Next to the common cold, ear infections are the most commonly diagnosed childhood illness in the United States. More tha
3 out of 4 kids have had at least one ear infection by the time they reach 3 years of age. To understand how ear infections developr
Middle ear infection is an infection that occurs behind the eardrum, in the middle part of the ear. While it can happen in people of all ages, it mainly affects children. The medical term for middle ear infection is otitis media.
Middle ear infection is the most common childhood illness treated by pediatricians. It usually develops a few days after a child has a cold or the flu. Half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection while they're growing up, most often before age 3.
Children generally suffer from one of three forms of middle ear infection:
Acute otitis media - a sudden but temporary inflammation in the middle ear.
Recurrent acute otitis media - ear infections that keep coming back, with the ear returning to normal between episodes.
Chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) - a persistent accumulation of sticky thick fluid in the middle ear, also called effusion, that is not painful; children most often say their ears feel stuffy. OME is also called glue ear.
Facts About Middle Ear Infection:
Half of all children have at least one ear infection by the time they are 3 years old.
The earlier a child has a first ear infection, the more susceptible the child is to having others.
Babies who breast-feed for more tha
6 months have fewer ear infections than babies who begin bottle-feeding before they are one month old.
Children who are exposed to smoking at home tend to have more ear infections.
After age 5, nearly all children have outgrown their susceptibility to ear infections.
Middle ear infection is more common in boys than girls.
Middle ear infection occurs with greater frequency in children attending daycare centers.
Middle ear infection is most common in winter, less common in summer.
Children with middle ear infections are more likely to have family members who also have middle ear infections.
Middle ear infection is more common in American Indians, Alaskan and Canadian Eskimos, and Australian Aboriginer
Signs and symptomsr
When the middle ear becomes acutely infected, pressure builds up behind the eardrum (tympanic membrane), frequently causing intense pain. It may result in bullous myringitis, which means that the tympanic membrane is blistered and inflamedr
Causesr
Otitis media is most commonly caused by infection with viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens. The most common bacterial pathogen is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Others include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Among older adolescents and young adults, the most common cause of ear infections is Haemophilus influenzae. Viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and those that cause the common cold may also result in otitis media by damaging the normal defenses of the epithelial cells in the upper respiratory tract.
The first line antibiotic treatment, if warranted, is amoxicillin or Cephalexin.
Cephalexin belongs to a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins. They are similar to penicillin in action and side effects. They stop or slow the growth of bacterial cells by preventing bacteria from forming the cell wall that surrounds each cell. The cell wall protects bacteria from the exte
al environment and keeps the contents of the cell together. Without a cell wall, bacteria are not able to survive. Bacteria that are susceptible to cephalexin include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, E. coli and several others. Cephalexin was approved by the FDA
Cephalexin is used as treatment for infections caused by bacteria that are susceptible to the effects of cephalexi
Common infections that are treated with cephalexin include infections of the middle ear, tonsils, throat, larynx (laryngitis)...
No Prescription CephalexinAntibiotics