What Can be Done for Childhood Ear Pain or Otitis Media?
One of the most common problems among children is ear pain or otitis media (OM). It happens because the eustachian tubes in those little ears aren’t developed enough. Fluid buildup can be very uncomfortable and even painful. It’s not something to ignore, so what can parents do? The Institute for Natural Medicine offers advice on how to reduce the risk of OM and the more painful acute OM.
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Ear pain or otitis media (OM) is one of the most common ailments in children. By definition, OM is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. The two most common types are acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (or discharge) (OME). AOM usually has a rapid onset with ear pain and fever.
Children who are old enough complain of pain while younger children become fussy or cry. Oftentimes the pain interferes with sleep and may cause changes in appetite. In contrast, OME is not usually associated with pain. There may be a sense of fullness in the ear caused by non-infectious fluid build-up. Repeated AOM or chronic OME can cause disruption or distortion of hearing. In a baby or toddler, this can interfere with appropriate language acquisition. This article discusses effective Naturopathic support for otitis media that are proven to show results.