive smoking.

Signs and Symptoms of Otitis Media

The most notable signs and symptoms of Otitis Media in infants and children are irritability, ear pain, fever, and changes in personality. However, the signs and symptoms of Otitis Media differ depending on the individual’s age. For neonates or infants, the most common signs include change in behavior, vomiting, irritability, decreased appetite, and tugging at ears. For children aged between 2 and 4 years, the common symptoms of Otitis Media include fever, difficulties in hearing, Otalgia, and changes in personality. For children aged 4 years or more, the symptoms include changes in personality and complains of ear pain.

When to go to a Doctor

Once these symptoms occur, there are certain things a parent should look out for to determine if and when medical attention should to be sought out. Fever is big indicator that it’s time to go to the doctors. For instance, if a child has a fever of 104, he/she must see a doctor. For children younger than 3 months, you should see a doctor.....

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