Dr. Henry Domke is a Family Physician who has practiced in central Missouri for over two decades. He has always had a strong interest in disease prevention, health maintenance, and patient education. 
In addition to his practice of medicine, Dr. Domke takes There are many causes for ear pain and it can be difficult to identify unless a physician takes a look. There are basically two kinds of infections: Outer Ear ("Swimmer's Ear") and Middle Ear (the common infection of young children following colds).
- Outer Ear Infection (Otitis Externa) - This is actually an infection of the skin of the ear canal. It's caused by having water staying in the ear too long. Having plugs of wax in the ear and putting things in the ear can trigger this. Scratching or itching the ear can also damage the skin. This is most common in people who are teens or adults.
- Middle Ear Infection (Otitis Media) - This occurs on the inside of your eardrum. It is very common between 6 and 24 months of age. It often occurs after a cold. At this point in time, most kids who get ear infections receive antibiotics. In fact, Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is the most common infection for which antibiotics are prescribed for children in the United States. However, The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in their first joint guidelines, recommend a treatment approach to acute otitis media that includes observation and pain relief before rushing in with antibiotics. This advice reflects increasing concern in the medical world about the overuse of antibiotics and the number of bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Preventing Middle Ear Infections: Breast fed babies have fewer ear infections; eliminate exposure to tobacco smoke; influenza vaccine reduces ear infections by 30%.
Golden Rule of Ear Care: Never put anything smaller than your elbow in yor ear.
Additional resources: Middle Ear Infections; Outer Ear Infections; Dizziness
This podcast first aired on February 10, 2006.
Comments