Inflammation of the ear causes severe pain and fever in children and babies. What are the symptoms? How is it treated? Find out.
Otitis can affect the outer part of the ear, from the eardrum outward (otitis externa) or the middle part (otitis media).
How is it produced?
Otitis media is caused by bacteria entering the middle ear from the nose or throat. Both are connected to the ear through a tube-shaped duct called the Eustachian tube. Otitis is more common when this duct fills with mucus, either because the child suffers from a catarrhal processor because he has large vegetations.
What are the symptoms?
– Earache, which increases at night, fever and general discomfort.
– In babies, otitis can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and sleep disturbance.
How is it treated?
– Otitis media are usually caused by bacteria, so treatment generally consists of taking antibiotics. The most prescribed is amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, which is broad-spectrum.
– If the child has a fever, it is recommended to administer ibuprofen to lower it, which also calms pain and reduces inflammation.
How and how often is the antibiotic administered?
– The dose of amoxicillin recommended by the pediatrician (depending on the age of the child) should be given every eight hours for at least ten days, with or without meals.
– If the doctor prescribes a different antibiotic, he will indicate the duration of the treatment, the intervals between the doses and the way to administer it, since each antibiotic is different.
– The treatment should not be interrupted even if the child no longer has a fever or has stopped hurting.
Can we alleviate pain with natural remedies?
– If we do not have ibuprofen at home, a natural remedy is to put heat on the ear. Serve the mother’s warm hand, if the child is young, or a warm woolen cloth.
– It also helps to clean the nostrils (if possible three times a day) with saline, since the fewer snot you have in your nose, the less your ears will hurt.
What if you lose your appetite?
It is normal for the child to be inappetent, but that should not worry us, since it is recovered when it gets well. It is convenient to offer milk and derivatives, and your favorite foods.
Is it normal for ear infections to recur?
Some children are very prone to suffering from the ears, especially those who get sick frequently.
Is it true that with the infection the eardrum can rupture?
If the otitis is not treated in time, a pus abscess forms that ends up breaking the eardrum and going outside (a smelly discharge is seen that usually comes out at night and stains the pillow). At that time the fever drops and the pain goes away, but the infection does not. If treated then, the eardrum wound heals and leaves a barely noticeable scar.