The Eustachian tubes are the openings that connect the middle part of the ear to an area in the back of the nose called the nasopharynx. Their function is to help keep the pressure stable in the middle ear and drain extra fluid from behind the...
Babies and children under 3 years of age are more prone to ear infections, also known as the disorder otitis media, than older children or adults. In fact, three out of four babies will develop an ear infection before they reach 3 years old. The...
Otitis, or an ear infection, can affect adults and children. Though commonly a childhood and infant illness, it rarely becomes serious but it can cause moderate pain. Treatment can sometimes consist of an antibiotic, but eardrops or oral medicines...
Sound waves vibrate the eardrum, which transmits the vibrations through the middle ear to the inner ear. The eustachian tube--a connecting duct between the nasal cavity and the middle ear--maintains equal pressure between the external environment...
Infections of the middle ear, or otitis media, are the most frequently diagnosed children's health issue after the common cold, according to the KidsHealth website. Infections arise when fluid, naturally produced in the middle ear, builds up due...
Ear infections are common in children, especially during the toddler years through age 3, according to the Mayo Clinic. An occasional ear infection isn't anything to worry about, but recurring or persistent infections need medical treatment....
Middle ear fluid, or serous otitis media, is responsible for causing most cases of hearing loss among children. Fluid often settles in the eardrum during a head cold or upper respiratory infection; after the illness clears, the fluid normally...
Seventy-five percent of children experience at least one ear infection by their third birthday, and almost half of these children will have more than three, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)....
An ear infection, also known as otitis media, is a disease of the middle ear that is most commonly caused from a bacterial infection. According to PDRHealth, ear infections in children most often occur between the ages of 3 months and 3 years....
Adenoids are clumps of lymphatic tissue, which help fight infections. They are positioned at the back of the nasal passages near the Eustachian tube. The tube connects the back of the nose to the middle ear. This tube helps ventilate the middle...
The middle ear is an air-filled space located behind the eardrum. The Merck Manuals Medical Library describes the middle ear as containing three tiny bones, called ossicles. These bones transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear....
Ringing in the ears is a type of tinnitus, an ear disorder in which the afflicted individual hears a constant sound in the ear that usually resembles a ringing or buzzing sound. According to the American Tinnitus Association, more than 50 million...
Ear infection, or otitis media, is more likely to impact children than adults. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains that there are many reasons for this, including an immature immune system in children and a smaller eustachian tube....
According to Richard M. Rosenfeld’s “A Parent’s Guide to Ear Tubes,” ear tube surgery is performed on approximately 600,000 children in the United States per year, which makes it one of the leading surgeries for children....
Adenoids are lymph glands situated at the back of the nose. Enlarged and infected adenoids can block the breathing passages and prevent drainage of the sinuses. They can also block the eustachian tube, causing recurrent ear infections. To ease...
Ear infection in babies can be caused by illness or an underdeveloped eustachian tube that traps fluids inside the inner ear. When this occurs, bacteria can reproduce, causing infection. The eustachian tube normally drains fluids from the inner...
The human head is designed with empty spaces called sinus cavities. The role of sinuses is not completely clear, but many scientists believe one function of sinuses is to clean the air as it is breathed in, according to the American Rhinologic...
Ear infections include acute otitis media, or AOM, an inflammation of the ear, characterized by pain, fever, and tugging at the ear and otitis media with effusion, OME, which refers to the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear without any...
The human ear has three main parts--the outer ear, the middle ear also known as the auditory canal, and the ear drum or tympanic membrane. The eustachian tubes connect the upper part of the throat to the middle ear. These tubes allow the pressure...
Sinus mucus becomes troublesome if it gets sticky and thick. Thickened mucus can stop up your eustachian tubes -- the tube between your ears and your nose -- causing ear infection. In addition, it can also block up your sinuses, causing sinus...
Vasomotor rhinitis is the swelling of the lining of the nose due to enlarged blood vessels. The swelling stimulates the mucus glands, which results in congestion and nasal dripping. Vasomotor rhinitis is not caused by an allergic reaction. It's...
When ear problems already exist, even a shift in position or a change in muscle tension can cause pain and the feeling of a "full" or blocked ear. Minor inflammations of the Eustachian tubes may linger after an illness and signal that you haven't...
The underlying cause of an ear infection in a baby is a buildup of bacteria, but viruses can also cause infection. The reason the bacteria builds up varies. Symptoms of an infection in a baby include fussiness, waking more frequently through the...
An infection in the ear often causes an earache. Pain from the infection can be felt inside and outside the ear, including the cartilage. Infections can affect the middle ear or outer ear canal. According to the Seattle Children's Hospital, ear...
MayoClinic.com explains that ear infections occur frequently in children, especially until the age of four or five. Adults rarely develop an ear infection. Symptoms include pain in the affected ear, low fever, and dizziness, feeling pressure in...
The human ear contains three little bones in the middle ear that help move sound vibrations from the ear drum to the inner ear, which is how your child hears. If she has fluid behind the ear drum, those sound vibrations lose their effectiveness...
Head congestion typically occurs with the common cold, sinusitis, upper respiratory infections and nasal allergies. These conditions cause swelling of the lining tissues of the nose and sinuses, which obstructs normal airflow. Impaired mucus...
Fluid in the middle ear is a common ailment, especially among young children. Fluid accumulation occurs when the middle ear drainage pathway, the eustachian tube, is obstructed. Otitis media with effusion is the medical term for middle ear fluid....
The ear is a complex network of bones, passageways, cavities and fluid, called endolymph, that work together to allow for hearing and the maintenance of balance. When there are changes in the volume of fluid or pressure in the ear, it can result...
