Ear Infection (cont.)
Medical Author:
David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP
David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAPDr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Medical Editor:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Medical Editor:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications. In this Article
 How does the Eustachian tube change as a child gets older?As a person ages, the Eustachian tube doubles in length and becomes more vertically positioned so that the nasopharyngeal orifice (opening) in the adult is significantly below the tympanic orifice (the opening in the middle ear near the ear drum). The greater length and particularly the slope of the tube as it grows serves more effectively to protect, aerate and drain the middle ear. What microorganisms cause middle ear infection or inflammation?Bacteria and viruses can cause otitis media. Bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), nontypable Hemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas, and Moraxella account for about 85% of cases of acute otitis media. Viruses account for the remaining 15%. Affected infants under six weeks of age tend to have infections from a variety of different bacteria in the middle ear. What is the relationship between bottlefeeding and middle ear infection or inflammation?Bottlefeeding is a risk factor for developing otitis media. The position of the breastfeeding child is better than that of the bottlefeeding position in terms of the function of the Eustachian tube that leads into the middle ear. If a child needs to be bottlefed, it is best to hold the infant rather than allow the child to lie down with the bottle. Ideally, the child should not take the bottle to bed. (In addition to increasing the chance for acute otitis media, falling asleep with milk in the mouth enhances the risk of tooth decay.) Reviewed by William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR on 10/13/2011 Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
Ear Infection (Otitis Media) - Symptoms
Question: What were the symptoms associated with an ear infection in you or your child?
Ear Infection (Otitis Media) - Surgery Experience
Question: Did you or your child have surgery to treat chronic ear infections? Please describe your experience.
Otitis Media - Effective Treatments
Question: What treatments have been effective for your otitis media?
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