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Healthy
ears mean happy days!
Understanding
middle ear infection
Introduction
How
do you get a middle ear infection?
Will
a middle ear infection affect hearing?
What is the medical name for
chronic middle ear infection with a hole in the
eardrum?
How
long does FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic SINGLES need to
be used for middle ear infections?
What
about allergic reactions after taking FLOXIN Otic or
FLOXIN Otic SINGLES?
Important
Safety Information
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Introduction
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This
web site will help you to understand
more about middle ear infections.
Middle ear infections
are more common in
colder weather but can
occur year-round. You
will learn why children get ear
infections, sometimes over and over
again, and you will learn how important
it is to treat this condition.
Feel free to read parts of this web site
with your child if he or she is curious
to learn about his or her ear
infections.
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How
do you get a middle ear infection?
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Ear
infections are one of the most common
childhood illnesses, so you may take
some comfort from knowing that you and
your child are not alone. In order to
understand how these infections come
about, you need to know something about
the different parts of the ear, and how
a child’s ear is different from an
adult’s ear.
The middle ear is a part of the ear that
you can’t see. It is located at the
inside end of the outer ear canal and is
made up of several different parts. The
middle ear begins with the eardrum, a
layer of material that is thin like the
“skin” of a drum. The space on the
side of the eardrum opposite the outer
ear canal is called the middle ear
chamber. In this space, there are three
tiny bones named for their shapes—the
hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup (also
called the malleus, the incus, and the
stapes). The deepest part of the middle
ear is a tube called the eustachian
tube. This tube leads from the middle
ear chamber to an area deep inside the
nose that is above and behind the roof
of the mouth. The eustachian tube
provides a connection between the middle
ear and the nose. This means that not
only air but also bacteria can move from
deep inside the nose into the middle
ear. This is actually one of the most
common ways for a child to get a middle
ear infection.
You
may wonder why, then, middle ear
infections aren’t common in adults,
too. This is partly due to the way the
eustachian tube changes as children grow
up. In adults, the eustachian tube is
more sloped, which allows for easier
drainage. |
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In
children, the eustachian tube is much
shorter than it is in adults. This makes
it easier for bacteria to move from deep
inside the nose to the middle ear. In
addition, young children tend to get
more infections of the nose and throat.
These infections can be spread to the
middle ear. As children get older, the
eustachian tube changes and middle ear
infections become less common. |
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Will
a middle ear infection affect hearing?
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Hearing
is a complicated process that involves
parts of the outer, middle, and inner
ear. When a child has a middle ear
infection, fluid and pus may fill the
middle ear space and affect the ability
of the eardrum and the bones in the
middle ear to move the way they normally
do. This may affect a child’s ability
to hear. Fluid can actually remain in
the middle ear space for weeks or even
months. You should discuss any concerns
you have about hearing with your doctor.
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What
is the medical name for chronic middle
ear infection with a hole in the
eardrum?
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Occasionally,
adolescents and adults will develop a
chronic form of middle ear disease. Such
a condition usually occurs in a person
with recurring acute middle ear
infections during their infancy and
childhood. This condition can be
inherited or caused by an immune
deficiency. It is called chronic
suppurative (meaning pus-generating)
otitis media - CSOM for short. This
condition is accompanied by a chronic
hole, or perforation, of the eardrum.
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How
long does FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic
SINGLES need to be used for
otitis media?
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The
time period you or your child will
usually need to use FLOXIN Otic or
FLOXIN Otic SINGLES will vary from 10 to
14 days
for otitis media
(middle ear
infection). Be sure to use FLOXIN Otic
or FLOXIN Otic SINGLES exactly as your
doctor has told you. Even if you or your
child start to feel better after a few
days, be sure to keep using the
medication for as long as your doctor
has ordered. It is very important to use
the medication for the right number of
days. This will help ensure that all the
bacteria causing the infection are
killed.
The next section explains the rare times
when you or your child may need to stop
using FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic
SINGLES.
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What
about allergic reactions after taking
FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic SINGLES?
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Before
prescribing FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic
SINGLES, a doctor will probably ask you
if your child has allergies, in order to
decide if FLOXIN Otic or FLOXIN Otic
SINGLES is the right medicine.
It
isn’t always possible to know if an
allergic reaction will occur. However,
sometimes allergic reactions do happen.
For example, you or your child may
develop something as simple as a rash or
as serious as trouble breathing. At the
first sign of an allergic reaction, stop
the medicine and contact your doctor
immediately. In addition, it is possible
that you or your child’s ear will itch
a little from the medication. If this
happens, the itching shouldn’t last
long. However, if this itching continues
or gets worse, call your doctor before
continuing the medication. Itching may
be a sign of an allergic reaction.
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