PAIN IN THE EAR-ACUTE SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA

Acute otitis media can occur in any age group but is more common in children.Most of the kids below the age of four years suffer atleast once from severe pain in the ear especially during the night time. This is an acute condition. The child becomes irritable in initial stages and as the stage progresses, feels severe pain in the ear and starts crying. If the child is sleeping, he get up crying. This attack is common in kids having upper respiratory infections like common cold. The infection travels from the nose to the ear via a tube connecting these two called eustachian tube when the child blows his nose. In the beginning the pain increases till a time comes when the ear starts discharging if the child remains untreated. The discharge is at first blood stained but later on, it is only pus like. The child is relieved of the pain as soon as the discharge appears.The child can have fever. On examination the child looks feverish, has a running nose and irritable. In the initial stage the drum looks red (congested) but when the ear start discharging, one can see a small hole in the drum. To treat the child, the child is given pain killers and antipyretics like paracetamol, decongestants,local decongestant nasal drops and a course of antibiotics. Steam inhailation gives a soothing effect. Mostly the child is fine after the attack is cured and the small hole (perforation) of the drum heals by itself. Recurrent attacks of this disease needs special attention as the child might be suffering from enlarged adenoids which is a lymphoid tissue mass present in the nasopharynx, a space present behind the nasal cavities above the level of palate. In such cases removal of adenoids and placement of a ventilation tube in the drum becomes necessary.