Chronic middle ear infection is the most prevalent medical disorder affecting young children.

Middle ear infection is one of the most common childhood illnesses that cause them to visit a physician. Approximately 65 percent of children in the United States will have one episode of middle ear infection by age 1. And 80 percent will have an episode of middle ear infection by age 3. Dr. James Malone, assistant professor of otolaryngology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, says ear infections may be caused by a variety of reasons including abnormalities of the face, environmental irritants such as tobacco smoke, and an impaired immune response. He explains:

SOUND BITE: "Well, frequently they're followed or preceded by a upper respiratory tract infection which causes inflammation of the nose and sinus passages and can lead to entry into the middle ear through the station tube, the tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose."

Dr. Malone says the most common form of therapy is antibiotics to treat the infection. Other alternatives include surgery to drain the middle ear fluid through a small incision in the eardrum, or to drain the fluid and place a tube in the eardrum to ventilate the middle ear. The need for surgery depends on the severity of the problem. Malone explains:

SOUND BITE: ". . . it depends on the findings. If the child is having seven episodes of acute middle ear infection in a year, or five episodes of middle infection a year for 2 years, or persistent middle fluid with hearing loss and speech delay, those are all indications for surgical intervention. Or, if they have a complication of acute otitis media such as ah meningitis or mastoiditis."

If your child is running a fever and tugging an ear, the child could be suffering from an ear infection. They should be seen a physician for diagnosis and treatment before the problem becomes serious.