Welcome back! Today, we are sharing more about ear infections and how they can cause hearing loss. Likewise, we are sharing all about eustachian tubes.
Eustachian tubes:
Most of us know eustachian tubes are somewhere in the ear. Well, that much you’ve guessed right. More specifically, eustachian tubes are a pair of narrow tubes that run from each middle ear to high in the back of the throat.
Eustachian tubes are located behind the nasal passages. The ends of the tube closest to the throat opens and closes to do three things:
- regulate air pressure in the middle ear
- drain normal secretions in the middle ear
- refresh air in the ear
When the eustachian tubes become swollen, they can become blocked. This causes fluids to buildup in the middle ear. The fluid can become infected easily.
This is around the time the symptoms of an ear infection arise. As we have discussed in previous blogs, ear infection are more common in children due to their eustachian tubes’ positing.
They are more horizontal which make it harder for drainage to escape. Instead, the fluid lingers and clog the eustachian tubes. This unfortunate, temporary positioning can cause many ear infections for children.
Adenoids:
There are two small pads of tissue located high in the back of the nose called adenoids. They are believed to play a role in our immune system activity. Because of the adenoid’s location, they may block the eustachian tubes when the adenoids become swollen.
When the adenoids become swollen and block the eustachian tubes, this can lead to a middle ear infection. Again, when this issue arises in children, they are more likely to have an ear infection. Children’s adenoids are larger than adults, so any swelling and irritation in the adenoids is more likely to play a role in ear infections in children.
Risk Factors:
There are risk factors which make individuals more likely to experience ear infections. As we have discussed time and time again, children are more likely to experience ear infections. Between the ages of six months old and two years, children are extremely more likely to get ear infections because of their ear anatomy.
Also, their immune systems are still maturing and developing. Children in child care groups are more susceptible to ear infections. Kids in daycare and watched in groups develop common colds more often, and along with colds come ear infection most often.
Infants that are bottle fed are more likely to have ear infections. This is due to the position of being bottle fed. Babies can lie down more flat than babies that are breast fed. This leads to liquid finding its way into the ear and the way the liquid travels down to their stomachs. Additionally, children who are breast fed have more antibodies in the breastmilk.
Next time you come back, we are going to begin focusing more on the risk factors of adults. We treat adults at our hearing center. Please do not hesitate to make a call to schedule your first appointment at Orlando ENT Hearing Center for a thorough examination and hearing testing.
Have a great Thanksgiving! We are grateful for our patients and future patients!
Staff Writer
