Acute middle ear infection in babies and children

Foto von KindParents often have sleepless nights when their child has a middle ear infection. The child may be crying, have pain, run a fever and be unable to sleep. It is understandable that some parents are worried about it being something serious. But there is usually no need to worry when it comes to acute middle ear infections. They generally clear up on their own within two to three days and serious complications are rare. It is usually enough to relieve the symptoms with painkillers.

However, it is important to carefully observe the course of an acute middle ear infection. If the child has got worse or has not got noticeably better after two days, treatment is needed to prevent possible complications. Read on to find out what causes middle ear infections, how to recognize the symptoms and what you can do to stop your child from getting them.

Table of contents

  1. Background
    1. Function and structure of the ear
    2. Frequency of acute middle ear infection and the course of the illness
    3. How middle ear infections develop
    4. The risk of becoming ill
    5. General prevention
  2. Diagnosis: How can you recognize an acute middle ear infection?
    1. Signs and symptoms
    2. The doctor’s diagnosis
    3. Possible complications and their signs
  3. Treatment
    1. Pain relief and fever-reducing treatment
    2. Antibiotics
    3. Decongestant nose drops or nasal sprays
    4. Incision of the eardrum (paracentesis)
  4. Acute middle ear infection: Summary
  5. Sources

Article Navigation

  • Last update: October 13th 2011 08:12
  • Created (German version): June 29th 2009 15:47
  • History: Show list

Related categories:

Besucher, die diese Seite besuchten, haben auch folgende Seiten aufgerufen:

  1. Open limb fractures: How well do antibiotics protect against wound infection?
  2. Causes and signs of oedema

Evaluated by

„Relevant, objective and independent“

Link to the Glossary

Do you want automatic links to the medical dictionary?

Subscribe topic

The topic of this article subscribe