A middle ear infection is one of the most annoying types of infections you can have. It hurts, and you can’t concentrate on anything anymore. Children can hardly avoid one or two ear infections during the first twelve years of life, but it is less common in adults. How do you recognize an (acute) ear infection and when should you go to the doctor?
Middle ear infection
- Inflammation of the middle ear
- Acute middle ear infection
- Antibiotics for ear infections
- Other treatments for an ear infection
Inflammation of the middle ear
A middle ear infection (medical term: otitis media ) is, as the name suggests, an inflammation in the middle ear , which is especially common in children. In most cases, such an ear infection goes away on its own without the need for medication or other treatment. In a number of cases, further treatment is good or even very important. For example, there are aggressive types of ear infections that can cause hearing damage, although this is extremely rare. This only occurs when runny ears persist for a long time and no treatment is sought. Untreated runny ear can result in glue ear , a condition in which the ear continues to produce a sticky discharge incessantly.
Acute middle ear infection
When an acute middle ear infection occurs, it is always the result of a bacterial infection . This concerns streptococci, pneumococci, staphylococci and Moraxella catarrhalis . This type of inflammation can be recognized because the inside of the ear has a red color and the eardrum is also red and protruding (also known as a ‘bobbing eardrum’). In such a situation, spontaneous perforation may occur, which will result in a runny ear. This is accompanied by severe ear pain and reduced hearing. Because it is caused by a bacterium, the lymph nodes in the neck also experience problems and will swell. Fever also often occurs with an acute middle ear infection.
A middle ear infection is often caused by flying . The pressure difference to which the ear is then exposed makes it easier for bacteria to infiltrate the ear. This is called barotitis .
If you suspect that you or your child have an acute middle ear infection, always consult your doctor. This person can best assess whether treatment is necessary. Because ear infections cause so much ear pain in children, parents sometimes want to be a little too generous when giving paracetamol or aspirin. However, be careful with this and never administer more than is recommended in the package leaflet.
In the case of chronic middle ear infection, an ENT specialist sometimes performs surgical intervention. A tube is then placed that allows air through the eardrum into the middle ear. This procedure is almost exclusively performed on children. The tubes usually eventually fall out on their own without being noticed.
Antibiotics for ear infections
Antibiotics are a possible treatment for an ear infection, but are not always necessary. It saves an average of a sick day or two, but it is better if the body defeats the ear infection itself. Doctors do routinely give antibiotics for ear infections to children under the age of 1. If you suspect an ear infection in a baby under twelve months of age, always consult a doctor.
In other cases, antibiotics are only considered by doctors if the pain has not decreased at all after 4 to 5 days. In that case, going to the doctor earlier with a normal ear infection usually makes little sense. It will usually be recommended to use regular pain relief such as paracetamol, possibly supplemented with ear drops to relieve the worst pain.
Other treatments for an ear infection
The treatment of middle ear infection in which the eardrum is punctured is still used in some countries, but no longer in the Netherlands. During this paracentesis, a small hole is made in the eardrum so that the fluid that causes the pain can quickly drain out. Today, this treatment is largely frowned upon by Dutch doctors, and it is strongly discouraged to administer this treatment yourself.
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