Can Ear Infection Symptoms Cause Hearing Loss?

Ear infections can be pretty annoying and disrupt your life.  Secretory/serous otitis media or glue ear are other names for the common infection affecting your middle ear. The ear infection symptoms require adequate management to prevent further damage to your ear. Let’s review ear infections here.                     

Types Of Ear Infections

The ear infections usually affect your middle and outer ear. Inner ear infections are generally associated with other conditions.   

Middle Ear Infection

The inflammation or infection of the middle ear is known as Otitis media. Otitis media, depending on the duration of symptoms can be

• Acute otitis media - The ear infection symptom occurs all of a sudden in this type of otitis media leading to swelling and redness. You have fever and ear pain due to trapping of fluid and mucus in the ear.
• Chronic otitis media with effusion - Fluid remains in the middle ear for a prolonged period or returns again and again, even though there is no infection in this type of otitis media.
• Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) - In this type of otitis media, the ear infection symptoms persist in spite of medical treatments which may cause a hole in the eardrum, leading to hearing loss.

Outer Ear Infection

The inflammation or infection of the outer ear is known as Otitis externa or swimmer’s ear since it can occur due to moisture in your ear after swimming. Your outer ear is painful, tender, red and swollen. 

Causes And Risk Factors

The causes and risk factors for otitis media include:

• Age: Children from the ages of 6 months to 2 years are more prone to otitis media due to the size and shape of their eustachian tubes. In children, the eustachian tubes are small in diameter and more horizontal, which cause a problem in draining and possible clogging and because their immune systems are still developing.
• Ethnicity: First Nations and Inuit descent children are more susceptible to otitis media.
• Immunity: Children are at risk of getting otitis media due to their developing immune systems. Adults with weak immune systems or inflammation in the structures of the ear are also more susceptible to get ear infection symptoms.
• Group childcare: Otitis media and colds are more frequent in children who are cared in childcare than those who stay at home due to more exposure.
• Feeding infants: Infants who are fed from a bottle, particularly in a lying position, are more prone to have ear infection symptoms than do infants who are breast-fed.
• Developmental abnormalities: Cleft palate leads to changes in bone structure and muscles in children, causing eustachian tube drainage problems.
• Environmental factors: Children or adults with seasonal allergies are prone to get ear infection symptoms when there is an increase in pollen levels in the air. Exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of ear infection symptoms as smoke irritates the eustachian tube.

Symptoms Of Ear Infections

Ear infection symptoms are similar in children and adults. However, the presentation of the symptoms varies since infants and small kids cannot fully express themselves.

Children

• Ear pain: Ear pain, particularly in lying down position, is the most common ear infection symptom in children. Infants who cannot express themselves verbally frequently pull or tug at their ear.
• Change in behavior: Infants and children show changes in behavior due to discomfort associated with an ear infection. They are irritable, have difficulty in sleeping and decreased appetite.
• Loss of hearing: Loss of hearing in children usually manifests as a slow response to sounds
• Fluid drainage from the ear: Drainage of fluid from the ear can occur in untreated cases.
• Fever: Ear infection is a leading cause of fever in children. Commonly, fever can be greater than 100F.

Adults

• Ear pain: Ear pain is the most common ear infection symptom in adults.
• Drainage of fluid from the ear
• Loss of hearing: Loss of hearing can occur with repeated ear infection symptoms

Diagnosis Of Otitis Media

You should call your physician immediately if the ear infection symptoms persist for longer than a day, your infant is irritable or has difficulty sleeping after a cold, you observe fluid discharge from your ear and the ear pain is severe. Your physician will review the medical history and perform ear examination using an otoscope to assess the ear canal and ear drum.

Treatment Of Otitis Media

Treatment of ear infection symptoms depends on the cause and severity of the infection, in addition to other health problems you might be having. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), using antibiotics by mouth to treat ear infection symptoms is not suggested in mild cases of middle and outer ear infections. For mild ear infection symptoms, watchful waiting for 2-3 days and delayed prescribing are suggested.

Prescription eardrops and oral antibiotics are frequently recommended if the symptoms don’t resolve after observation. In cases of ear discharge, drainage or blood, indicating a ruptured eardrum, urgent medical help is essential. You can use over the counter medications for ear pain and decongestion of mucus in your eustachian tube. 

Complications Of Otitis Media

Although most cases of otitis media respond well to treatment, repeated ear infection symptoms can lead to serious complications:

• Hearing loss: Mild fluctuating hearing loss is quite frequent with otitis media; however, it gets better after your ear infection resolves. Repeated ear infection symptoms cause additional significant hearing loss. You may get permanent hearing loss if there is permanent damage to the ear. Hearing aids are required for advanced cases of hearing loss.
• Speech or developmental delays: Delays in speech, social and developmental skills can occur if hearing loss is temporarily or permanently impaired in infants.
• The spread of infection: Surrounding tissues and organs such as mastoid (bony protrusion behind the ear) and brain lining can be affected if ear infection symptoms are left untreated.
• Tearing of the eardrum: Most eardrum tears or perforations heal within 72 hours. Surgical repair may be needed for recurrent cases.

Thus, ear infection symptoms in children and adults must not be ignored as they can lead to grave outcomes, if left uncontrolled. In case you have unrelenting sequelae of otitis media such as hearing loss, then we can provide you support through our range of hearing aids. The use of our products will definitely solve your hearing problems and improve your life.