How Do You Know If Your Child Has An Ear Infection
Children with an ear infection display a wide range of symptoms, from none at all, to a high fever, to a screaming earache. Many infants and toddlers with an ear infection show less obvious symptoms, such as sleeplessness, irritability, decreased feeding, or a fever. Ear pain and ear tugging are helpful clues, but are fairly unreliable. Even in older children with a respiratory illness, mild to moderate ear complaints and earaches frequently occur in children with normal ears. In these children, a sore throat often causes the ear complaints. Fever occurs in only one-fourth of ear infections, and it does not signify an ear infection.
One of the more reliable indicators of an ear infection in younger children is when a child, who has had a cold and a runny nose for three to seven days, suddenly develops sleeplessness and inconsolability during the night, along with increasing fussiness throughout the day. Children with a persistent ear infection who have recently received antibiotics often show few symptoms.
What Are Symptoms Of An Inner Ear Infection
There are two types of inner infections:
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Vestibular neuritis is an infection of the vestibule and semicircular canals.
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Labyrinthitis is an infection of the entire inner ear, including the cochlea.
Unlike middle and outer ear infections, pain is not a symptom of inner ear infections. Vestibular neuritis leads to dizziness, nausea and vomiting, and inability to balance. This is called vertigo and can often make you feel as if the room is spinning. Vertigo is often worse when you move your head, stand up, or try to walk. Getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom might feel impossible.
Labrynthitis can lead to vertigo, just like vestibular neuritis. But because it also affects the cochlea, it can lead to hearing changes as well. This can be a ringing in the ears or temporarily decreased hearing. Sometimes the hearing loss is subtle, and you might not realize your hearing is different.
How Do You Treat Ear Infections In Dogs
First, you don’t do this at home. Ear infections in dogs tend tobe caused by one of three classes of pathogens: Gram positivebacteria, Gram negative bacteria or yeast. A veterinarian can takea sample of the goo in your dog’s ear and set it up to look at itunder a microscope. Based upon which of the three pathogen types iscausing the infection, your veterinarian will prescribe anantibiotic to treat the infection. Along with this, you willprobably be instructed to clean the ear out twice a day – yourveterinarian will get you a good ear cleaner, as well as show youhow to clean the dog’s ears safely.If your dog has ear infections regularly, your veterinarian canstart looking for an underlying cause, which may be anything frompoor ear conformation to allergies .
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Articles On Ear Infection Treatments
If you care for children, you likely know already how often they come down with earaches. Adults get them, too, but youngsters have them much more often. Thatâs because they donât fight off viruses and bacteria as well, and their little ears arenât good at draining fluids yet.
You or your child may have a sore throat, stuffy nose, or fever along with an earache. These are signs of a possible infection.
Do I Need An Antibiotic
The teams at Pew, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Utah and elsewhere chose ear infections, sore throats and sinus infections because they generate 44 million antibiotic prescriptions a year.
Its only appropriate sometimes to prescribe antibiotics for these conditions. Strep throat is easily treated with antibiotics, and if a child with a middle ear infection has pus oozing out, a pediatrician will usually give an antibiotic. Sinus infections that linger may be helped with antibiotics.
But more sore throats and ear infections are caused by viruses, and an antibiotic will do nothing to help the patient. Sinus infections can sometimes involve bacteria but often are caused by viruses or fungi.
When an antibiotic is called for, it should be a basic one usually amoxicillin, the Pew team said. Thats not what people usually get, however.
The most commonly prescribed non-first-line antibiotics for sinus infections, middle ear infections and pharyngitis were macrolides , a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics frequently prescribed in outpatient settings, the Pew team wrote in their report.
However, macrolides are not recommended for sinus or middle ear infections and are recommended for pharyngitis only for patients with an allergy to the penicillin class of antibiotics.
Why would doctors prescribe the wrong drug?
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Bacterial Sinusitis And Its Complications
Only in severe cases or without spontaneous healing should acute rhinosinusitis be treated with antibiotics, which are then administered primarily orally , . In individual cases, indication for parenteral treatment may exist in patients with severe concomitant diseases, unusually severe progression or in the absence of improvement after oral antibiotic treatment. In such cases differential diagnostics should investigate the possibility of an invasive mycosis or non-infectious disease and the indication for surgical intervention should be considered. With calculated parenteral antibiotic treatment, the most important causative agents of acute rhinosinusitis Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and, in the case of a dentogenic cause, also various other streptococci and anaerobes should be covered. In Germany, treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone + clindamycin or moxifloxacin or, in the case of poorer anaerobic activity, levofloxacin is recommended. In patients with cystic fibrosis and patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation , Pseudomonas aeruginosa must be considered a possible pathogen. In these cases, the use of piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime + clindamycin or meropenem makes sense.
Osteomyelitis Of The Jaw
The most important forms with a bacterial cause are acute and secondary chronic osteomyelitis with leakage of pus, fistula and sequestration. Accordingly, there is a similar pathogen spectrum compared to odontogenic infections, with a high proportion of polymicrobial infections . Actinomycetes are also often detected , . Colonization or infection with multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens has also been described in prolonged antibiotic pretreatment , . Acute and secondary chronic osteomyelitis are treated both surgically and with antibiotics. This is to be distinguished from the rarer primary chronic osteomyelitis as a non-pustulant and chronic inflammation of unclear aetiology. In this form of osteomyelitis antibiotics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids are used in addition to surgery .
Special forms of osteomyelitis, such as infected osteoradionecrosis or osteomyelitis induced by drugs such as bisphosphonates, corticosteroids and antineoplastic substances, are of particular importance because of their frequency and origin. Although the diseases are not primarily caused by bacteria, the bacterial superinfection almost always requires the most targeted adjuvant treatment possible. Because of the severity of the disease, initial antibiotic treatment is usually intravenous . The pathogen spectrum is also similar to that of odontogenic infections .
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How Can An Ear Infection Be Prevented
The simplest preventive measures include the following:
- Breastfeed an infant during the first 12 months of life
- For bottle-fed infants, never prop the bottle and wean off the bottle by 12 months
- Do not smoke around the baby, particularly in the household or the car
- Do not smoke during pregnancy
- Consider a private sitter or a smaller daycare, instead of a high volume daycare
- Avoid the introduction of solid foods in the first four months of life
- Administer the flu vaccine annually after six months of age
- Consider allergen avoidance and allergy shots in older children with chronic fluid
- Administer Prevnar vaccine to infants less than 24 months of age
More controversial preventive measures include the following:
- Avoid the pacifier
- Give the pneumococcal vaccine to infants and children older than 24 months who are unvaccinated with Prevnar and still getting recurrent ear infections
Ineffective measures include the following:
- Covering a child’s head with a hat during the winter
- Using decongestants and antihistamines to “prevent” ear infections
- Chiropractic manipulation
Abdominal Infections And Preoperative Prophylaxis
Reviewers consider clindamycin the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of intra-abdominal infection . Initially, the role of anaerobes in abdominal abscess was demonstrated by the reduced incidence of such complications in regimens, which included clindamycin. Subsequently, the equal efficacy of clindamycin, metronidazole, cefoxitin and other antibiotics, in appropriate combination with Gram-negative agents, such as aminoglycosides, was demonstrated .
In a study of antibiotic prophylaxis for wound infection after appendectomy , clindamycin was compared with cefazolin or placebo in 250 patients. The wound infection rate was reduced by clindamycin but not cefazolin, although more advanced cases with higher rates of perforated or gangrenous appendices were allocated to the cefazolin group. Rates of infection were 33% in the placebo arm, 17% in the clindamycin arm and 35% in the cefazolin arm.
In a Canadian study of intra-abdominal sepsis, patients were treated with gentamicin and randomized to clindamycin or metronidazole . In 141 patients, rates of cure or improvement were 94% versus 96% for the metronidazole and clindamycin groups, respectively. Diarrhea occurred in six patients on metronidazole and three patients on clindamycin. All three patients with rash were in the clindamycin group. A greater number of patients treated with clindamycin developed abnormal liver function tests however, these abnormalities did not necessitate changes in therapy.
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Clindamycin For Tooth Infection: Benefits & Side Effects
An infected tooth is an emergency, and treatment for the infection should not be delayed.
Not only can the pain be severe, especially while eating or drinking, but a dental infection can soon lead to an abscessed tooth and other complications.
Fortunately, tooth infections can usually be treated by a course of antibiotics before they develop into abscesses.
One common treatment is clindamycin, an antibiotic that is used by enough patients worldwide to be on the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines.
Clindamycin is particularly valuable for the millions of people who are allergic to or intolerant of penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics like amoxicillin.
In this article Ill explain how to know when a toothache is actually an infection, and when you see a doctor.
Ill discuss when clindamycin may be appropriate for tooth infection.
Ill also help you determine whether or not clindamycin is the right antibiotic to help with your infection, and talk about who is best suited for a prescription of this antibioticand who should avoid it.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Ototopical Antibiotics
Ototopical antibiotics have a few disadvantages as well, which include the following:
Difficulty in delivery
Direct delivery at the infection site may be difficult or impossible sometimes. The medication may fail to reach the infected area in the middle ear if the ear canal is blocked due to:
- Excessive and hardened earwax
- Block in the ear tubes inserted for fluid drainage from the middle ear
- Swollen or overgrown tissue
Steps must be first taken to clear the blocks before antibiotic administration. Irrigating the ear canal can easily clear a block caused by earwax and other secretions, but an ear tube block and granulation each may require some procedure and other medications.
Ototoxicity
Ototoxicity is toxicity to the ear from local administration. Ototoxicity can irritate and inflame the mucus membranes of the middle ear. If the antibiotic enters the inner ear, it may lead to:
- Vertigo
- Sensitivity reaction
Ototopical antibiotics can cause allergic reactions. Low-grade sensitivity reactions may cause persistent drainage that may be impossible to distinguish from drainage due to infection, making treatment difficult. Some people may also develop cross-sensitivity to related antibiotics.
Absence of systemic effect
Alteration of microenvironment
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What Is The Treatment For Ear Infections
Medications used to treat ear infections include:
- Pseudoephedrine to ease ear pressure
- Antibiotic ear drops for infections of the ear canal
- Neomycin
- Polymyxin B
- Steroid ear drops for infections of the ear canal
- Hydrocortisone
- Oral antibiotics for infections of the middle ear , and severe infections of the outer ear
For mild cases of ear infection, doctors often recommend watching and waiting before starting use of antibiotics, as many cases will go away on their own. Consult your childs pediatrician before giving any over-the-counter medications to your child.
Home remedies to relieve symptoms include:
- Warm compresses applied to the area to help soothe pain
- Over-the-counter pain eardrops
Who Gets An Ear Infection
At the highest risk for ear infections include those children who:
- Are male
- Have a strong family history of otitis media
- Were not breastfed during the first 12 months of life and/or
- Reside in a smoking household.
Children with a cleft palate or HIV have particularly severe problems with recurrent ear infections.
Age affects the rate of acute otitis media, with a dramatic decline in frequency in children older than three years. However, some children with a history of ventilating tubes or frequent recurrent otitis media, severe allergies, or large adenoids may still be plagued with ear problems.
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Are There Other Signs I Should Watch For
Vomiting and nausea may occur during the acute phase of otitis interna. If the facial nerve, which is located in the area of the inner ear, is damaged by an inner ear infection, your cat may develop some of the following symptoms:
- drooling from the side of the mouth
- difficulty eating and dropping food
- inability to blink
- development of dry eye in the unblinking eye or Dry Eye in Cats)
- eye discharge
- drooping of the eyelids, lips, and nostrils on the affected side
- symptoms of Horners syndrome which include uneven pupil size, called anisocoria, prominent third eyelid, and drooping upper eyelid on the affected side.
With long-term facial nerve paralysis the face may actually twist toward the side of the ear infection.
Additional signs include redness in the affected ear and discharge with a foul odor. The outer ear canal may become thickened and hard to the touch from chronic inflammation and the lymph node at the base of the chin on the affected side may become enlarged. Your cat may become reluctant to move at all, preferring to sit or lay in one spot and her head may actually swing from side to side, even at rest. You may also notice short, rapid side-to-side movements of the eyeballs called nystagmus.
Orbital Complications Of Sinusitis
Orbital complications arise either through direct spread of inflammation through the lamina papyracea or through conduction in the veins. Deviating from the long-standing division according to Chandler, in which preseptal lid phlegmons, orbital cellulitis, subperiosteal abscesses, intraorbital abscesses and septic thrombosis of the cavernous sinus were understood as a stage-related progression , the preseptal lid phlegmon and septic thrombosis of the cavernous sinus are understood today as independent entities instead .
Pure eyelid phlegmons arise mostly not as a result of sinusitis but much more often in the context of infections of the upper respiratory tract, in dacryoadenitis or skin infections. Immediate assessment by an ophthalmologist is recommended. If proptosis, restriction of bulbus motility and visual disturbances have been excluded, in cases of low illness severity outpatient treatment with oral antibiotics may be used without resorting to imaging techniques. Severe postseptal infections are much rarer than preseptal eyelid phlegmons with a proportion of about 20% , . In case of doubt or in the case of signs of an inflammation of the orbital contents, inpatient admission and parental antibiotic treatment should be initiated immediately and a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI should be performed .
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What Is Acute Otitis Media
Acute otitis media is an infection of the middle ear, generally caused by bacteria. In acute otitis media , pus and infected fluid accumulate in the middle ear space.
The tympanic membrane appears inflamed, reddened, and often protrudes outward. Usually, an ear infection begins after the eustachian tube has become swollen, congested, and closed, most commonly resulting from an ongoing viral respiratory infection.
Acute otitis media should not be confused with: 1) external otitis -a painful bacterial infection of the superficial skin of the ear canal, or 2) otitis media with effusion -an accumulation of non-inflamed fluid behind the eardrum. Otitis media with effusion is not considered infected, and most doctors do not treat it with antibiotics. This uninfected fluid in the middle ear is a remnant in 50% to 60% of resolved ear infections. It is frequently a mild complication of colds, respiratory illnesses, or nasal allergies.
Physical And Structural Injuries In The Face And Ears
Serious complications or permanent physical injuries from ear infections are very uncommon, but may include:
- Structural damage. Certain children with severe or recurrent otitis media may be at risk for structural damage in the ear, including erosion of the ear canal.
- Cholesteatomas. Inflammatory tissues in the ear called cholesteatomas are an uncommon complication of chronic or severe ear infections.
- Calcifications. In rare cases, even after a mild infection, some children develop calcification and hardening in the middle and, occasionally, in the inner ear. This may be due to immune abnormalities.
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How Is An Inner Ear Infection Treated
Inner ear infections are mostly caused by viruses, so there is no role for antibiotics . But the good news is that the infection usually resolves on its own in a few days.
And while you are recovering, there are medicines that can help decrease your symptoms:
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Antiemetics: These are medicines that help with nausea and vomiting. Examples include ondansetron or promethazine.
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Antihistamines: These include diphenhydramine or meclizine. In addition to helping the dizziness, these medicines can also help you get some much-needed rest.
Sometimes, steroids are prescribed to decrease the inflammation from inner ear infections. But there is no convincing evidence that shows this helps, and so this treatment remains controversial.