Page 12 - Elevate Winter 2021
P. 12
ELEVATE YOUR
NOW HEAR THIS:
EARHOW TO HANDLE AN
INFECTION
If your child hasn’t had an ear
infection, chances are she’ll
get one eventually. Winter is a
good time to brush up on this
common byproduct of cold and
flu infections.
YOU PROBABLY HAD an ear infection as a child, but you might infection, sometimes the mucus has nowhere to go and builds up
have been too young to remember it. Five in 6 children have an in the middle ear. There, a secondary bacterial infection can occur
ear infection by age 3, according to the National Institute on because of overgrowth of bacteria from the nose.”
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Because many ear
infections occur before children can complain of pain, parents The bacteria can cause pus to form, which places pressure on the
can find it difficult to pinpoint the problem. Certain clues, eardrum. That’s what causes pain during middle ear infections. If
however, can be telling. your child can’t talk yet, she might pull on her ear or cry a lot.
FROM SNIFFLES TO EARACHE “Constant crying along with a runny nose, congestion and a fever
can indicate an ear infection,” Dr. Peterson says. “A fever that occurs
If your child has a cold or the flu, be on alert for a middle ear a few days after a cold began instead of on the first day may be
infection, the most common type of ear infection. Bacteria are another sign that the ears are infected.”
the culprit.
WHEN TO SEEK HELP
“The bacteria responsible for middle ear infections live in the
nose and mouth,” says Christy Peterson, MD, pediatrician at It can be tricky to know when and where to seek care for a possible
Atrium Health Navicent. “When children create lots of mucus in ear infection, especially since most children seem to notice ear pain
the nose, such as when they have the common cold or another viral at night. In many cases, children’s-strength acetaminophen and
ibuprofen, which don’t require a prescription, can ease the pain
12 navicenthealth.org | WINTER 2021
