Ear Infections
Antibiotics are not recommended to help treat many ear infections. Your healthcare professional will be able to determine what kind of ear infection you or your child has and if antibiotics would help. Learn more below about two of the
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Symptoms of Ear Infections
What are the symptoms of an ear infection? There are three main types of ear infections. Each has a different combination of symptoms.
- Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common ear infection. Parts of the middle ear are infected ...
Complications of Ear Infections
Sinus and ear infections are usually mild and are much more common than the more severe forms of pneumococcal disease. However, some children develop repeated ear infections and may need ear tubes.
...Source: CDC2
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Causes of Ear Infections
What causes an ear infection?
An ear infection usually is caused by bacteria and often begins after a child has a sore throat, cold, or other upper respiratory infection. If the upper respiratory infection is bacterial, these same bacteria may
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Causes List for Ear Infections
Some possible causes of Ear Infections or similar disorders may include:4
- Achondroplasia, Severe, With Developmental Delay And Acanthosis Nigricans (Otitis media)
- Achondroplasia (Recurrent otitis media, recurrent ear infections)
- Acute otitis media (ear infection)
- Afibrinogenemia (Recurrent otitis ...
Types of Ear Infections
Learn more below about two of the three main kinds of ear infections: otitis media with effusion and acute otitis media (AOM). Visit CDC's Healthy Swimming website to learn more about otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).
...Source: CDC5
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Diagnosis of Ear Infections
To diagnose an ear infection, your doctor may use a lighted instrument called an otoscope to look at the eardrum. If it’s red and swollen, your child may get a prescription for bacteria-killing drugs called antibiotics.
...Source: NIH
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Risk Factors for Ear Infections
Children are especially at risk for ear infections, partly because a tube to the ear—called the eustachian tube—is less well developed in kids than in adults. This can make it harder for fluid to drain out and for
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Treatments: Ear Infections
Your doctor may want to wait for several months to see if things get better on their own but, if the infections keep coming back and antibiotics aren’t helping, many doctors will recommend a surgical procedure that places a
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Prevention of Ear Infections
Can ear infections be prevented?
Currently, the best way to prevent ear infections is to reduce the risk factors associated with them. Here are some things you might want to do to lower your child’s risk for ear infections
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References
- Source: CDC: cdc.gov/ getsmart/ community/ for-patients/ common-illnesses/ ear-infection.html
- Source: CDC: cdc.gov/ pneumococcal/ about/ symptoms-complications.html
- Source: NIDCD (NIH): nidcd.nih.gov/ health/ ear-infections-children
- Source: Algorithmically Generated List
- Source: CDC: cdc.gov/ getsmart/ community/ for-patients/ common-illnesses/ ear-infection.html
- Source: NIH News in Health (NIH): newsinhealth.nih.gov/ issue/ sep2010/ feature2
- ibid.
- Source: NIDCD (NIH): nidcd.nih.gov/ health/ ear-infections-children
- ibid.
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Note: This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. See your doctor or other qualified medical professional for all your medical needs.