If your child does not respond to your calls or turns up the volume on the TV too loudly, you should suspect hearing loss. Adenoid and middle ear infections can lead to hearing loss. According to experts, bottle feeding, food allergies, cigarette smoke and adenoid infections cause middle ear infections.
ENT Specialist Prof. Dr. Murat Topak from Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital pointed out that middle ear infections and adenoid problems affect the development of the child and reduce the quality of life.
Stating that otitis media is an infection of the mucosa lining the cavities anatomically connected to the middle ear and middle ear, Prof. Dr. Murat Topak stated that there is inflammatory fluid in the middle ear, which should be completely filled with air in otitis media.
Stating that middle ear infections are classified under four headings, Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "The first of these is myringitis. Myringitis is inflammation of the eardrum due to otitis media or alone. Acute otitis media, which ranks second, is a short-term otitis media characterized by sudden onset and pain. Otitis media with effusion is the accumulation of fluid (effusion) behind the intact eardrum without sudden and severe symptoms. This term describes a long-term middle ear problem that is not of a catarrhal or inflammatory origin. Chronic otitis media describes a long-term infection with a chronic discharge from the middle ear through a perforation in the eardrum."
85% of children suffer from otitis media
Stating that middle ear infections are among the most common diseases of the childhood age group, Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "Considering that 85% of all children have at least one episode of acute otitis media, the importance of the disease is understood."
Eustachian canal is short and horizontal
Noting that there are several reasons why acute otitis media is more common in children, Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "Until the immune system fully matures, especially children in nursery, kindergarten and primary school often encounter upper respiratory tract infections. In addition, these upper respiratory tract infections can easily progress to the middle ear through the Eustachian canal, which is shorter and horizontal compared to adults."
Inpatient nutrition causes disease
Prof. Dr. Murat Topak listed the other reasons why otitis media is more common in children as follows: "In addition to this basic mechanism, feeding children in a lying position (in children who suck a bottle while lying down, milk can easily pass into the middle ear and pave the way for the development of infection), the presence of food allergies, passive smoking and chronic adenoid infections are additional factors that increase the risk."
Defining otitis media with effusion as "the presence of fluid in the middle ear behind the eardrum without signs of acute infection", Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "Effusions lasting less than 6 weeks are usually due to acute otitis media, and if the effusion in the middle ear remains in place for more than 3 months, it is called chronic effusion. Chronic otitis media with effusion is a childhood disease, anomalies such as cleft palate, Down syndrome, pharyngolaryngeal reflux, anatomical position of the eustachian tube and frequent upper respiratory tract infections are factors that increase the risk of otitis media with effusion in children. It is related to the seasons, it is more common in the spring months when the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections increases, while its frequency decreases in the summer months."
Hearing loss is an important symptom
Prof. Dr. Murat Topak stated that otitis media with effusion is a disease with subtle symptoms and can be diagnosed by chance without any obvious complaint of the child:
"Especially the absence of symptoms such as pain, fever and ear discharge prevents the family's attention from turning to the ear. In young children, the only symptom may be the frequent placing of the hand to the ear. The presence of hearing loss often goes unnoticed. Parents often attribute the child's lack of response to calls to lack of interest, turning up the TV volume too much to curiosity and watching closely to a possible visual defect. In most children, the diagnosis is made as a result of teacher warnings or when they are taken to the doctor for other ailments."
Emphasizing that poorly treated chronic effusions are one of the most important factors in the emergence of other chronic ear diseases, Prof. Dr. Murat Topak said, "Effusions that occur after acute otitis media should be followed up for at least 3 months to be diagnosed as chronic otitis media with effusion. In patients diagnosed for the first time and it is not known whether there was effusion before, medical treatment is applied if the patient is seen in spring and winter. Follow-up is more appropriate at the beginning of summer. The most commonly used drugs in medical treatment are antibiotics. It is beneficial for the patient to receive medical treatment at least twice before deciding on surgical treatment. Ventilation tube application is performed in surgical treatment."