Children and infants frequently experience earache, which can be extremely upsetting (up tp three attacks a yea is quite usual). A newborn who is too young to explain what’s wrong may scream repeatedly or loudly at random intervals, and they may also pull on the affected ear. The most frequent cause of nighttime awakening in a baby who generally sleeps well is earache. Infection is the main cause of ear problems for kids.
Foreign object in the ear
Little objects like beans or beads inserted into young children’s ears frequently result in ear problems. Don’t attempt to remove the object yourself if this occurs. Contact your doctor or visit the emergency department of your local hospital.
Having ear wax
A child’s ear is shielded by ear wax against debris, shampoo, and water damage. Sometimes wax builds up in the ear, causing a sense of total or partial deafness. If your child has a lot of wax, use a cotton ball to gently wipe away the visible wax. Never attempt to remove ear wax from the ear canal beyond what you can see. Never put anything, including cotton-tipped swabs, inside the ear canal. It is possible to permanently damage the ear drum.
The safest technique to remove an insect from your child’s ear is to gently pour tepid water in there.
How to deal with ear pain
Before an ear infection symptom is relieved by antibiotics, it could take up to 24 hours. Give your child the prescribed amount of acetaminophen syrup or tablets (for an older child) every four hours during this time to treat their earache. A hot water bottle wrapped in two layers of towel placed on the ear may also be comforting. However, avoid putting anything inside the ear because doing so could make the issue worse.
Keep in mind that treating the pain alone won’t solve the underlying problem. Always ask your doctor for guidance if a child’s earache persists.
The ear’s composition
There are three primary components to the ear:
The pinna, which is located on the outside of the ear, gathers and directs sound waves through the outer ear canal to the vibrating eardrum.
The eardrum and three tiny bones in the middle ear are responsible for transmitting eardrum vibrations to the inner ear. The eustachian tube, which connects the center and back of the throat, maintains proper air pressure in the middle ear. This tube is shorter and straighter in children than in adults, which makes it easier for an infection to spread from the neck into the middle ear.
The cochlea, which transforms the vibrations from the middle ear into nerve impulses, is located in the inner ear, which is fluid-filled. The auditory nerve transmits these to the brain. The labyrinth, which regulates the body’s balance, is also located in the inner ear.
