Contents:
- Medical Video: Best treatment for ear infections
- Various causes of middle ear infections
- 1. Drink while lying down
- 2. Smoking
- 3. Allergy and flu
- 4. Sinusitis
- 5. Adenoid swelling
- 6. Other diseases
Medical Video: Best treatment for ear infections
Middle ear infection, which in the medical world is called otitis media, is a bacterial infection that occurs in the middle ear and causes pain. Although everyone can experience it, but about 75 percent of cases of middle ear infections occur in children under three years. So, what are the causes of middle ear infections? Check out the information below, let's say.
Various causes of middle ear infections
The cause of middle ear infections in adults is generally caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection that goes too deep into the ear. While in children, this infection is more common because of bad habits that are carried out everyday.
To be clearer, the following are various causes of middle ear infections.
1. Drink while lying down
If you or your child has a habit of drinking while lying down, it's good to immediately stop this habit. Because, drinking while lying down can more quickly push bacteria in the throat to the eustachian canal, then end up in the middle ear.
This can increase the risk of blocking the eustachian tube. Eustachian tract is a tube that connects the middle ear to the throat and nose (nasopharynx). Its main function is to control the pressure in the ear.
Children have eustachian tubes that are narrower and more horizontal, than adults. This means that the eustachian canal of the child will be more susceptible to blockage and accumulate a lot of bacteria. Pressure in the ear increases and causes infection. That is the reason why children get ear infections in the middle more often.
2. Smoking
Whether it's active smokers or passive smokers, both are at risk of having ear infections in the middle. Be careful, cigarette smoke can enter the ear directly and cause ear infections.
Temperatures in the middle ear area tend to be warm and moist to become a favorite place for bacteria to breed. So do not be surprised if people who are used to smoking or breathing cigarette smoke are prone to middle ear infections.
3. Allergy and flu
Ear infections in the middle are often preceded by flu, runny nose, or allergic reactions. When you get the flu, the amount of fluid and mucus in your nose increases dramatically. The eustachian tube is responsible for draining this fluid so that the pressure in your ear remains normal.
If too much snot piles up, the eustachian ducts will certainly be overwhelmed to drain all fluids. As a result, there is a buildup of fluid and increased pressure in the middle ear. If this fluid is infected by bacteria, then middle ear infections can no longer be avoided.
4. Sinusitis
If you experience otitis media, this could be due to the sinus you are experiencing. Bacteria that cause sinusitis can run and enter the eustachian tract. As previously explained, this eustachian tube is responsible for controlling pressure in the ear.
If the eustachian tube swells, the pressure in the ear cannot be controlled. The middle ear will fill up a lot of fluid and cause infection.
5. Adenoid swelling
Adenoids are pads of lymph tissue (such as the glands in the neck or tonsils) located in the back of the nasal cavity, close to the entrance of the eustachian tube. This part plays an important role to help fight infections from inhaled or ingested germs.
Unlike the eustachian ducts of children who are smaller in size, the size of adenoids in children is actually relatively larger than that of adults. If the adenoid is inflamed or swollen, this gland can cause blockages in the ear canal and trigger infection.
6. Other diseases
In addition to bad habits that are often carried out everyday, middle ear infections can also be caused by a number of diseases. These ear infections are very susceptible to people with weak immune systems. What's more, this risk can continue to increase if you experience blood sugar problems, aka experiencing diabetes.
Quoted from WebMD, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery reveals that the characteristics of bacteria that cause middle ear infections are similar to bacterial pneumonia. But calm down first. This can be overcome by administering a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that is very effective against bacteria that cause ear infections.
