What is an ear infection and how do kids get them?
The most common type of ear infection in young children is acute otitis media (AOM), which occurs in the middle ear, or the space behind the eardrum. Typically, the child’s eustachian tubes (the tiny ducts that connect the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat) become swollen, causing fluid to pool in the middle ear. A virus or bacteria then infect the trapped fluid. As pus accumulates in the middle ear, the increased pressure on the eardrum causes an earache. Annually, there are 24.5 million visits to physicians for otitis media. Why are middle-ear infections so common in babies and toddlers? There are several factors that make children between three months and 3 years of age easy targets. • Their immune systems aren’t yet mature enough to defend against colds and other viral infections. • Their eustachian tubes tend to be short and somewhat horizontal (in adults, its longer and more vertical), so it’s easy for germs to travel from the nose or throat into the middle ear. • The
