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How much does otitis media affect hearing?

       Otitis media will affect the tympanic membrane, and inflammation of the tympanic membrane will directly affect hearing.Inflammation can perforate the tympanic membrane, which is clinically manifested as ear discharge and hearing loss.Inflammation affects the ossicles, causing it to corrode, causing the ossicular chain to be interrupted, and the effects of middle ear pressurization and sound amplification disappear completely, resulting in more obvious hearing loss.Long-term discharge of pus, especially cholesteatoma-type otitis media, can cause the sensory function of the inner ear to decrease or disappear when toxins or bacteria enter the inner ear. The hearing test is a mixed deafness.If you have otitis media, if you don’t treat it in time, your ears will have long-term and repeated discharge of pus. In addition, inflammation can damage the auditory ossicles, and bacterial toxins can damage the auditory nerve, which can eventually cause hearing loss and even deafness.

       Many mothers may have such doubts: The middle ear is hidden in the ear, how did the germs get in?The answer is simple: the human nasopharynx and ears are connected by the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube of infants and young children is very short, wide and flat. The mouth of the tube is often open, and it is connected to the middle ear. The nose If the pharynx is infected with bacteria or viruses, it is easy to infect the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, causing inflammation.The bacteria that cause acute otitis media are often Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, and the viruses that cause acute otitis media are often influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus.Although viruses can also cause otitis media, in general, acute otitis media is still dominated by bacterial infections.Children with acute otitis media often present with ear pain, crying, and often scratching their ears with their hands, accompanied by symptoms such as fever and refusal to feed.

       If there is a perforation of the tympanic membrane, purulent mucus may also be seen flowing out of the ear, and the child’s hearing loss.Suffering from acute otitis media, it should be treated actively and thoroughly, as long as it is treated in time, it will usually be cured without sequelae.For the diagnosis and treatment of acute otitis media in infants and young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated the “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in Children” in early 2013, providing recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated acute otitis media in children between 6 months and 12 years of age.These recommendations are based on evidence-based medicine and provide stricter diagnostic criteria for acute otitis media, aiming to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.

How to deal with and prevent middle ear effusion

3. Studies have shown that second-hand smoke is a high-risk factor, so parents must provide children with an environment free of second-hand smoke; the responsibility is heavy, disease prevention is always more important than cure.