Symptoms and Treatment for Ear Ache Among Children

Your child may suffer from earache from time to time. Here we look at a general overview of earache, causes and the possible treatment procedures for earaches among children.

Functions of the Ear

The ear consists of the outer and middle ears. The outer ear has an ear canal. Sound passes through the canal and hits the eardrum, causing vibrations. The middle ear is behind the eardrum and the Eustachian tube connects it to the throat. As the eardrum vibrates, three small bones move also. This vibration process sends sound waves towards the inner ear. The inner ear then sends sound recognition messages towards the brain.

Reasons of Ear ache

Earaches in children may be caused by an ear infection known as otitis media. The cause may also be smaller and shorter Eustachian tubes when compared with adults. Studies have shown that by the age of three, more than 75% of children tend to suffer because of ear infection.

Symptoms of ear ache

The signs of earache among children are as follows.

* Tugging over the ears

* Pain occurs when the ears are touched.

* Ear pain increases while chewing, swallowing, and nose-blowing.

* Ringing or buzzing sensation in the ears

* Speech that is unclear

If the eardrum has broken due to high pressure from behind the ears, blood and pus may be oozing out of the ear.

Risk factors of ear ache

The risk factors are as follows:

* Bottle-feeding as opposed to breast feeding

* Exposure to second hand smoke

* A history of ear infections

* Sex of the kid(boys are more prone to infections of the middle ear)

* Child had been born premature or with low birth weight

* A foreign object inside the ear

What to do if ear ache occurs?

You can try placing an ice bag or a bottle of warm water over the ear to ease the ear pain.

It is recommended to call for a doctor in these cases.

* Your child exhibits a temperature.

* Your child does not stop crying

* Your child gets a skin rash

* Your child has diarrhea or begins vomiting

* Your child exhibits some symptoms that have never occurred before.

Treatment for ear ache

The procedure for treating earache may include the following.

* Pain relievers to help reduce fever

* Ear drops

* Ingestion of antibiotics if the ear ache has been caused by bacterial infections.

Sources:
http://www.stvincent.org/ourservices/childrens/338_KIDS/earache.htm