Treatment of otitis in children - treatment of otitis in children with antibiotics( 4-7 years)

Otitis( more often called "ear inflammation") occurs in children of different ages( almost from their birth).

Diagnosing the same disease is sometimes very difficult:

• first, there are several forms of otitis - inflammation of the external auditory canal( either a boil or diffuse inflammation), inflammation of the middle ear( chronic and acute) and, of course, inflammation of the inner ear( othername - labyrinthite);
• secondly, acute otitis media is divided into several types( common, traumatic, etc.);
• Third, ear pain can be an "echo" of the disease of the teeth and jaw, and not otitis.

But in any case, otitis is a severe pain, capable of exhausting a small child. In this case, as for any other disease, treatment of otitis in children should begin with the explanation of the cause of its occurrence.

Before proceeding with further explanations, you should familiarize yourself with the ear structure:

Otitis externa

Diffuse inflammation is caused by infection of various ear wounds and abrasions caused by careless combing, with burns, purulent diseases and injuries. With this form of otitis, the child will complain of itching and pain. From the ear will begin to leak pus, which has an unpleasant smell. It is difficult to quickly diagnose correctly, because the symptoms are very similar to those of the middle part of the ear( acute otitis).

Treatment( as in all other cases) should be prescribed by a qualified doctor, because the misuse of medicines can lead to hearing loss. Most often recommended:

• removal of pus with sterile swabs( of gauze or cotton wool),
• auditory canal should be thoroughly washed with furacilin solution or a three percent solution of boric acid,
• ulcers should be cauterized with 2-5% solution of silver nitrate;
• external auditory meatus( skin) - lubricate with oxycort or sintomycin emulsion.

The second variant of external otitis - furuncle - occurs when the infection gets into the hair or sebaceous glands of this part of the ear( including when using for cleaning the ears of hairpins, matches and other, injuring the skin of the ear, objects).The "ripening" furuncle is under the skin, reducing the size of the auditory canal. At the same time, lymph nodes become quite painful while increasing. After a week( or slightly less), the boil usually breaks out on its own, or it needs to be opened. Relapse is possible, especially if there are such diseases in the child as diabetes, metabolic disorders or kidney disease.

Treatment consists in inserting into the ear canal cotton swabs impregnated with boric alcohol, physiotherapy, vitamin therapy and warming compress.

Average otitis media

Very often this disease is manifested in infants. This is due to the fact that their Eustachian tube has not yet grown to normal size, while remaining shorter and broader, and therefore more susceptible to the penetration of various infections into it( especially in ARI and mucus formation in the nose).

In children aged 4-7 years, otitis often develops as a consequence of diseases that impede breathing through the nose( runny nose, adenoids, sinusitis), plus a concomitant decrease in immunity. There are other causes of otitis in children - these are acute infectious diseases( influenza, measles, scarlet fever).

Acute inflammation occurs when an infection( via the Eustachian tube) comes from the nose into the tympanum, and it can last up to several weeks.

The location of the middle ear cavity is shown in the figure:

Physicians distinguish three stages of otitis of the ear:

1. I stage - arises and begins to develop inflammatory process, exudate is formed;

2. II stage - the appearance of a hole( perforation) in the tympanic membrane and suppuration;

3. III stage - gradual remission of inflammation, reduction and complete cessation of the outflow of pus, fusion of the edges of the damaged eardrum.

The average otitis media( in its acute form) is especially dangerous for complications: labyrinthitis, loss of auditory and vestibular function, intracranial complications( meningitis, brain abscesses), and paralysis of the facial nerve.

The main symptoms of otitis in the child in the first stage of the disease will be manifested in the form of sharp pain in the ear, a decrease in hearing, an increase in temperature( often up to 40 °).In the second stage, the tympanic membrane slightly protrudes, and then spontaneous perforation and suppuration occurs( with a decrease in temperature and a decrease in the pain experienced by the baby).In Stage III, children often complain of hearing impairment.

How to treat? When the diagnosis is confirmed, antibiotic treatment is prescribed( with suppuration - with mandatory determination of microflora sensitivity to them), antipyretic drugs. And also full rest with obligatory bed regimen, vasoconstrictive drops in the nose, warming compresses, physiotherapy. Remember that the treatment of any form of otitis media should be prescribed by an otolaryngologist, who can also perform a tympanic incision with ear blowing( if necessary).

If the average otitis already "entered" into its chronic phase( with improper treatment, self-medication, the presence of inflammatory processes that have also passed into a chronic condition in the nasopharynx), then suppuration from the ear will be observed either permanently or with small interruptions. In this case, the hearing decreases, and the tympanic membrane remains perforated. Chronic otitis media can cause destruction of the ear bone, paralysis of the facial nerve, otogenic sepsis, meningitis and brain abscess.

Treatment, in the first place, should be aimed at preventing the retention of pus in the ear( the ear should be rinsed daily with a disinfectant solution with mandatory subsequent drying of the ear canal).With a slight suppuration, small amounts of carefully minced boric acid powder, antibiotics or sulfonamides may be injected into the ear( this ensures that drugs "get" directly to the site affected by the infection).If the medication is ineffective, surgical intervention may be required.

To prevent the exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended to bathe the baby( and also to wash his head), only by closing his ears with cotton wool soaked in petroleum jelly or some other oil.