An ear infection can be painful enough for adults but for children it can be excruciating. Both pediatric otitis media and swimmer’s ear are two types of ear infections which cause significant pain as well as swelling. Swimmer’s ear, also known as acute external otitis or otitis externa, is the inflammation, irritation, or infection of the outer ear and the ear canal. Swimmer’s ear causes the ear canal to become swollen and infected. Pediatric otitis media is the inflammation of the middle ear and it afflicts millions of children each year. As a parent it’s important for you to know the symptoms of these common ear infections and your child’s available treatment options.
Symptoms & Causes
Your child may exhibit the following symptoms if he/she is suffering from an ear infection:
- Earache
- Trouble eating
- Trouble sleeping
- High temperature, and/or
- A liquid/pus draining from the ear
Pediatric otitis media is an infection or fluid present behind the eardrum while swimmer’s ear is an infection and inflammation present in the ear canal. Both of these conditions are caused by a bacterial infection. Often, inflamed adenoids at the back of the nose contribute to chronic middle ear infections and fluid.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Recurring ear infections in a child not only impact the quality of his/her life, but may also result in a speech delay. This is due to chronic hearing loss from the fluid present in the middle ear. Your primary care physician or pediatrician may recommend that you be evaluated by one of our experienced ear, nose and throat (“ENT”) specialists. During your child’s evaluation, our specialized physicians will thoroughly evaluate your child’s condition and determine what course of treatment would be most beneficial.
A full hearing evaluation can also be performed if necessary.
If your child suffers from symptoms of chronic or recurrent ear infections, please contact one of our board-certified ENT specialists and schedule an appointment for your child.
