How can I detect middle ear infection in my baby?
Otitis media is sometimes not easy to detect, especially in very young children and babies. It depends very much on how advanced and pronounced the inflammation is. If the inflammation is severe, the child can be in very severe pain, which can manifest itself in startle from sleep and heavy crying.
If the child’s hearing is worse on the affected ear, he may prefer to lie on one side or move his head back and forth. Another characteristic is that the child touches the ear remarkably often. In milder forms, the child may have no pain at all and only hear worse on one side. It is important to observe the child’s behavior closely.
What are the first signs ?
Inflammation of the middle ear can lead to various accompanying symptoms. These include fever, for example. The body temperature rises to over 39 degrees Celsius and the body is weakened.
In addition to the stabbing pain in the ear, the swelling and secretions that clog the middle ear can cause unilateral hearing loss. This is most noticeable in babies when they put their head on a preferred side. If children have middle ear inflammation more often, the recurring inflammation can cause an enlargement of the pharyngeal tonsils, the so-called polyps.
This can be problematic because it often causes the nose to become blocked and the children can only breathe through the mouth. Since bacteria can also settle here and the tympanic cavity is closed (the pharyngeal tonsil is located in front of the entrance to the tympanic cavity), the exchange of air and the removal of secretions from the middle ear is no longer guaranteed. For this reason, the polyps must be surgically removed.
It can also lead to abdominal pain, in rare cases even vomiting, cramps or loss of consciousness. If the inflammation of the middle ear does not heal early enough and is not treated, other serious diseases may follow. For example, meningitis, paralysis of the facial nerves (facial nerve paresis) and hearing loss can be the consequences. Hearing loss is a problem especially for babies and small children, as it can lead to speech development disorders. For this reason, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible if early signs appear.
