Otitis media is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the middle ear, which is one of the most common pathologies, especially in pediatric otorhinolaryngology.. About 50% of children have at least one episode of illness during the first year of life. The most common form of pathology is acute otitis media, and one ear is affected.. In rare cases, the inflammatory process spreads to the second ear. According to the World Health Organization, chronic purulent otitis media is recorded in 2% of the population, in 60% of patients it becomes the cause of persistent hearing loss.

The human ear consists of 3 sections: outer, middle and inner. The middle ear is the cavity between the inner edge of the outer ear, which is the tympanic membrane, and the inner ear. The Eustachian (auditory) tube opens into this cavity, connecting this section with the pharynx. In addition, the auditory ossicles are located in the cavity, which transmit and simultaneously amplify sound vibrations.. The middle ear converts air vibrations into fluid vibrations that fills the inner ear, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women from 14 to 35 years old.. net Causes and risk factors The causative agents of otitis media are usually streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae, moraxella, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, adeno- and rhinoviruses. Less commonly, infectious agents are proteus, diphtheria corynebacteria, microscopic fungi. The penetration of the pathogen into the tympanic cavity usually occurs through the Eustachian tube (tubogenic), i.e.. from the nasopharynx - for this reason, otitis media often becomes a complication of upper respiratory tract infections. In some cases, the pathogen enters the middle ear through a damaged tympanic membrane (transtympanic pathway) or through the bloodstream in infectious diseases (measles, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, etc..

Vaccination against pneumococcal infection and influenza helps to reduce the incidence and severity of otitis media in children.

Risk factors include:.

acute respiratory disease;

immunodeficiency states;

neoplasms of the nasal cavity and pharynx;

endocrine disorders;

allergy;

anatomical features of the structure of the ear;

tympanic membrane injury;

the ingress of amniotic fluid into the middle ear of the child during passage through the birth canal;

foreign body entering the ear;

sudden changes in atmospheric pressure;

hypothermia;

bad habits;

poor nutrition;

irrational use of antibacterial drugs.

Forms of the disease Otitis media can occur in acute and chronic form.. Depending on the nature of the exudate, the catarrhal and purulent form of the disease is determined.

Stages of the disease In the clinical picture of acute otitis media, three stages are distinguished:.

preperforative - lasts from the moment of the onset of inflammation and until the integrity of the tympanic membrane; stage of the most pronounced manifestations;

perforated - lasts from the moment of perforation of the tympanic membrane until the completion of purulent discharge from the external auditory canal;

reparative - stage of recovery. In an unfavorable variant of development - the stage of transition to a chronic form.

Chronic otitis media occurs with alternating two stages - exacerbation and remission.

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