Ear infections

Ear infections are one of the most common childhood illnesses, striking most children at least once before the age of three. Characterized by pain, dizziness, fever, and reduced hearing, ear infections are the most common reason children are prescribed antibiotics.

Infants are prone to ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are short and nearly horizontal, which encourages fluid and bacteria to build up and infection to develop. However, as children grow older, their tubes lengthen and become vertical, making drainage easier and infections less common. Ear infections usually occur just after a cold, sinus infection or a bout of allergies, all of which can cause the nasal and ear passages to become filled with mucus and bacteria, causing infection, swelling and pain, and possibly rupturing the eardrum.

Your child may be too young to tell you his or her ear hurts, so look for common signs of an ear infection, including:

• Unusual fussiness, crying, or irritability
• Fever of 101 to 102 degrees F
• Pulling or grabbing of the ears
• Diarrhea - the viruses that cause ear infections can also affect the gastrointestinal tract.
• Reduced appetite - an ear infection may make it painful for your baby to chew or swallow.
• Yellowish or whitish fluid draining from the ear - this is caused by a hole in the eardrum, which will heal on its own once the infection is treated
• A foul odor coming from the ear
• Loss of balance
• Trouble hearing
• Unwillingness to lie flat

Call your pediatrician at the first sign of an ear infection. Depending on the severity of the infection, he or she may give you a prescription for antibiotics. While most infections will heal on their own without antibiotics, your child may have to endure 4 to 7 days of pain and fever before the bacteria and fluid clear. The following are some ways to relieve the pain of ear infections from Dr. William Sears, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine:

• Children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen (always check with your doctor first before giving your child medication)
• Warm compress - apply a warm washcloth to the ear
• Warm olive oil, vegetable oil, or garlic oil - put several drops of one of these into the ear. Be sure the oil is not too hot.
• Anesthetic eardrops - these are available by prescription and numb the eardrum to minimize pain for several hours.

If your child suffers from chronic or frequent ear infections, your pediatrician may recommend ear tubes. These are tiny tubes inserted into the eardrum for 6 months to a year to help drain fluid, assist hearing and proper speech development, and to prevent hearing loss (a rare, but possible complication of chronic ear infections).

The best way to prevent an ear infection is to prevent your child from catching colds and sinus infections, which can be a challenge. However, here are some other ways to reduce the chance your child will develop an ear infection:

• Breastfeed - Studies have shown the risk of ear infections is 70 percent higher in formula-fed babies, so breastfeed your baby as long as possible.
• Feed upright - If you are bottle-feeding, try to feed your baby upright; lying down can cause the milk to irritate the Eustachian tube.
• Vaccinate your child - Certain routine vaccinations, such as the HiB and Pneumococcal vaccines, help prevent illnesses that can lead to an ear infection.
• Avoid cigarette smoke - Cigarette smoke irritates a baby's nasal passages, which can lead to problems with the Eustachian tube and make ear infections more common.