Otitis Media Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What is otitis Media?

Chronic otitis media is characterised by inflammation or infection of the middle ear. It can be recurrent and may also result in hearing loss.

Causes of Otitis Media:

This middle ear infection is most often due to build up of fluid in the middle ear. The Eustachian tube becomes obstructed with fluid due to repeated ear infections, preventing sound waves from reaching the three bones in the auditory system. The Eustachian tube is the pathway that extends from the back of the nose to the middle ear. This condition can also be due to:

• Allergies


• Persistent infections


• Ear trauma


• Swelling of the adenoids

It is considered more serious when the infection is due to bacteria or viruses, and can spread to the mastoid bone, resulting in mastoiditis. Fluid build up can lead the eardrum to rupture and cause damage to the bones of the middle ear. Repeated eardrum ruptures can lead to suppurative chronic otitis, or constant drainage.

Chronic ear infections can cause permanent damage to the ear resulting in hearing loss or deafness. It is possible that this chronicity may have less severe symptoms that may go unnoticed causing a delay in treatment.

In children, the Eustachian tube is shorter, more narrow and have a more horizontal placement than in adults and is why children are more susceptible to ear infections.

Symptoms of Otitis Media:

• Ear pain


• Feelings of pressure in the ear


• Drainage of pus from the ear


• Hearing loss

Symptoms may be unilateral (one ear) or bilateral (both ears)

Diagnostics may reveal:

• Dullness, redness, air bubbles, or fluid behind the eardrum.


• Drainage or perforation of the eardrum, as well as bulging or retraction of the eardrum inward.


• Lab culture of the drainage may show bacterial growth

CT Scan of the head may show infection extending to the mastoid bone, needing hearing tests to be performed to determine if hearing loss has occurred.

Treatment:

• Oral or ear drop antibiotics


• Adenoidectomy


• Surgical repair of ruptured eardrum

Otitis media complications may include:

• Cyst of the middle ear (cholesteatoma)


• Facial paralysis


• Mastoiditis


• Epidural abscess (inflammation surrounding the brain)


• Partial or profound hearing loss

A temporary and minor hearing loss may occur due to residual fluid in the ear, may cause slow speech development in children. Permanent hearing loss is rare, however repeated infections increase the risks.

Signs and symptoms of chronic otitis media will need to be evaluated by your health care provider. It is important to get early diagnosis and treatment to prevent permanent damage and hearing loss. Equally important is to take all medication as prescribed for the required number of days.

by Barb Hicks RN/LMT