What is Pediatric Ear Nose and Throat Diseases?
When our children get sick, life literally stops for parents. Although parents take every precaution to ensure their healthy growth and development, in some cases the disease suddenly knocks on the door.
Adenoid, tonsil problems and middle ear infections are among the most common ear, nose and throat complaints in children. When these diseases begin to occur frequently in children, disorders that lead to developmental delays and even hearing loss occur in children.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FLUID ACCUMULATION IN THE EAR?
Fluid accumulation in the ear, medically called Otitis with Effusion, is a disease that occurs with the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear, behind the eardrum, without pain or fever. The most important symptom is hearing loss. Since there are no other signs and symptoms such as pain and fever, it is necessary to be careful to make the diagnosis. The child’s starting to turn up the volume too much while watching television, the need to call the child loudly when calling, or a decrease in school performance even though the child is doing very well in school may be clues to hearing loss caused by fluid accumulation in the ear.
HOW DOES FLUID COLLECTION IN THE EAR OCCUR?
Children are prone to middle ear infections. The middle ear opens to the nasal cavity through the eustachian tube. The function of this structure is to provide ventilation and drainage of the middle ear. The Eustachian tube is shorter and straighter in children than in adults. For this reason, it is easier to carry the inflammation from the throat to the ear. For this reason, viral infections are more common in children.
It is very important for parents to follow up and observe their children’s hearing in order not to leave them behind their peers in their educational years. When necessary, it is important to consult a doctor before it is too late.
Treatment Process
When you call your child, do you not get a response unless you make eye contact? Is he turning the TV up too loud? Apart from these, fluid accumulation in the ear is a very common situation in children who frequently have upper respiratory tract infections throughout the year and who sleep with their mouth open. So how should the treatment process be planned? When planning treatment, evaluation for allergies and, if necessary, performing relevant tests should not be overlooked.
Fluid accumulation in the middle ear is a condition that can be treated with medication when diagnosed early. However, in cases of adenoid enlargement and tonsil enlargement, which may cause blockage of the Eustachian tube, it may be necessary to resort to surgical treatment when drug treatment does not provide results.
With early diagnosis, inserting a tube into the eardrum easily solves the problem before it grows. The tube placed in the eardrum balances the pressure between the middle ear and the external environment and functions as the Eustachian tube, which is temporarily unable to function adequately. When the negative pressure in the ear disappears, the infection in the middle ear resolves and the cells begin to function normally. The inserted tube comes out of the eardrum over time, and during this period, the problem in the middle ear is largely treated and the child has normal hearing and an intact eardrum.
TONSILITIS (TONSILLITIS)
The most important function of the tonsils is to filter the microbes that come to the throat through breathing. However, sometimes the tonsils themselves become infected and the inflamed tonsils become swollen. Tonsillitis, medically called “tonsillitis”, is a common disease, especially among children. Infection that causes swollen tonsils can lead to neck pain, fever and headache.
If You Have These Symptoms, Your Child Might Be Having Tonsil Infection!
Redness on tonsils
mild fever
Sore throat
difficulty swallowing
runny nose
Cough
While postnasal drip is prominent
In Bacterial Infections;
Fever over -38-39 °C
Sore throat
difficulty swallowing
Nausea, vomiting
Sometimes abdominal pain
Pain in the ear
joint pains
Findings such as painful glands in the neck (lymphadenopathy) may be observed.
If tonsil swelling is accompanied by high fever, chills, pain in the ears, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck area, abdominal pain in children, and vomiting, this situation requires medical treatment. For the treatment of tonsillitis, your doctor may recommend antibiotics depending on the severity of the disease and the area affected. If the tonsils become inflamed frequently, if they become large enough to make breathing difficult, if they prevent swallowing while eating, if problems in the tonsils occur together with adenoid problems, a surgical operation may be required.
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Kenan Selçuk TUNCAY
Otolaryngologist