Middle Ear Effusion in Children

Ear infections are very common, especially among children under the age of 5, and they can be bothersome and painful. Most cases will clear up on their own after a few days, so patience is the key. There are some treatments that are used to help treat ear infections, particularly recurring cases, to help prevent or heal them faster. Here are some common treatments, according to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, for successful treatment of an ear infection.

Middle Ear Effusion

• Effusion in the middle ear is the medical term for fluid building up behind the ear drum, caused by the swelling of the middle ear. This build up of fluid leads to an ear infection. Since young children are often unable to verbalize what is bothering them, look for symptoms that indicate possible ear infection. These include pain in the ears, pulling or tugging at the ears, crying more frequently, trouble sleeping, increased irritability, headaches, fever above 100 degrees F or fluid draining from the ears.

Risk Factors

• Children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years of age are most susceptible to development of an ear infection, and are most common among ages 4 months to 4 years. This risk increases in children who attend child care since they are exposed to more colds and viruses than children who remain at home. Babies who lie down when feeding are also at increased risk of ear infection and placing children upright when feeding decreases that risk.

  For old and young alike, fall and winter seasons, as well as seasonal allergies, increase risk of an ear infection. Exposure to tobacco smoke and higher levels of air pollution are another risk factor. If there is history of ear infections among another family member, that also increases the risk. American Indians and Inuits from both Canada and Alaska have a higher occurrence of ear infections as well.

Antibiotics

• After monitoring the ear infection for 72 hours to see if it will clear up on its own, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic as treatment. This is especially true if the patient is under 6 months of age or has suffered from two or more ear infections in the last 30 days. The most common antibiotic is ear drops containing amoxicillin. The use of antibiotics, however, is somewhat controversial since it can't treat viral infections and can create more resistant strains of bacteria, making future treatment more difficult. Talk with your doctor if your are uncomfortable with using an antibiotic to treat an ear infection.

Surgical Treatment

• The most common surgical treatment used in treating an ear infection is the insertion of drainage tubes, used only if infections are recurring and antibiotics aren't helping. This procedure requires general anesthesia as the doctor inserts special tubes in the ear to help with proper drainage and equalizing pressure. These tubes generally remain in for a year before falling out on their own.

  Another surgical procedure that may be performed is the removal of the adenoids, which can become infected or enlarged, contributing to recurring ear infections.

  Both of these procedures are normally used to treat children, and surgical treatment is very rare among adults.

At-Home Remedies

• Many patients have found that applying a warm, damp cloth to the ear can help to provide some much-needed relief for the pain associated with ear infections. Also, talk with your doctor about taking over the counter pain medications, specifically ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions, particularly in children as dosages are based on age and weight.

  Another helpful hint is to find something to distract from the pain. Read a good book or watch a well-loved movie. Play a fun game or spend time talking to friends and family. This will make the time go by faster as you're on the road to recovery.