Bacterial or viral infection
As mentioned earlier on, otitis media often follows other infections that spread to the middle ear via the Eustachian tube. When the Eustachian tube become blocked due to a cold, nasal or throat infection, tonsillitis fluids build up in the ear drum. The eardrum may become swollen when bacteria or a virus infects the collection of fluids in the eardrum, causing severe ear pain.
Children's Eustachian tubes are very narrow and quickly obstruct when they have the flu or other respiratory disorders. This is another reason why otitis is more prevalent in children than in adults.
Other factors that may cause otitis media include :
- First or secondhand cigarette smoke may put anyone at risk of severe health problems, including an ear infection, if inhaled.
- Allergy problems such as hayfever, sinusitis and throat infection may also result in an ear infection when they spread to the middle ear via the Eustachian tube.
- Wrong usage of ear buds may also result in irritation of the eardrum.
- Unintended hair spray that enters into the ear canal (meatus).
- Water that gets into your ears when showering, bathing or swimming.
- Although otitis is not contagious, previous family history of ear infections is said to somehow contribute to ear infections.
- Bottle-feeding often requires a baby to lie down or bend the head upwards, and this makes the food overflow to the Eustachian tube, leading to ear infection.
People who are more cautious about their nasal and throat conditions are less likely to fall on the risk of middle ear infection.
The above information thankfully comes from the entmags.org at the following link.