Pediatric Otolaryngology

Acute Middle Ear Infection appears in most babies, at least once, usually between the ages of 6-24 months. The symptoms are severe pains (mostly at night), restlessness, and a high temperature. This infection usually surfaces after a viral disease, characterized by a temperature and a runny nose. Sometimes there is also a discharge of pus from the ear. In rare cases, there can be complications, such as swelling and redness behind the ear lobe (mastoiditis), meningitis, and others.

In recent years, studies have shown that if the child’s general health is good, and there is no high temperature or complications, there is no need to immediately prescribe antibiotics. It should be enough to keep the child under regular surveillance by the family doctor. You can also use painkillers and wait a few days for the infection to pass by itself. This is the approach largely favored in Northern Europe and the rest of the Western world. However, your doctor should make the final decision regarding the appropriate course of treatment.

In the event of your child displaying symptoms indicating a possible Acute Middle Ear Infection, contact your family doctor or an ENT specialist.

Babies only breathe through their noses from birth to about 3-4 months. Any nasal blockage at this age could cause difficulties in breathing and eating. Therefore, in cases of a very runny nose, you should take your baby to a doctor, preferably an ENT specialist, who should have the equipment necessary to examine the inside of your child’s nose (endoscope/optic fiber).

A runny nose is usually a result of over-production or a blockage, which prevents the passage of the fluid to the larynx. Over-production is caused by infection, mostly viral. In the more severe cases, the child needs to be hospitalized. A bacterial infection can also cause a runny nose. In this case, antibiotics could help, after taking a nose swab. Occasionally, non-inflammatory infections are the cause, like in reflux for example.

Nasal blockage in babies under three months old could be connected to an anatomical disorder (too much bone at the entrance or exit to the nose, for example), or other reasons. As part of the examination, the doctor may request an X-ray. Sometimes an operation may be needed to remove the cause of the blockage.