Kids at risk of ear infection

Did you know that the ears can also be the target for allergy-related conditions?   

Recent studies have suggested that the middle ear is a target organ of allergy. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, children with allergies are at greater risk than adults of having ear infections. One of these conditions is called otitis media, an inflammation of the middle ear.

Otitis media occurs when fluid from the ear canal, or eustachian tube, collects in the middle ear. It usually comes in three forms.

Acute otitis media, characterized by symptoms of pain, redness of the eardrum, and possible fever, begins suddenly and is severe. Chronic otitis media occurs frequently, persisting for six weeks or more. When the fluid in the middle ear is temporary and not necessarily infected, the condition is called otitis media with effusion.     

There are many reasons why children are more susceptible to otitis media than adults. One is that the immune system of children are still developing, thus they have more trouble fighting infections. 

Another reason has to do with the child’s eustachian tube, a small passageway that connects the upper part of the throat to the middle ear.

The eustachian tube is shorter and straighter in the child than in the adult. Thus, it may allow fluid in the middle ear to accumulate easily in a child when plugged with mucus from a cold or for other reasons.

Another factor is that adenoids in children are larger than adults. Adenoids, located at the back of the upper part of the throat near the eustachian tubes, are composed largely of cells that help fight infections. Once enlarged and infected, they may interfere with the eustachian tube opening, and spread the infection into the tubes. 

But that is not all. Otitis media is also difficult to detect in children because they do not yet have sufficient speech and language skills to determine the symptoms associated with the disease.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders enumerated the common signs of otitis media to look for in children — unusual irritability; difficulty sleeping; tugging or pulling at one or both ears; fever; fluid draining from the ear; loss of balance; and unresponsiveness to quiet sounds or other signs of hearing difficulty such as sitting too close to the television or being inattentive.

In the recent nationwide survey on hearing disability and ear disorders conducted by Better Hearing Philippines Inc., otitis media was identified as one of the leading causes of hearing disability of 8.8 percent of the general population.

The first line of treatment for otitis media is to adjust environmental factors. Exposure to secondhand smoke must be avoided as it increases the risk and severity of ear infections. Breastfeeding is also encouraged in infants for at least six months. Studies show that breastfeeding helps prevent the development of early episodes of ear infections.

If one is allergic, avoiding the substance that triggers the allergy, called the allergen, can also be effective. Research shows that up to 40 percent of otitis media with effusion cases have an allergic component. Thus, identifying and avoiding allergens can be very effective prevention. 

Identifying the allergens has now become convenient and easy through a new technology called the ImmunoCAP system, the first diagnosis system approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

 To get the lists of hospitals and laboratories that offer ImmunoCAP system, call the Trianon hotline at 815-3239 or visit www.phadia.com.