Catarrhal otitis media in children often causes parents to worry about the baby's he alth. And, unfortunately, most children suffer from it, since it is quite difficult to avoid the inflammatory process in the ears. Especially when the child is sick with colds, which can lead to complications.
Treatment of catarrhal otitis in children is mandatory, otherwise serious complications may occur, including hearing loss.
Causes of disease
Human ears are complex. They have three sections: outer, middle and inner. In most cases, otitis in children begins with inflammation in the middle ear.
The following factors can provoke the disease:
- change in pressure on the eardrum when diving into water or traveling by plane;
- bacterial or viral infection, which is the most common cause of this disease.
When you have a cold or flu, mucus is formed in the body, which enters the Eustachian tube when you blow your nose or sneeze,which connects the auditory organ with the nasopharynx. As a result, an inflammatory process begins and catarrhal otitis develops.
Children are more prone to this disease than adults due to the fact that their hearing organs are still in the development stage and have their own anatomical features. This is what contributes to the easy penetration of harmful microorganisms into the middle ear from the baby's nasopharynx.
Any disease of the throat and nose can cause catarrhal otitis. In addition, a child's weakened immune system is very vulnerable to various ailments.
Provoke the onset of the disease in children, especially with reduced immunity, can be a variety of reasons. This is the difference in atmospheric pressure, cold air, as well as the ingress of foreign bodies into the ear canal. This happens because children can often pick things in their ears, as well as put them in.
As for the main causes of the disease, they come down to the following list:
- lowered immunity;
- the habit of sniffling;
- hypothermia;
- Children under the age of three may have fetal tissue in their ears that, when bacteria enters the passages, promotes their reproduction;
- complications of infectious or chronic diseases of the nasopharynx: with tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, measles, influenza, SARS, tuberculosis.
Babies are most susceptible to otitis media. This happens for the reasonthat they are almost always in a horizontal position. Therefore, the liquid that enters the nasopharynx does not leave naturally and partially flows into the middle ear.
This happens when spitting up, when a small portion of the contents of the stomach can enter the ear canal. This is also affected by the fact that the baby's auditory canal is too short and wide. The formation of the auditory organs of children occurs only by the age of five.
Symptoms of catarrhal otitis in a child
When otitis occurs, the following symptoms are observed:
- Pain. Unpleasant painful sensations, the intensity of which is growing rapidly. These pains can be given to the occipital and temporal zones, as well as to the teeth. They become more intense when you cough, swallow, sneeze, or blow your nose.
- General weakness. Malaise and lack of appetite.
- Redness and swelling of the ear canal.
- Temperature. May be slightly increased. With the rapid development of the disease, it rises.
- Crankiness. The child becomes irritable and whiny. Very young children, who cannot speak, begin to fiddle with their ears, twist their heads, thereby trying to find a less painful sleeping position.
To verify the presence of catarrhal otitis, you can put pressure on the tragus of the ear, and severe pain immediately occurs. This will be a clear sign of the disease.
Acute catarrhal otitis in a child causes shooting ear pain, which is one of thethe most unpleasant symptoms of the disease. A small patient begins an acute malaise, severe fatigue. The temperature may rise significantly.
Infants and toddlers under one year of age suffer the most severe disease. If the child's temperature rises above 38.5, you need to call an ambulance. Indeed, a very high fever may indicate a purulent process that has begun, which causes severe intoxication of the body and can even provoke convulsions in a child.
At the very beginning of the disease, when it is not in an acute form, the baby may complain that he hears his voice in the inflamed ear. This phenomenon is called autophony. Over time, such symptoms disappear, and instead of his voice, the patient begins to hear a loud noise, which occurs due to the filling of the ear canal with serous exudate.
Types of catarrhal otitis
Acute catarrhal otitis media in a child is divided into several types, depending on where exactly the inflammation is localized.
According to the nature of the development, the disease is divided into the following forms:
- spicy;
- subacute;
- chronic form.
The causes of each of the forms may be the same, but the symptoms differ in the intensity of pain attacks, as well as the duration.
Duration
Duration of different forms of the disease:
- The acute form of catarrhal otitis is characterized by rapid development, as well as transformation into other types. Thisthe form of the disease is associated with a sharp deterioration in well-being and severe pain.
- Subacute catarrhal otitis media can last about 3 months. The signs of this type of disease are much less pronounced than in the acute stage.
- Current catarrhal otitis in chronic form lasts more than 3 months. This form of the disease is characterized by the discharge of pus from the ear.
Treatment
Treatment of acute catarrhal otitis in children requires a serious approach. It involves the use of drugs, the implementation of physiotherapy and is time consuming.
When diagnosing a disease in infants, as well as babies over 2 years old, competent intensive care is required. Together with one of the parents, the baby is sent to the hospital for treatment.
In infants, nasal discharge in the form of mucus is removed with a thinly twisted cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil or with a pear. But in older babies, the passages are cleared with a saline solution, as well as sprays that are sold at the pharmacy.
During the entire period of treatment of catarrhal otitis in children, the following recommendations are required:
- baby needs plenty of warm fluids;
- requiring bed rest and rest;
- don't wash your hair;
- necessary to avoid hypothermia.
What medications are used for catarrhal otitis
Drugs are prescribed depending on the stage of the disease and the nature of its course. Most often whenIn the treatment of catarrhal otitis in children, the following remedies are recommended:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs like Protargol.
- Painkillers and antipyretics. It could be Paracetamol, Nurofen, Ibuprofen.
- Vasoconstrictive drops in the nose, which helps to reduce swelling of the ear canal. For example, such as "Sanorin", "Tizin" and "Nazivin".
- Ear drops that help relieve ear pain and reduce inflammation. It could be "Tsipromed" or "Otipaks".
Antibiotics are most often used in the treatment of the disease, but they are not required at the initial stage of otitis media.
Physiotherapy treatments
In addition to drug treatment for acute catarrhal otitis media in children, the doctor prescribes physiotherapeutic procedures. These include:
- Heating the ear with a Minin lamp. It helps increase circulation, reduce swelling and reduce pain.
- Ultrahigh frequency inductotherapy (UHF). Such treatment helps to stop the development of the disease. It reduces swelling and restores mucosal tissue.
- Pneumatic ear massage. During this procedure, the muscle is stimulated, which is responsible for the normal functioning of the auditory tube. Such treatment helps to avoid complications and promotes faster recovery. However, it should not be used in the presence of purulent discharge.
- UV irradiation.
- Laser therapy.
- Solux lamp. This device emits infrared rays, which have a beneficial effect on the course of the disease, giving an antiseptic effect and reducing pain.
Recommendations
After any of these procedures, it is forbidden to go outside and contact with cool air. The duration of physiotherapeutic treatment of catarrhal otitis in children is determined by the doctor.
It is better to take a child from the hospital in a car so as not to catch a cold again, given the weakened immunity of the patient.
Conclusion
Catarrhal otitis media in children is a rather serious disease, causing dire consequences up to hearing loss.
Therefore, it is necessary to start treating the child on time so that the disease does not have time to spill over into another, more dangerous form, which can lead to irreversible consequences.
But it must be remembered that the use of drugs and folk remedies is prohibited without prior consultation with your doctor.
