It prevents the spread of germs and can prevent your child from catching a cold or the flu. In addition, the routine pneumococcal vaccination given in childhood has been shown to decrease the incidence of ear infections. The most common cause of an ear infection is an upper respiratory viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. Now that you know what causes ear infections, here are some tips to help prevent the bacteria from collecting in the middle ear space: This makes it more difficult for fluid to drain out of the middle ear, and much easier for bacteria to move from the nose and throat into the middle ear space, leading to infection. Infants and young children have a shorter and more horizontal Eustachian tube. It is also connected to the back of the nose via the Eustachian tube. The middle ear contains the small bones that conduct the vibrations of the ear drum to the brain. A thin, membranous eardrum divides the outer and middle ear. The ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear canal, the middle ear space where infections happen, and the inner ear where the nerves and balance center are located. What causes ear infections?īefore we talk prevention, it’s important to understand what causes ear infections.
Besides causing your child to feel miserable, ear infections lead to the use of repeated antibiotics and can affect hearing and balance. Nearly 80 percent of children under the age of two will have at least one ear infection annually, and most will have repeated infections. Ear infections are one of the most common ailments in babies and young children. If you’re the parent of a baby or young child, you know the signs: fussiness, cold-like symptoms, fever, sleeplessness, poor feeding, and ear pain.
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