What Is an Ear Infection?
- Otitis media
- Otitis externa (also known as an outer ear infection or swimmer's ear)
- Otitis interna (also known as an inner ear infection or labyrinthitis).
This series of eMedTV articles will focus on the most common type of ear infection: otitis media.
Otitis media is an ear infection or inflammation of the middle ear. This inflammation often begins when infections that cause sore throats, colds, or other respiratory or breathing problems spread to the middle ear. These infections can be viral or bacterial infections.
Seventy-five percent of children experience at least one episode of otitis media by their third birthday. Almost half of these children will have three or more ear infections during their first three years of life. Although otitis media is primarily a disease of infants and young children, it can also affect adults.
Otitis media is commonly referred to as a(n):
- Middle ear infection
- Ear infection.
The ear consists of three major parts:
- The outer ear, which includes the pinna -- the visible part of the ear -- and the ear canal. The outer ear extends to the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, which separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
- The middle ear is an air-filled space that is located behind the eardrum. The middle ear contains three tiny bones: the malleus, incus, and stapes, which transmit sound from the eardrum to the inner ear.
- The inner ear contains the organs related to hearing and balance. The cochlea contains the hearing organ which converts sound into electrical signals. These signals are associated with the origin of impulses, which are then carried by nerves to the brain, where their meanings are appreciated.
What Causes an Ear Infection?
The
causes of otitis media are most often bacteria or viruses that get inside the ear. These bacteria or viruses can initially cause sore throats, colds, or other respiratory or breathing problems and then spread to the middle ear.
An ear infection is often difficult to detect because most children affected by
ear infection symptoms do not yet have sufficient speech and language skills to tell someone what is bothering them.
Common symptoms of in children include:
- Unusual irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Tugging or pulling at one or both ears
- Fever
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Loss of balance
- Unresponsiveness to quiet sounds or other signs of hearing difficulty (such as sitting too close to the television or being inattentive).
A child with an ear infection may demonstrate any of these symptoms of an ear infection.
How Is an Ear Infection Diagnosed?
If a person has possible ear infection signs or symptoms, the doctor will likely perform a physical exam and ask about the patient's personal and family medical history. In order to help make a diagnosis, the doctor may also recommend additional tests that examine the ear or hearing.
As parents and doctors can attest, getting rid of an ear infection can be tricky. In most cases, treatment involves the use of antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria). Depending on the specific symptoms that are present, the doctor may recommend waiting for several days before beginning an antibiotic. This is because research has shown that ear infections may improve by themselves without the need for antibiotics.
Acetaminophen (
Tylenol®) can be used to treat any pain or fever caused by the ear infection.
If a child has multiple ear infections, surgery may be recommended as a treatment option.
How Common Are Ear Infections?
Ear infections (otitis media), represent the sixth most common diagnosis for ambulatory care visits (22.7 million in 1996) and the third most common diagnosis for emergency department visits (3 million in 1995). About one-third of a pediatrician's time is spent diagnosing and managing ear infections.
Approximately $5 billion is spent annually on direct costs of ear infections, and a greater amount is estimated to be spent indirectly due to lost work, travel, long-term handicap, and delayed language development.
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