What is otitis media?
This refers to an inflammation of the middle ear, usually due to the improper functioning of the Eustachian tube. Sometimes otitis media will clear up after several days of taking antibiotics, but in other cases the surgical placement of ventilation tubes is necessary. If otitis media is diagnosed and treated soon enough, it should not lead to any permanent damage to hearing; but repetitive bouts can present speech problems, since otitis media can cause temporary hearing loss at a stage in an infant’s life when he/she is learning to make meaningful vocal sounds.
