Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Recognize Signs of an Ear Infection in a Newborn
- Ear infections are more common in children
- Signs and symptoms of ear infections in children
- 1. Fever
- 2. Ear pain
- 3. Decreased appetite
- 4. Difficulty sleeping
- 5. Difficulty hearing and maintaining balance
- 6. Fluid out of the ear
Medical Video: How to Recognize Signs of an Ear Infection in a Newborn
Children have an imperfect immune system and are still developing. Naturally, if this makes it easier for children to fall ill. One disease that is prone to children is ear infection. This condition usually occurs when a child has a cold or flu. What are the signs and symptoms of ear infections in children? Consider the following review.
Ear infections are more common in children
The body produces mucus that flows from the nose to the lungs. Its function is to maintain moisture and filter out the impurities that enter when breathing.
When children experience colds, flu or allergies, mucus production becomes more numerous and thicker. The change in mucus causes buildup in the tube that connects the middle ear and throat (eustachian tube).
Children have shorter eustachian tubes than adults. That is why mucus is easier to clog the eustachian tube.
The blockage is a perfect place for bacteria to multiply and cause infection. This condition can cause ear infections in children. There are many types of ear infections, but acute otitis media is more common in children.
Signs and symptoms of ear infections in children
Ear infections occur due to fluid buildup. Besides being caused by other underlying diseases, swimming activities can also cause ear infections.
If symptoms appear that indicate an infection of the ear, you should immediately take your child to the doctor to find out the right diagnosis and treatment.
There are several signs and symptoms of ear infections in children that you can consider as follows.
1. Fever
Ear infections do occur when children have other diseases, such as colds, flu, or sore throat. The disease can make a child fever. But when an ear infection occurs, the child will experience a high enough fever, which is around 38 degrees Celsius.
2. Ear pain
Inflammation of the ear by bacteria causes swelling and pain in the ear. This is the main symptom of ear infections.
For children who have not been able to talk, usually will continue to fuss and tug at his ears because of illness. But for children who can talk, they will complain of pain in the ear.
3. Decreased appetite
The inflamed eustachian tube causes pain in the ear and can affect the child's appetite. Movement to chew and swallow food causes high pressure on the ear so that pain arises. This is why the child's appetite is reduced.
4. Difficulty sleeping
When sick, the child's body becomes weaker so he will choose to lie down to sleep. However, children who experience ear infections will have difficulty sleeping.
Laying the body to the side, precisely on the infected ear causes pressure on the middle ear which makes the pain in the ear more painful. This condition will make children difficult to sleep because their sleep position is more limited.
5. Difficulty hearing and maintaining balance
The sound waves that you hear move through the air. The buildup of mucus in the ear interferes with the esutachius channel to regulate the air balance. When mucus builds up, sound waves that should reach the middle ear become blocked. This is why children feel bindeng ears and are not responsive to sound.
Then, the middle ear which is responsible for maintaining the body's balance is also impaired. As a result of inflammation, the pressure on the labyrinth in the middle ear becomes larger, causing loss of balance. This condition will make the child falter or have difficulty maintaining his body position properly.
6. Fluid out of the ear
The eustachian tube in the ear does produce an unpleasant odor. This can be smelled when you clean earwax in children. But when an ear infection occurs, the stench can smell even though it's not being cleaned. This becomes the initial sign of abnormal fluid in the ear.
Over time, yellowish-white fluid will come out of the ear. The liquid is pus, which is a collection of white blood cells that fail to attack the pantogen. However, these symptoms are rare and can be lost if the infection is treated.
