Please ask Doudehui: Why does the child’s ear hurt?

Ear pain is a common symptom of ear disease in babies. Most symptoms include sudden ear pain at night, especially when colds, pharyngitis, rhinitis, and bronchitis occur. Common diseases of ear pain are acute otitis media, myringitis, otitis externa, and ear furuncle. Sudden ear pain at night is mostly acute otitis media. Because the baby\’s Eustachian tube is short and low-lying, it is easy for the baby to have regurgitation and coughing when feeding while lying down, causing bacterial secretions to invade the Eustachian tube, which can easily cause infection and cause ear pain. In addition, babies have low defense capabilities, so when they suffer from respiratory infections and some febrile diseases, or when the baby itself is anemic or malnourished, it is easy for some purulent bacteria such as pneumococci and streptococci to invade the middle ear cavity. Causes inflammation and pain. Younger babies will not express pain, but will have symptoms such as crying and restlessness, scratching their ears with their hands. Home treatment for children with earache: Applying a cold wet towel to the mastoid area behind the ear can relieve pain. For example, dripping 2% phenolic glycerin into the ear will have a better effect in relieving pain. Special reminder: Babies with earache may also be accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting or even severe dehydration. At this time, the ear symptoms will be ignored due to obvious digestive system symptoms. Purulent blood flowing from the ear canal indicates perforation of the tympanic membrane, and phenolic glycerin ear drops cannot be used anymore. Otorrhea: Abnormal fluid flowing out of the external auditory canal is called otorrhea. Otorrhea usually originates from different parts of the middle ear, external auditory canal, and tissues surrounding the ear. Otorrhea can be divided into the following types according to different causes, locations and lesions: Oily otorrhea. Oily otorrhea in babies is caused by excessive secretion of glands in the external auditory canal. The leakage is mostly yellowish brown or light yellow, in the form of gelatinous oil, and adheres to the opening of the external auditory canal or its surrounding walls. It generally has no abnormal odor and is commonly known as oily ear. Most of the parents of babies with this kind of otorrhea have a history of underarm odor, and the baby is older. Most people also have armpit odor. It is easy to be mistaken for ear inflammation and suppuration when first discovered. Bloody otorrhea. Bloody otorrhea in babies is mostly caused by the rupture of blood bubbles in acute bullous myringitis. There is often a history of upper respiratory tract infection before the onset of the disease, severe earache before the blood blister ruptures, and the baby will cry, scratch his ears, and shake his head. Purulent otorrhea. Purulent otorrhea in babies is mostly caused by suppurative otitis media, which is common in acute and chronic suppurative otitis media. It can also be seen in otitis externa and boils. In addition, purulent otorrhea can also occur when there is an opening in the ear canal due to congenital preauricular fistula or branchial fistula. Home treatment: You can use a thin sterilized cotton swab to gently wipe away the fluid in the ear canal. If it is sticky and difficult to wipe off, you can use 1% to 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean it. The baby\’s ear canal is relatively short, so do not insert the cotton swab too deeply into the ear canal. Generally, 1cm is appropriate. Special reminder: If there is purulent fluid in the ear canal, drainage should be maintained and powdered drugs must not be used to avoid obstruction of the overflow of middle ear secretions and retrograde spread of infection into the brain, leading to intracranial complications.