Preventing ear infections in children

Otitis media (OM) is a condition in which the middle ear mucosa becomes congested and purulent. Otitis media is common in children of nursery and preschool age and is often a complication of rhinopharyngitis. Therefore, the answer is that increased OM is due to increased rhinopharyngitis and prevention of OM is completely possible if rhinopharyngitis is treated early and properly.

Longitudinal image of the relationship between the nose, throat and ear.

Why do I have ear infections?

The middle ear communicates with the nasopharynx through a recess on the inner surface of the middle ear called the eustachian tube. In children, the opening to the nasopharynx (where the adenoids are located) is wide and the eustachian tube is short, so infections from the nasopharynx to the ear are very likely to occur. VTG is also classified as an upper respiratory tract infection because they share a common mucosal system, which is columnar epithelium, has cilia and secretory glands.

How to prevent disease?

It is necessary to treat infections in the nose and throat early by early detection: when the nose is inflamed, nasal discharge will flow in two ways: out the back of the nose and straight down the throat (this type of runny nose is often not detected and often causes complications of pharyngitis, laryngotracheobronchitis because parents do not see it so the child is not treated early). The second type flows out the front of the nose, this type of runny nose is easy to detect, so it is less likely to cause complications. However, this type can easily cause VTG if the nose is not treated properly. If you see your child breathing louder than usual while sleeping, sometimes having to open their mouth to breathe, and waking up in the morning coughing, these signs indicate that the child has rhinitis. You should take your child to see a doctor and get treatment right away at this stage.

Treating rhinitis seems simple, but not everyone can do it correctly. Imagine the nasal cavity as a stream, connecting to the caves of the middle ear and sinuses (depending on age). Nasal fluid fills the nasal cavity with congestion of the nasal mucosa and nasal turbinates.

Do not overuse nasal irrigation with saline solution and then force the child to blow his nose. This action causes the fluid in the nasal cavity to go in three ways: part of the fluid goes out of the nose, part of the fluid is pushed into the adjacent sinuses (if any) and part of the fluid is pushed into the middle ear, and this is one of the causes of VTG in children. Frequent nasal irrigation and suction also damages the mucous layer on the surface of the nasal mucosa system. At this time, the nasal mucosa is in direct contact and affected by the environment, so it is more vulnerable and indirectly increases the possibility of VTG in children.

Improper nasal drops also reduce the effectiveness of nasal drops. This prolongs the child's rhinitis - and this is also one of the causes of VTG.

VTG originates from nasopharyngitis and appears when there is blockage of the Eustachian tube, thereby forming negative pressure in the middle ear causing increased secretion of the middle ear mucosa, this is a favorable environment for bacteria to grow, from which, the VTG process begins to form.

Treatment of rhinopharyngitis is not always simple, therefore, if the child has prolonged rhinopharyngitis or the rhinopharyngitis becomes more and more severe after a week of treatment, the care of an ENT specialist is really necessary. The prescription and instructions of the doctor must be strictly followed, and the child must not be stopped from taking the medicine without taking the child back for a check-up.

According to SK-DS (MD)