(NC)-More than 70 per cent of all children may suffer a middle ear infection before the age of three and almost 20 per cent will experience at least three infections before the age of six. Chronic ear infections are disturbing and painful to your child, who may experience ear pain, lack of appetite and fever, among other symptoms. Also, as a parent it is not easy to watch your child suffer from a persistent infection.

Caused by the presence of fluid or pus in the middle ear, the condition can be chronic in some children. If your child has fluid in their ear they may experience temporary hearing loss which can lead to speech problems, changes to the eardrum and sometimes, permanent hearing damage. At this point your doctor may suggest an extremely common procedure for placing tubes in the eardrum to provide a temporary, “extra” tube to allow fluid to drain away from the middle ear.

To avoid any further infections once the tubes are in place, it is recommended that your child avoid getting water in their ears while swimming or bathing. Talk to your child’s doctor to determine the best way to treat and manage your child’s middle ear infections with tubes. The recommended treatment for any further bacterial infection is a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones in ear drop format. These ear drops are easy to use, quick to treat the infection and combined with an agent that reduces swelling, meaning the antibiotic can get to the source of the infection.

Dr. Michael Hawke is an ear, nose and throat specialist who practices in Toronto. He is a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. An international authority on ear disease, Dr. Hawke has published 12 textbooks on diseases of the ears, nose and throat; several of which have been translated into other languages.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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Did you know that three out of five teenagers report a ringing in their ears after attending a concert?  Many of these teenagers didn’t realize the loud music could cause permanent hearing loss.  Forty three percent of teenagers report ringing in their ears and other related hearing problems after attending a concert or socializing at a club.  Most of the teenagers interviewed said they would consider wearing earplugs at concerts and clubs to avoid lifelong hearing loss.

Reports from the medical profession say that hearing loss can be cumulative, so a slight hearing loss in childhood could turn into a permanent hearing loss as a teenager or an adult.  Many teens because of lack of information don’t consider hearing loss as a big of a problem as alcohol or drug abuse.

Your teenagers need to know how the ear works and helped to understand that hearing loss may not show up for years after they’ve been exposed to loud music.  Hearing loss doesn’t happen immediately so they believe their ears are not being hurt. 

The ear works by sound waves from voice, music, or any other source entering through the ear canal and then travels down to the eardrum.  The eardrum is the entrance to the middle ear and as the sound enters; it causes the eardrum to vibrate. 

Three tiny bones then send those vibrations to the inner ear.  In the inner ear, thousands of little hair cells boost the noise signal and focuses it more clearly, which then sends the nerve signals to the brain along the auditory nerve.  That is how you hear sound.

Damage is done to the ears by the loudness of the noise and how long you are exposed to it.  Even a little increase in noise level that you probably wouldn’t even notice will hurt your ears worse.

How loud is too loud?  If you are unable to carry on a conversation over the noise, it’s too loud and could be dangerous.  If you have been listening to something that leaves a ringing in the air after it’s over, you are in danger of permanent hearing loss.  The most common exposure to noise enough to cause permanent damage comes from amplified music, such as concerts, clubs, and through your own earphones.  Most teenagers will turn their electronic devices up as loud as a rock concert and their car stereos cranked as high as it will go.

Short-term effects of the loud music include, ringing in your ears, reduced ability to hear, speech harder to understand, and a fullness feeling in your ear.  These will often go away after a few hours but in some cases may take a few days.  If you are exposed to loud music regularly, it can and will cause permanent ear damage.

What do teenagers need to do to prevent permanent damage and to take care of their ears?  The first is to stay away from loud, prolonged noise.  In particular, if you are going to clubs don’t stay long, don’t go too often, and try to stay away from the speakers.  The clubs is where much of the damage is done to ears.

If you are running chain saws, lawn mowers, or any other loud power tool, your ears should be protected.  You need to do the same if you are driving a tractor.  Stay as far away as possible from explosions or gunfire.  For your ears protection, turn down the sound on your portable audio equipment.  Studies proved that 25% of the music listened to by personal electronics are loud enough to cause ear damage and hearing loss.  Keep these electronics at a sensible level.

One final item of note; if you have ringing in your ears for more than 12-16 hours after you’ve been exposed to loud music as at a rock concert or a confined club, you should talk to a doctor or an audiologist. 

Most teenagers say that if they were aware of the potential damage they could be doing to their ears, they would wear earplugs.  Teenagers, you are being warned, wear earplugs to protect your hearing!

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