Rise in Ear Infections In Children

If you notice signs in your child such as fever, excessive crying, poor feeding, trouble sleeping, or other unusual behavior, he/she might be suffering from ear infection. Experts say the ongoing spread of respiratory illnesses during the winter season can be more harmful for younger kids. In 2023, despite the late onset of winter, there has been a rise in the number of ear infections seen among children.

Dr Anup Sabherwal, Senior Consultant. ENT Surgeon, Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital says that respiratory viruses in the air due to which many children endure viral fever are at a high risk of developing ear infections.

Ear infection is the cause of increased particles of virus and bacteria in the environment. Many children are getting infected in a space behind the child's eardrum. The first noticeable symptom of such infection is ear pain.

“We advise parents to be more alert on early symptoms detection such as cold, cough, and ear pain to safeguard from infections that can stay longer for weeks. If ear infection remains untreated, it can lead to many problems, including hearing loss, social developmental delay, tearing of the eardrum, and spread of the infection to the brain,” he says.

While dealing with ear pain and infections few home remedies can be taken into consideration. Using heat pads on the infected ear can help to get rid of discomfort. However, home remedies should be used as a temporary measure.

Few other measures should be taken care of to avoid ear infection which are as follows

• Teach your child about frequent hand washing to avoid respiratory illnesses.
• Stay updated on your child's vaccination status.
• Breastfeeding can protect your baby against various illnesses, including ear infections.
• Ensure regular cleaning of the ear to prevent from fluid accumulation that can lead to inflammation in the ear causing infection.
• Try to keep your kid's nose clean by using saline nose drops, and steam

The writer is Dr ANUP SABHERWAL, ENT Surgeon, Madhukar, Rainbow Children’s Hospital