Causes of otitis media

The human ear
The Eustachian tube
Symptoms of otitis media
Diagnosing otitis media
Treatment options for otitis media

Otitis media is usually caused by bacteria or viruses that enter the body through the nose and mouth. Respiratory infections, allergens, reflux and air pollutants, such as second-hand cigarette smoke, are also thought to play a role as inflammatory agents contributing to otitis media.

Some experts believe that otitis media is more prevalent today because more children are exposed to large numbers of other children at a very young age in a daycare environment.

Otitis media occurs more often in infants and young children for several reasons.

  1. The immature immune systems of young children are not as capable of fighting off bacteria and viruses that enter the body, which leaves them more vulnerable to infection.
  2. The adenoids can act as a harbor for bacteria, which can then migrate to the middle ear via the Eustachian tube, a canal between the middle ear and the back of the throat.
  3. Enlarged or swollen adenoids can block the opening of the Eustachian tube. Swallowing is a natural mechanism for eliminating bacteria and fluid from the Eustachian tube, but if the tube is blocked, the bacteria remain and can reproduce in the middle ear.
  4. The Eustachian tube is shorter and more horizontal in young children than it is in older children and adults. This gives bacteria an easier, more direct route to travel from the back of the throat to the inside of the ear.
  5. The Eustachian tubes in young children are smaller and narrower, which makes it easier for them to become inflamed and blocked, allowing the trapped bacteria to multiply.
Most children stop having ear infections once their Eustachian tubes reach a certain stage of development, usually around the age of six. However, some children occasionally continue to have problems with ear infections into adolescence and adulthood.

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Version 2.1.0 This webpage was first published on September 07, 2005, and was last updated on August 29, 2007.
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