Is otitis media contagious? Which children are susceptible to the disease?

The article was professionally consulted by resident Doctor Duong Van Sy - Neonatologist - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital

Otitis media is a disease classified as an upper respiratory infection, a painful disease caused by the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear for children. Otitis media can be completely cured if diagnosed correctly and treated promptly. So is the disease contagious or not and at what age children are susceptible? Parents, please refer to the article below to get accurate information and protect the health of your children.

Otitis media can occur at any age (common in children under 5 years old). In particular, children aged 1-3 are the most susceptible to this disease. It can be caused by a bacteria or virus in the middle ear. This bacterial infection is often the result of an illness: the flu, a cold, or an allergy is what causes congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, throat, and Eustachian tubes.

The bacteria inside the ear that cause ear infections are not contagious. Viruses that cause colds and ear infections are contagious. Usually, if otitis media appears 1 week after the cold, the baby is no longer a source of infection.

Your child has symptoms such as:
Cold symptoms: otitis media almost always follows the flu. Nasal discharge often turns from colorless to yellow or green before an ear infection appears. Baby cries during the day and at night. The child complains of pain in the ear or can barely hear it. Waking up more at night. Don't want to lie down. Fever: usually not high (38.30C-38.90C), maybe no fever. Your baby is suddenly more fussy during a cold. Drainage from the ear: If you see blood or pus coming out of the ear, it is most likely an otitis media with a torn eardrum. These tears will most likely heal well, and when the eardrum is torn, your baby will feel less pain. Otitis media is divided into 3 stages: the congestive phase, the purulent stage, and the purulent rupture phase. When the child is taken to the doctor, the doctor will determine the stage of the otitis media to prescribe the appropriate treatment.
However, the child is less likely to get otitis media if:
No cold symptoms: if the child has some of the above symptoms but no cold symptoms, the chance of otitis media is very low, unless before The child had ever had otitis media without cold symptoms. Pulling or tapping their ears in children under 1 year old: Babies at this age are not yet able to pinpoint the exact location of ear pain and can't tell if the pain is coming from the ear or next to the ear. Babies may pull their ears or pat them when teething. No complaints of ear pain (in children old enough, usually by age 2 or 3). In summary, when there are clinical symptoms showing obvious signs of the disease, parents need to take care of their baby with otitis media properly, take the baby to a medical facility for a diagnosis and careful monitoring by a doctor. Thorough treatment of otitis media. If the disease is not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to bad complications.
Pediatrics department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: respiratory infections, viral fevers, bacterial fevers, ear infections. middle, pneumonia in children, .... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.