Ear infection and balance in young children
If your child has an ear infection, could his balance be affected as well?
Ear infections , one of the most common childhood illnesses, can make a young child feel very unwell and sore. Your ears hurt, your head hurts, and you feel dull , you may feel like your ears are full of pressure.
Your child could also have trouble with balance from the ear infection, because deep down in his ears is a complete system designed to keep his body in balance. If you think your young child may have an ear infection, or if he is having trouble keeping his balance, you will need to see your pediatrician as soon as possible to find out exactly what is happening to your little one.
For a better understanding of how an ear infection can affect your child’s balance, do not miss what we are going to comment on below. Remember that if you have any doubts, you will have to go to the pediatrician to assess how your child’s health is at this time.
Index
THE SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of an ear infection, in addition to problems with balance , include crying more than usual, irritability, difficulty hearing, drainage from the ear, a lot of touching the ears or pulling on the flesh of the ears, and trouble sleeping Also, balance problems related to an ear infection can create severe vertigo, leading to nausea and possibly vomiting.
EAR PHYSIOLOGY
The ear is made up of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear includes everything on the outside and the ear canal, including the eardrum. The middle ear contains three small bones, surrounded by air, that send sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. The inner ear contains the labyrinth, which is a group of fluid-filled chambers. The labyrinth is the part of the inner ear that controls balance.
WHY HAPPENS
The fluid-filled chambers in the inner ear have sensory cells called hair cells. These complex hair cells stretch into the fluid and move with the fluid when you change your head to a different position.
When hair cells move, they send signals to the brain to inform the movement and position of your head. The brain, in turn, responds to these signals by keeping the rest of the body balanced despite the position of the head. However, when these chambers become infected, they become inflamed and the hair cells do not send the proper signals, creating dizziness and balance problems.
TREATMENT
The cause of most ear infections is a viral infection, such as a cold or respiratory infection. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, so the course of treatment generally involves waiting for the virus to clear up on its own.
The analgesics suitable for young children can relieve some of the discomfort. Some ear infections are the result of bacterial infections; In these cases, your child’s pediatrician may prescribe an antibiotic. Young children with recurring ear infections may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears to relieve internal pressure.
If you notice that your child has earaches, has imbalance, dizziness and even vomiting for no apparent reason, it will be necessary for you to go to the pediatrician. It is even necessary to bear in mind that younger children who cannot speak cannot tell you exactly what is happening to them, so it will be necessary for you to be especially attentive to the symptoms they may have in order to remain alert. before any symptoms of condition or discomfort that you may have and that need medical treatment to resolve.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.