When you think of common childhood complaints, what comes to your mind? If you say "ear infection," you are right. Millions of babies, preschoolers, and adults, suffer from acute otitis media annually, especially after having a cold, flu, or strep throat. At Westside Ear, Nose & Throat in Glendale AZ, Dr. Sudhir Agarwal, Dr. Ravi Agarwal, and Dr. Daniel Bos are the otolaryngologists who can help with ear infections for better health and hearing.
What are the signs of a Glendale ear infection?
Otitis media and otitis media with effusion typically come on quickly, causing patients:
- Pain
- Ear canal redness and tenderness
- Eardrums bulging with fluid
- Fever (high in young kids)
- Muffled hearing
- Restlessness, irritability, and sleeplessness
Young children may cry a lot, pull at their ears, and breastfeed poorly. These little patients get more ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are more horizontal than vertical and cannot drain the fluid and germs which accompany colds, flu, and strep throat infections. American Family Physician states that children typically have at least one ear infection before they reach school age.
If a patient has repeated episodes of Glendale ear infection, your providers may call the condition chronic. These repeated infections impact hearing acuity and even language development.
Treating ear infections
It begins with an otoscopic examination and review of symptoms at Westside Ear, Nose & Throat in Glendale AZ. While some ear infections clear without medications, many children need antibiotics to quell bacteria in the ear canal. Warm compresses to the affected ear and over the counter acetaminophen relieve pain.
Prevention is key to long term control of otitis media. As such there should be:
- No smoking in the home
- Allergy testing as needed
- Prophylactic antibiotics for repeat infections
- Installation of tympanostomy tubes to facilitate fluid drainage
Your ENT doctor may recommend limited pacifier usage, breastfeeding as long as possible, and positioning a baby vertically if drinking from a bottle or sippy cup.
Contact us
At Westside Ear, Nose & Throat in Glendale AZ, Dr. Sudhir Agarwal, Dr. Ravi Agarwal, and Dr. Daniel Bos help people of all ages overcome ear infections and a wide array of other otolaryngology issues. For more information, or if you need a sick appointment, please contact our office staff at (602) 938-3777.