When you were here last, we began sharing the most common ways people lose their hearing. First, we started off sharing about earwax, but pop on over to our last article if you did not get a chance to read it. This week, we are continuing the discussion by starting off with ear infections and their ability to cause hearing loss.
Ear infections:
Whether you were a perfectly healthy child or had reoccurring ear infections, you most likely remember having an ear infection. Adults do not get ear infection as often as children. If you are new here and did not read our post about ear infections, check it out.
We discussed why children are more prone to ear infections than adults. The correct term for an ear infection is acute otitis media. This is more specifically the name for a middle ear infection.
The middle ear is the section filled with air behind the eardrum which contains the tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Ear infections often clear up on their own. However, sometimes antibiotics may be needed to clear the infection.
For those individuals that experience ear infections often, they will have a greater risk for hearing loss. This is simply due to the lasting damage done by ear infections. For children the symptoms of hearing loss include:
- fussiness
- tugging at ears
- loss of appetite
- loss of balance
- trouble sleeping
- pain when lying down
- fever or even slight fever of 100 F
- drainage of the ears
- headache
For adults, we may accidentally right off the pain as a headache or tmj. The symptoms of ear infectious for adults are as follows:
- ear pain
- trouble hearing
- headache
- jaw pain
- drainage coming from either ear
These symptoms as well as those listed for symptoms seen in children are symptoms for adults to lookout for too. As parents and family members, we can help prevent hearing loss by tending to ear infections properly.
What to do if you have symptoms:
If any of these symptoms last for longer than a day, it is best for children especially to see a doctor. Not seeing a doctor can create temporary or lasting hearing loss. If the symptoms are present in a child under six months old, call your pediatrician to get your child in soon.
If a child is unconsolable, the ear pain is most likely severe. Children may also be irritable and sleepless after or during a cold. In this case, they may have an ear infection in addition to their cold.
Lookout for discharge coming from the ears as children may be tugging at their ears. Consequently, they may be wiping most of the discharge away. Whether you took your child to the doctor or not already, insist on getting check out again if symptoms persist. Sometimes, infections are growing and they are not noticeable at first.
Seek treatment if symptoms persist longer than a day:
Ear infections are caused by bacterium or virus in the middle ear. A cold, flu, or allergies may cause inflammation and congestion in the nasal passages, throat, and eustachian tubes. These illnesses can cause ear infections.
Unfortunately, sometimes doctors do not diagnose ear infections soon enough to treat them before they cause damage. Be sure to visit Orlando ENT Hearing Center for thorough ear, nose, and throat medical attention. Our medical professional do their best to prevent hearing loss.
Next time, we will finish discussing ear infections and introduce other causes of hearing loss. Be sure to stop by next time to finish this crucial conversation in ear health. Together, we can prevent some cases of hearing loss.
Staff Writer
