{"id":6153,"date":"2019-04-30T03:54:01","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T03:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6153"},"modified":"2021-04-01T16:56:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T16:56:45","slug":"15-symptoms-of-otitis-media-in-children-and-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-symptoms-of-otitis-media-in-children-and-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Symptoms of Otitis Media in Children and Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Otitis media is the medical term for a middle ear infection. This painful condition affects both adults and children, but its more common in kids. Otitis media causes a buildup of fluid in the space behind the eardrum, affecting the function of the three small bones that deliver sound to the inner ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both viruses and bacteria can cause middle ear infection, with bacterial infections being the most aggressive, requiring treatment with antibiotics. Patients experiencing an attack of viral otitis media typically notice that the condition works its way out of the ear by itself in 48 to 72-hours after symptoms start to present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice any of the following symptoms of middle ear infection in yourself or your children, visit your doctor for a diagnosis. If you have the bacterial type, you\u2019ll need a prescription, but if you have the viral kind, you can treat it at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are eight symptoms of viral and bacterial otitis media.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.    Crying and Irritability in Infants and Children<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When adults and children get sick, we can use our vocal skills to tell others that we have a problem. However, babies don\u2019t have such a luxury. Infants <\/a>are part of the high-risk group for developing otitis media infection. Babies have yet to develop a robust immune system, making them prime targets for bacterial or viral infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Babies that experience the onset of middle ear infection have no way to communicate their pain symptoms with their parents \u2013 other than crying. Since it\u2019s normal for babies to cry, many parents may not realize that their child is suffering from otitis media infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only when the baby persistently cries, and gives visual cues of tugging on its ear, that parents realize their child may be dealing with a middle ear infection. Babies produce plenty of mucus \u2013 ask any parent about how many times their infant threw upon them today, and the chances are they\u2019ll tell you it was more than once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, infants may experience frequent blockages of the Eustachian tubes, leading to a buildup of pus in the ear that results in otitis media infection.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2.    Disturbed Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s challenging to sleep when you have an ear infection. The throbbing pain symptoms make it feel like your head is going to explode \u2013 and the chances of falling asleep are minimal in the advanced stages of the infection<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we sleep, our brain replenishes the neural pathways by removing all of the toxins built up during the day. Should we experience sleep disturbance or deprivation, the brain does not function the following day, resulting in problems with memory and thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping on your side with the infected ear facing the ceiling is a strategy doctors recommend to reduce pain symptoms associated with otitis media while you sleep. However, many patients still struggle to fall asleep without the assistance of a sleeping aid, such as an OTC remedy like melatonin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This symptom occurs in both adults and babies, and parents of infected infants may notice that their child stays up all night crying, instead of going to sleep.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3.    Tinnitus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In some cases of middle ear infection that spreads to other regions of the ear, patients may start to experience a ringing noise in their ears that doesn\u2019t go away, even if they cover their ears with a pillow or earmuffs. This condition, also known as, \u201ctinnitus<\/a>,\u201d is still a mystery to medical professionals, and they still have no apparent reason why tinnitus develops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tinnitus typically occurs as a symptom of an underlying health condition \u2013 such as an earache or trauma to the head. The volume of the ringing sound differs from patient to patient, dependent on the intensity of other symptoms and the extent of the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases of tinnitus-related to middle ear infection, the symptoms start to fade as the infection diminishes. It\u2019s only in rare instances that tinnitus will stick around after the infection clears. Patients that are struggling with tinnitus symptoms may require sleeping aids to help them get some rest at night.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4.    Pus Weeping from the Ear <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Otitis media <\/a>infection typically occurs due to a buildup of fluid in the middle ear. Eventually, this fluid turns to pus, and the infected individual may notice they start to weep pus from their outer ear. Patients may wake in the morning to find their pillowcase covered in a waxy green or yellow discharge, as the fluid leaks out onto the pillow while they sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeping pus is a sign of advanced infection and may occur due to a severe bacterial infection of the space behind the eardrum in the middle ear. Patients may complain about a feeling of fullness in the ear, which occurs due to fluid blockage in the Eustachian tubes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infected individuals experiencing these symptoms should visit their doctor\u2019s office for diagnosis and prescription medications to clear up the infection. Symptoms will start to clear after the patient begins their course of antibiotics, and the puss may subside after the first 24-hours.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5.    Fever and Chills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Viral and bacterial otitis media both cause symptoms of fever in both adults and children. As the infection takes hold of the middle ear, the immune system goes into overdrive, producing antibodies and white blood cells to fend off the pathogens. As the antibodies attack the tissues around the ear, the patient may also develop symptoms of headache <\/a>or intense earache. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hypothalamus then calls for the production of pyrogens to increase the body\u2019s temperature. These proteins bind to nerve endings, increasing the body\u2019s temperature setpoint. As a result, the patient starts to develop a fever. As the fever escalates, and the setpoint changes, the patient may experience chills due to the lag in bringing the body up to the new level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors are hesitant to break a fever because it\u2019s the body\u2019s natural defense against infection. Otitis media rarely causes high-fever, so doctors don\u2019t think it’s necessary to medicate the patient.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6.    Vertigo and Loss of Balance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The middle ear plays a role in helping you keep your balance while walking and standing upright. When otitis media causes symptoms of inflammation and swelling in this region of the ear, you may start to experience vertigo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vertigo is a condition that affects your balance, causing you to feel dizzy, even when you\u2019re sitting down. Patients with otitis media may find that symptoms of vertigo come and go, and they\u2019re most prevalent when moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those individuals affected by vertigo should sit down and elevate their feet, close their eyes and focus on their breathing. This strategy can help calm yourself and reduce the feeling of the room spinning under your feet. Sitting in a room with low lighting may also help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your balance will return once the infection starts to clear in 24 to 48-hours. As the fluid in the ear drains, you\u2019ll begin to notice a rapid reduction in these symptoms, and you can start moving around again.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7.    Hearing Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When otitis media infection starts, it causes swelling of the space behind the eardrum housing the three bones that push vibrations down into the inner ear for interpretation by the brain. When this area becomes infected, it starts to fill with fluid and pus<\/a>. A complete blockage of the space occurs, and the patient may notice that they can\u2019t hear out of the infected ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complete hearing loss in the infected ear is a common occurrence of otitis media, but it doesn\u2019t occur in some people with a mild infection. If the Eustachian tubes remain open, the fluid eventually drains from the ear naturally without the assistance of medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, should the blockage persist for 48-hours or longer, the patient may want to try a home remedy, such as pouring warm olive oil in their ear, to relieve the blockage. The hearing loss is only a temporary condition, and the patient will receive no lasting damage to their hearing due to the infection.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8.    Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bacteria and viruses that cause otitis media can spread to the gut. The Eustachian tubes act as a biological highway between the ears and the throat. When pus infected with bacteria drain from the middle ear through the Eustachian tubes, it ends up in the throat and stomach where it can cause symptoms of a sore throat, along with nausea <\/a>and vomiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases of aggressive bacterial infection, infants may also develop symptoms of diarrhea. This symptom is dangerous for anyone, but especially for babies. Diarrhea causes dehydration, resulting in a loss of water and vital minerals during each bowel movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients should remain hydrated and consume an electrolyte supplement after each bowel movement to ensure they don\u2019t experience a mineral imbalance. Mineral loss of potassium, sodium, calcium, and phosphorous can result in seizure symptoms, and the patient may end up slipping into a coma. Severe cases of diarrhea may result in hospitalization of the patient, and treatment with IV fluids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\r\n

<\/div>