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Otitis media
Ear Infections
Middle ear (otitis media) infections are very common in young children. They include:
Prevention
Preventing colds and influenza (“flu”) is the best way to prevent ear infections. Make sure children wash their hands frequently and receive an influenza vaccine annually. The pneumococcal vaccine is also very helpful for preventing ear infections.
Treatment
The ear is the organ of hearing and balance. It has three parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear.

Acute Otitis Media (AOM). An inflammation in the middle ear is known as "otitis media." AOM is a middle ear infection caused by bacteria that traveled to middle ear from fluid build-up in the Eustachian tube. AOM may develop during or after a cold or the flu.
Otitis Media with Effusion (OME). This condition occurs when fluid, called an effusion, becomes trapped behind the eardrum in one or both ears, even when there is no infection. In chronic and severe cases, the fluid is very sticky and is commonly called "glue ear."
Chronic Otitis Media. This condition refers to persistent fluid behind the tympanic membrane without any infection present. It is called suppurative chronic otitis when there is persistent inflammation in the middle ear or mastoids, or chronic rupture of the eardrum with drainage.
Swimmer ' s Ear (Acute Otitis Externa). Acute otitis externa is an inflammation or infection of the outer ear and ear canal. It can be triggered by water that gets trapped in the ear. The trapped water can cause bacteria and fungi to breed. Otitis externa can also be precipitated by overly aggressively scratching or cleaning ears or when an object gets stuck in the ears.
Otitis externa should be treated with topical (rarely oral) antibiotics. For pain relief, over-the-counter remedies such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) usually help, but in severe cases opioid drugs may be prescribed. With eardrops, most cases will clear up within 2 - 3 days.
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