Can infants and young children get otitis media? How to prevent it in daily life?
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- Source:Target Hearing Aids
How to prevent otitis media in babies aged 0 to 3 years old?
1. Children are more likely to suffer from otitis media
The Eustachian tube connects the nasal cavity and the middle ear. Children's Eustachian tubes are shorter, wider, and straighter than those of adults. This allows more organisms to enter the middle ear from the respiratory tract, causing tonsillitis or otitis media.
2. Correct infant feeding method can prevent otitis media
It is not impossible to prevent otitis media. There are several very simple things that parents can do. These small details in life can significantly reduce the chance of otitis media in their children:
① When feeding from a bottle, do not raise the bottle too high. Let the baby hold the bottle vertically while feeding. At the same time, ensure that the baby does not eat too fast to prevent the nutrient solution from overflowing and flowing into the Eustachian tube of the middle ear.
②. Do not feed the baby while the baby is lying on the bed. Because it is not conducive to swallowing when lying down, excess nutrient solution will flow out of the baby's mouth and is very likely to flow into the ears, causing otitis media.
3. Protect children from exposure to respiratory infections.
4. Avoid damage to children’s respiratory tract caused by smoke.
Do not expose children to excessive amounts of smoke, especially second-hand smoke. If smoke causes respiratory diseases in children, it may lead to otitis media. Therefore, parents must not smoke in front of their children, especially infants and young children.
5. Prevent children from coming into contact with allergens.
If your child has been allergy tested and determined to be allergic to something, be sure to remove the allergen from your home environment. and allow children to reduce their exposure to allergens. This practice not only reduces ear, nose, and throat diseases but also prevents skin diseases that are not caused by allergens.
6. Pay attention to children’s abnormal behaviors.
Symptoms include children who like to pull their ears, have inexplicable fever, cry incessantly and often shake their heads. If your child doesn't show any symptoms, that doesn't mean he doesn't have otitis media. Some people with otitis media don't have any symptoms at first. So parents should not take it lightly.
7. Keep your ears dry.
Whenever your baby's ears get wet (such as after bathing, crying, spitting up milk), regardless of whether there are signs of infection, you should remember to remove the moisture in the ears. The water in the external auditory canal can be wiped gently with a clean cotton swab. If you suspect that water has entered the ear canal, you can use a hair dryer to blow it. First, pull the outer ear upward and outward to straighten the ear canal and keep the hair dryer away from the ear canal.5~10 cm away from the ear, blow warm or cold air into the ear with low setting for about 30 seconds. If you take your baby swimming, it's best to wear soft earplugs and choose a clean swimming pool. Let the water drain out of your ears after swimming. Note: People suffering from chronic otitis media should not swim.
8. Teach your baby the correct way to blow his nose
Because colds are the biggest cause of otitis media, when children are 3-6 years old, they must also start attending school independently in kindergarten. If you blow your nose incorrectly, it will often induce otitis media. Parents must first teach their children the correct way to blow their nose. Parents should teach their children to blow their noses gently and not too hard, otherwise they can lead to ear infections. Children should also be taught not to hold their noses to suppress sneezes, as this can also allow infection to enter the ears.
If you find that a child has otitis media, you must take him to the hospital for examination as soon as possible, let the child get more rest, and take good care of the child's diet, especially soft food. This is done to avoid aggravation of otitis media symptoms. For more specific and detailed introduction to disease prevention, you can consult authoritative doctors and experts for health help.