Also called: Also called: Otitis media
Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.
If your child does not yet talk, you need to look for signs of an infection:
- Tugging at ears
- Crying more than usual
- Ear drainage
- Trouble sleeping
- Balance difficulties
- Hearing problems
Often, ear infections go away on their own, but your health care provider may recommend pain relievers. Severe infections and infections in young babies may require antibiotics. Children who get frequent infections may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears. The tubes relieve pressure in the ears so that the child can hear again.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Ear Infections: Facts for Parents about Otitis Media
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/otitismedia.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/otitismedia_span.asp -
Ear Infections: Otitis Media with Effusion(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/ent/330.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/ent/330.printerview.html
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Otitis Media
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/otitismedia/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/otitismediaspanish/htm/index.htm
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Middle Ear Infections (Otitis Media)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/otitis_media.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/otitis_media_esp.html
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Otitis Media (Ear Infection)(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/otitism.asp
- Question and Answers on Acute Otitis Media(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aomqa.htm
- Kids' Obesity Linked to Ear Infections(08/14/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68173.html
- Ear Discharge(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ear-discharge/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Ear Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/507.printerview.html
- Ear Tubes(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Ear-Tubes.cfm
- Can I Prevent Ear Infections When My Child Swims?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/question/general/ear_infections_swimming.html
- Ear Infections: Common Risk Factors(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZCU4MJ8VD&sub_cat=0
- Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis(Vestibular Disorders Association) - http://www.vestibular.org/vestibular-disorders/specific-disorders/labyrinthitisvest-neuritis.php
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Otitis Externa(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/657.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/657.printerview.html
- Serous Otitis Media(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch276/ch276c.html
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Swimmer's Ear (Otitis Externa)(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/ear/swimmer_ear.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/swimmer_ear_esp.html
- Cholesteatoma(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/cholesteatoma.cfm
- Mastoiditis(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch220/ch220h.html
- Ruptured Eardrum(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/ruptured-eardrum/DS00499/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Otitis Media(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/otitismedia/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/otitismediaspanish/htm/index.htm
- Atlas of the Body: The Ear(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZYXNW46JC&sub_cat=198
- How the Ear Works(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earWorks.cfm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Otitis Externa(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Otitis+Externa%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Otitis Media(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Otitis+Media%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Morbidity of overweight (>or=85th percentile) in the first 2 years... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18676542&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Topical ciprofloxin versus topical framycetin-gramicidin-dexamethasone in Australian aboriginal children with... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18664984&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The EarCheck Middle Ear Monitor for detection of middle ear... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18617875&tool=MedlinePlus
- Ear Infections -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=otitis+media[majr]+OR+middle+ear+ventilation[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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NIDCD Glossary(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/glossary/
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery - http://www.entnet.org/
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
- Causes of Hearing Loss in Children(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) - http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/causes.htm
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Earaches in Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/ent/055.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/ent/055.printerview.html
- Swimmer's Ear(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/swimmers_ear.html
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What Is an Ear Infection?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/ear_infection.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/comunes/ear_infection_esp.html
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Your Ears(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/ears.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/ear_esp.html
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Swimmer's Ear (External Otitis )(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/swimmers_ear.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/swimmers_ear_esp.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Ear Infections is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
Ear Infections - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/earinfections.html