ENT diseases include diseases of the ear, pharynx, larynx and nose. The medical discipline dealing with the treatment and prevention of ENT diseases is called otorhinolaryngology. One way or another, almost everyone has encountered these diseases since childhood. ENT diseases in children are most often diagnosed by pediatricians. Problems such as runny nose, SARS, tonsillitis, sinusitis do not have age, and are equally common in children and adults. But in childhood, the likelihood of complications of ENT diseases is higher. The cause of the development of most ENT diseases are bacterial and viral infections, often against the background of functional immaturity. With untimely prevention of diseases of the ENT organs and / or improper therapy, ENT diseases can go into a chronic stage, which can even lead to disability.

Causes of ENT diseases

Hypothermia of the body

Sharp temperature changes

Weakened immunity

Contact with the patient

Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body

stressful situations

Advanced acute respiratory infections, influenza

Treatment of ENT diseases

If any symptoms of ENT diseases occur, it is necessary to carry out timely diagnosis and start therapy, since not only the disease itself is dangerous, but its consequences.

Therapy of diseases of the ear, throat, nose in adults differs from the treatment of ENT diseases in children. Children's ENT diseases, due to the anatomical differences between children and adults, have their own specifics. Treatment of ENT diseases in children, in addition to antibiotics, may include antiallergic drugs, and surgery may be more often indicated.

Patients with chronic ENT diseases in the spring-autumn period are shown to undergo medical and physiotherapeutic treatment, as well as strengthening the immune system.

Galavit in ENT diseases

Doctors often include anti-inflammatory drugs and immunomodulators in modern treatment regimens for ENT diseases to increase the effectiveness of treatment.

The immunomodulator Galavit is successfully used both for the treatment of ENT diseases (as part of complex therapy) and for their prevention, and is indicated for both children and adults.

When summer ends and autumn and winter come, people are exposed to respiratory diseases.

These diseases are collectively referred to as the common cold.

Such the disease should not be ignored and Pavel Vladimirovich Kryukov will tell about this, who works as the head of the ENT department of the Medical Center "XXI century".

Risk factors for ENT diseases

- Tell me, which children are most exposed to ENT diseases?

For the most part, children who attend school and pre-school educational institutions are at risk. Here the situation is explained by the elementary stay of a large number of children in one room. Of course, children who are prone to this are largely ill, often suffering from otitis media, rhinosinusitis and the like.

- What are the root causes of ENT diseases?

Many consider hypothermia to be the cause, but this factor is only secondary, as it helps to reduce the protective abilities of the mucosa and the body as a whole. In fact, various pathogenic pathogens (often viruses) begin to act initially, which, let's say, put the body in the position of a disease. At the same time, viruses can be in the body, as well as other pathogens, but they cannot have practically no effect on a strong body.

Many sin with antibiotics, which they give to their children immensely. In such a situation, most often, the body's own immunity decreases, and the resistance of various microorganisms to drugs increases. If earlier antibiotic treatment was often performed, and there are also chronic diseases, in particular the respiratory system. These factors may additionally predispose to the onset of diseases of the ENT organs.

A cold (ARVI) begins with a sore throat and a runny nose. These symptoms indicate an inflammatory process and most often it is the symptoms themselves that are treated, that is, special drops and tablets are used. Reason should be shown here, since even elementary drops for vasoconstriction should be used as prescribed by a specialist, and antibiotics, all the more, do not need to be prescribed independently.

- Tell us more about angina, what to do in such a situation?

You need to immediately turn to the lore, the disease logically creates fears for adults, and here, as they say, it’s better to overdo it. Complications of angina are dangerous, which can result in rheumatism of the joints and inflammation of the heart muscle and kidney disease. In general, not a particularly pleasant "bouquet", which should beware.

Therefore, it is not necessary to prescribe the treatment of angina on your own at home and you should not stop treatment after the temperature drops. After the onset of the disease, it is useful to isolate the child, since sore throat viruses are transmitted through the air. You need to stay most of the time in bed and expect a drop in temperature. I repeat, the treatment does not end there, talk to a specialist and try in every possible way to avoid the recurrence of a sore throat. This disease can lead to the development of other chronic diseases.

Video: "How the most common ENT diseases are treated"

The danger of ENT diseases for children

- Can you name other dangers of ENT diseases for children?

Frequent are otitis media, which are determined, among other things, by the anatomical parameters of the child's body. In children, the infection sometimes extends from the throat to the middle ear. If otitis media is not treated competently and in a timely manner, then hospitalization and even possibly surgical intervention will be required in the future.

If SARS are frequent, then the inflammatory process leads to the growth of adenoid tissue. Enlarged adenoids, in turn, contribute to the cessation of communication between the nose and throat. Inflammatory processes in the adenoids can give other complications from hearing loss to snoring and noisy breathing.

When it comes to very young children, you need to be especially careful. Even if you have completely cured SARS, you should give the body a little more time (3-4 days) to fully recover and acquire the necessary resources. Otherwise, if you send the child immediately to a nursery or kindergarten, he may get sick again. In conclusion, it should be said about the relevance of regular and competent hardening of the child and the choice of optimal clothing depending on the weather.

Video: "Otitis media: diagnosis"

ENT diseases in children are those diseases that affect the throat, nose and ear. You can protect your baby from them using various treatment methods that an experienced doctor selects. He will also prescribe the right treatment, since any childhood ENT diseases threaten serious health problems in adulthood.

ENT diseases in children alphabetically

Very often, young parents panic when they notice that their child stops breathing for 10-20 seconds during sleep, and his heart rate ...

Sinusitis in children occurs with any infection or cold, since it is at a young age that sensitivity to air quality is high. Nasal...

One of the most dangerous infectious diseases, provoking many unpleasant symptoms and causing pain, is herpetic ...

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as "purulent tonsillitis" in fact. A qualified doctor will never put under ...

Fungal angina in children is quite common. The disease is also called candidal, because its causative agent is the fungus Candida, which affects whether ...

Catarrhal tonsillitis in children is a mild form of tonsillitis. Its distinctive feature is that with it the outer ball of the tonsil is affected, and on ...

Lacunar tonsillitis appears in children against the background of weakened immune properties. Distinctive features of this type of disease - inflammation of the crypts ...

The most common complication of otitis in children is mastoiditis, which is an inflammation with pus of the bone tissue of the mastoid process ...

Follicular tonsillitis in children develops against the background of the active growth of bacteria that enter the body and begin to multiply rapidly, causing ...

Frequent sore throats in a child are caused by the ingestion of an infectious agent. It forms pathogenic microflora and weakens the immune system. This is p...

ENT diseases in children are those diseases that affect the throat, nose and ear. You can protect your baby from them using various treatment methods that an experienced doctor selects. He will also prescribe the right treatment, since any childhood ENT diseases threaten serious health problems in adulthood.

Various complications are possible, and in rare cases, even death. Ear diseases in children in a neglected state can lead to disability. Some of them entail complete deafness, so you need to carefully monitor the health, daily routine, physical activity of the baby. It is better to treat the disease at an early stage, then the risk of complications is minimal. All medical procedures should be carried out only by a qualified doctor, since he selects an examination and treatment program on an individual basis, taking into account the characteristics of the body of each patient. Sore throats in children, also with untimely treatment, will develop into a dangerous stage. The same applies to other organs. Proper treatment will help get rid of the disease as soon as possible and prevent it from developing into a more dangerous stage for health. You should be more careful with nose disease in children. Many can develop into a chronic category and negatively affect adult life, causing many problems.

Causes and consequences

ENT diseases in children can appear both in utero and subsequently under the influence of environmental factors, manifesting themselves over time. In newborns, difficulty breathing is due to the fact that the lower shell descends to the nasal cavity, and the nasal passages are narrow. The larynx in children is also narrow, the mucous layer is very loose, it quickly swells, provoking further severe breathing problems.
Among the causes of ailments are also distinguished:

• hypothermia;
• weakening of the immune system;
• lack of vitamins.

The consequences of violations affecting the ENT organs are the most severe. Untimely treatment of pathologies affecting the ear, throat, nose leads not only to complications of diseases (for example, meningitis), but also to disability, loss of hearing, voice, and vision loss. In addition, life-threatening inflammation of the brain tissue can develop.

Symptoms

Determining if your child has health problems is not difficult. The first signs can be detected at a very early stage. It is at this time that they are amenable to quick and safe treatment. Children's ENT diseases have pronounced symptoms:

1. hearing loss;
2. runny nose, nasal congestion;
3. cough, sore throat.

If you find one of these signs in your child, you need to consult a doctor. Only he will conduct a qualitative examination and prescribe the correct treatment. At the first appointment, the otolaryngologist conducts a comprehensive examination, then prescribes all the necessary studies and writes out a treatment plan. It includes taking medications, sometimes also undergoing medical procedures. The medical program depends on which organ is affected and how badly.

Diagnostics and types

Depending on in which part of the body the anomaly occurred, there are different children's ENT diseases, which are divided into several types:

• throat and larynx. This group includes all pathologies associated with the oral cavity. They manifest themselves both quickly and clearly, and slowly and implicitly. The main difference by which it is possible to recognize children's throat diseases is the nature of the course of the pathology. Depending on this, there are different types of treatment that can only be developed by a qualified specialist. What diseases of the throat occur in children, many may know, but only a doctor is well versed in this. He conducts an examination and reveals what exactly the patient is suffering from:

1. pharyngitis;
2. adenoids;
3. laryngitis.

• nasal diseases in children, including all the problems that are associated with this organ. They can be both acute and chronic. Only a doctor should prescribe methods of treatment, since each type has its own medications.

1. sinusitis;
2. rhinitis;
3. sinusitis.

• ear diseases in children, characterized by specific disorders in the work of this organ. Ear disease in children can develop gradually. These are the following ailments:

1. otitis;
2. sulfur plugs;
3. mastoiditis.

All types of violations in the work of ENT organs can be divided into three groups:

• infectious pathologies caused by infection in the body. These diseases include tonsillitis and tonsillitis.
• fungal disorder provoked by pathogenic microorganisms. Fungi that settle in the ear cause otomycosis. With inflammation in the pharynx, a fungus occurs that generates pharyngomycosis. Similarly, laryngomycosis occurs.
• viral infections that occur due to the penetration of various viruses into the body. They contribute to the appearance of colds, runny nose, otitis media.

Treatment

As soon as the first suspicions that a child has such a disease appeared, it is urgent to consult a specialist. Self-medication is dangerous for your baby's health. Only an experienced doctor knows how to treat a sore throat in children. He will conduct a comprehensive examination and write out an individual treatment program.

Prevention

You can get around your child's health problems. Many clinics offer a comprehensive examination and specialized procedures. To avoid ENT diseases in children, parents should follow preventive measures:

1. epidemiological regimen surrounded by a child;
2. a clear daily routine;
3. hygiene;
4. proper diet;
5. timely vaccination.

As soon as you have identified the first signs of illness in a child, you should immediately contact a specialist. You can choose it yourself on our website or call the help desk (the service is free).

This material is posted for informational purposes, is not medical advice and cannot serve as a substitute for consultation with a doctor. For diagnosis and treatment, please contact qualified doctors!

Actually the difference is big. Children have a number of features in the structure of the ENT organs. And for each age category they are individual. Therefore, those diseases that occur in newborn babies are no longer terrible for schoolchildren. We are talking about ENT diseases in children of different ages, their specificity and danger.

Newborns and early childhood

If an adult is blown in the ear, he will “get off” with otitis media, while the newborn will instantly become inflamed! Why do you think? Weak immune system in kids? Not only. It's also about the anatomy. The child's auditory tube is like an open window, it allows the infection to pass unhindered through the ears and spread to neighboring areas: sinuses, throat. This route of infection is called tubular.

The structural features also explain the fact that young children (up to 3 years old) have their own specific diseases.

Otoanthritis

Inflammation of the ear extending to the mastoid process. In children under 2 years of age, these structures located in the temporal bone are not isolated from each other. The transition of inflammation to the mastoid process is dangerous because from here the process can go further - into the cranium. Therefore, with inflammation of the behind-the-ear region, temperature, pus from the ear, indigestion, tearfulness of the baby, urgently call a doctor.

congenital stridor

A disease that is associated with abnormalities of the trachea or larynx. Manifested by noisy, heavy breathing in a child, especially when crying or having a cold. It is connected with the peculiarity of the structure of the malleus, anvil, labyrinth of the ear.

As these structures "mature" the disease disappears (usually by 3 years). But throughout this period, ENT control is necessary. Sometimes the disease requires surgical intervention.

Preschool and school period

If in young children certain structures of the ear (labyrinth, malleus, anvil) partially consist of their cartilage tissue, then by the age of 3 they are already ossified. The processes of isolation of the ear-throat-nose are in full swing, so inflammatory processes are no longer so fatal. However, another problem arises - the collision of immunity with various infections when the child goes to kindergarten or school.

Frequent illnesses weaken the immune system, and this is fertile ground for the development of ENT diseases. What diseases "love" preschool children and younger schoolchildren? You probably know many of them yourself.

Angina

This is an inflammation of the tonsils of the pharynx, tongue or palate caused by streptococci. Normally, the tonsils should protect against viruses. But against the background of immunodeficiency, the body often cannot cope. Edema occurs in the pharynx, which is often accompanied by purulent ulcers. A complication is chronic tonsillitis, when the tonsils are constantly inflamed and fester.

Adenoids

This is the process of growth of the nasopharyngeal tonsil (not inflammatory). Adenoids are structures similar in structure to a coffee bean. Complications - difficulty breathing. Oxygen starvation of the brain may occur, which leads to a developmental delay. In the later stages, asymmetry of the face and chest occurs.

allergic rhinitis

One of the most common allergic diseases in children. Expressed by nasal congestion, runny nose. Its sources usually need to be sought at home. These are dust, household chemicals, pets, feathers, food, etc. If you do not identify the source and ignore this phenomenon, it will flow into a chronic form.

Otitis media and sinusitis

Inflammation of the ear in children of preschool and school age is fraught with hearing loss and mastoiditis (affects the mastoid process).

Sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) in children develops against the background of viral diseases of the upper respiratory tract (nasopharynx, oropharynx).

Both diseases can flow into a chronic form. But their main danger in the development of meningitis is inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord.

false croup

An infectious disease characterized by swelling of the mucous membrane of the larynx and trachea. False croup can be recognized by a barking cough, noisy breathing, and a hoarse voice. It occurs in children 1-5 years old. With complications, all of the above diseases can join the croup. In addition, from the upper respiratory tract, the infection can "go down" - to the lungs.

ENT diseases in adolescents

The ENT organs of adolescents are already formed, and the immune system has become resistant to various infections. It would seem that parents can breathe easy. But still, you need to visit a specialist for prevention purposes. This is especially true for boys, because they have such a disease as ...

Juvenile angiofibroma of the nasopharynx

Develops during puberty. In fact, it is a benign tumor. But its cunning is that it is able to grow, affecting nearby tissues and blood vessels. And this is reflected in vision, hearing, smell, breathing process. Manifested by bleeding, headache, facial asymmetry. The disease is treated only surgically.

Urgently to the ENT: alarming symptoms

Treatment of children's ENT diseases is important to carry out in a timely manner. Children are characterized by a rapid increase in symptoms and the rapid addition of complications. Therefore, if you find painful symptoms in a child, do not postpone a visit to the doctor. Which of them are the most dangerous?

• a sharp increase in temperature and pain in the throat, ear, nose;
• noisy breathing, hearing loss;
• persistent nasal congestion and thin, watery snot;
• viscous yellow-green discharge from the nose;
• ear congestion, shooting, ringing in the ear;
• ear inflammation, purulent discharge from the ears;
• ulceration of the oral cavity;
• swelling and severe redness of the oropharynx;
• in newborns - capriciousness, digestive disorders, poor sleep, tearing of the ears.

Treatment of ENT diseases

In the vast majority of cases, ENT diseases in children are bacterial or infectious.

Medicines

Antibiotics, antiviral, decongestant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs of local (drops, ointments) or general (inside) action are used.

In parallel, immuno-strengthening drugs and vitamins are prescribed.

Inhalations and physiotherapy

Methods of introducing drugs into the body through inhalation or with the help of physical influence (current, laser, magnet, radio waves, or a combination of them). Effectively stimulate the body's defenses to fight the disease.

Surgical intervention

When conservative methods are ineffective, an operation is prescribed. Remove tonsils, adenoids, juvenile angiofibroma. Get rid of these formations should be on the advice of a doctor. Delay can lead to the growth of structures, and then it is already problematic to get rid of them 100% - there will be relapses.

Treat children's ENT diseases on time with our specialists. Remember that postponing a visit to the doctor is fraught with complications on the child's brain and the flow of the disease into a chronic form. And chronic diseases of the ear, nose and throat are problematic to treat. Noticed the symptoms? Make an appointment with an otolaryngologist at Best Clinic or call a specialist at home. Our doctors will come to the rescue any day of the week!

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses

The size of the nasal cavity in newborns and infants is relatively small. The nasal cavity is shorter, narrower and lower compared to other age groups due to underdevelopment of the facial skeleton. The vertical size of the nasal cavity is significantly reduced due to the absence of a perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, which is formed only by the age of 6 years. The lower wall of the nasal cavity is in close contact with the tooth germs in the body of the upper jaw, which is associated with the risk of developing osteomyelitis of the upper jaw with inflammation of the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinuses. Growth acceleration occurs already in the first six months of life and is associated with the intensive development of the skull, mainly the maxillary region, and teething.

Along with the small size of the nasal cavity, a sharp narrowing of the nasal passages, closed by well-developed nasal conchas, is important. The inferior turbinates are located low, tightly adjacent to the bottom of the nasal cavity, as a result of which the lower nasal passages are impassable for air. The upper and middle nasal passages are practically not expressed, children are forced to breathe through a narrow common nasal passage. In this age group, severe difficulty in nasal breathing is common, especially with the accumulation of mucous secretions or crusts in the nasal cavity.

As a result of the discrepancy between a significant volume of the turbinates of the narrow respiratory area, acute rhinitis in newborns and infants is severe, with a predominance of general symptoms and the frequent development of complications. Even a slight swelling of the mucous membrane of a narrow and small nasal cavity leads to the cessation of nasal breathing. The child's breathing takes on the character of "flying": children breathe often and shallowly, but the wings of the nose do not swell, as with pneumonia. Sucking is sharply difficult or impossible, sleep is disturbed; the child is restless, body weight decreases, dyspepsia, hyperthermia may be added. Breathing through the mouth leads to aerophagia with flatulence, which makes breathing even more difficult and leads to a violation of the general condition of the child. With nasal congestion, the child throws his head back to make it easier to breathe, convulsions are possible. Due to the pronounced tendency to generalize any inflammatory processes in newborns and infants, acute rhinitis proceeds as acute nasopharyngitis. At the same time, on the soft palate, one can see reddened, protruding anteriorly tubercles - clogged mucous glands.

This age group is characterized by the so-called posterior runny nose, caused by the accumulation of infected mucus in the posterior parts of the nose, associated with difficulty in secreting the secret into the nasopharynx due to the structural features of the choanae. On the posterior wall of the pharynx, stripes of viscous sputum descending from the nose are visible, hyperemia of the lymphoid granules of the posterior pharyngeal wall; enlarged occipital and cervical lymph nodes can be identified.

The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity in young children is very delicate, well vascularized. The folding of the mucous membrane of the nasal septum observed in newborns soon disappears. The ciliated epithelium passes directly into the stratified epithelium of the vestibule of the nose. An important feature of the nasal cavity in newborns and children of the first six months of life is the absence of cavernous (cavernous) tissue in the region of the free edge of the lower and middle nasal concha. In this regard, children of this age practically do not have spontaneous nosebleeds, unlike older children. When bloody discharge from the nose appears, a thorough examination is necessary to exclude congenital hemangioma or a foreign body in the nasal cavity. For the same reason, in newborns and children of the first half of life, it is not advisable to use vasoconstrictor drops in the nose, the action of which is designed to reflex contraction of the cavernous tissue of the nasal conchas. The rarity of spontaneous nosebleeds is also explained by the underdevelopment and deep location of the branches of the nasopalatine artery and its anastomoses in the anteroinferior part of the nasal septum (bleeding Kisselbach zone).

The paranasal sinuses in newborns are underdeveloped and are formed during the development of the facial skeleton and the growth of the child. At birth, there are two paranasal sinuses: a well-developed ethmoid sinus (anterior and middle cells of the ethmoid labyrinth) and a rudimentary maxillary sinus in the form of a narrow gap (diverticulum of the mucous membrane) at the inner corner of the orbit in the thickness of the bone of the upper jaw. The frontal, sphenoid sinuses and posterior ethmoid cells are in their infancy. In this regard, among the diseases of the paranasal sinuses in newborns and infants, the defeat of the ethmoid labyrinth (ethmoiditis) prevails, which is especially difficult with orbital and septic complications.

Snot in the chest

Very often situations arise when a child has snot flowing, while there are no signs of a cold. Such a runny nose is physiological in nature, it can continue until the newborn is 2 months old. Factors that cause snot in newborns:

1. Infection. Most often, colds occur when a viral infection transmitted by airborne droplets enters the body. ARVI in infants progresses rapidly and is manifested by pronounced symptoms.
2. Allergy. Snot in children can still be allergic. They occur when nasal inhalation of such allergens as dust, pollen of flowering plants, fluff, wool. In such situations, the breathing process becomes more complicated, the baby begins to sneeze, watery snot is released from the nose. Vascular response to external stimuli. Very often, snot in newborns occurs with a high sensitivity of the vessels of the nasopharynx to environmental factors. This process usually manifests itself with bouts of sneezing, alternate sinus congestion, and copious discharge from the nose.
3. Enlarged adenoids. A feature of the physiology of the children's respiratory system is that at birth, adenoids begin to grow rapidly in children. They sometimes provoke the formation of snot, which are greenish in color. In such cases, it is necessary for the baby to drip a 1% solution of collargol into the nose.

Treatment of rhinitis in newborns is characterized by complexity, due to narrow nasal passages. The course of rhinitis in newborns has its own characteristics, which is explained by the physiological and anatomical features of the infant. The complexity of the course of the disease lies in the fact that infants cannot free their nose from accumulated mucus on their own, and also do not know how to breathe through their mouths, which is especially dangerous during sleep and breastfeeding.

Many parents do not know what to do when the snot of a newborn bothers the baby day and night. It is impossible to start medical treatment of rhinitis in a baby on your own; therapy can only be prescribed by a specialist.

How to treat a runny nose in a newborn depends on the factors that caused this condition of the nasal mucosa of the child. Even before visiting the specialist's office, parents can perform actions aimed at alleviating the condition of their baby. First of all, if there is a severe runny nose in an infant that makes nasal breathing difficult, it is necessary to clear the nasal passages from a pathological secret. Solutions based on sea water or regular saline are well suited for this procedure.

Humidification should be another action for parents who don't know what to do when their baby has a runny nose. A well-ventilated room with moist air contributes to a faster recovery of the nasal mucosa. You can increase the humidity in a dry room by using a humidifier. The optimal indicators of air humidity in the room where the sick child is located is 50% at a temperature of 20-21ºС.

Treatment of transparent snot in a child should be carried out only as directed by a doctor, since such a symptom may indicate several diseases. Regardless of the cause of rhinitis, parents should regularly clean the crumbs' nose, improving nasal breathing with these actions. To do this, you can use a special device for suctioning mucus - a nasal aspirator. If the transparent snot in the nose is so thick that it is difficult to remove it from the nasal cavity, the mucus must first be thinned. Solutions based on sea water are well suited for this, as well as decoctions of herbs such as chamomile. You need to drip a few drops into each nasal passage of the child, and then use the aspirator. It is important to adhere not to symptomatic treatment, but to carry out actions aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of the disease. Parents should turn to specialists in a timely manner, who will tell you how to treat clear snot in a child, having previously established an accurate diagnosis.

Pharynx

In children, near the median septum of the pharyngeal cellular space, there are lymph nodes, where the lymphatic vessels flow from the palatine tonsils, the posterior sections of the nasal and oral cavities. With age, these nodes atrophy; in children, they can suppurate, forming a retropharyngeal abscess.

Adenoids are common in children.

Larynx

In newborns and young people, the larynx is located slightly higher than in adults (in adults, the upper edge of the larynx is at the border of the IV and V cervical vertebrae).

In children, the Adam's apple is soft and not palpable.

outer ear

In a newborn and infant in the first 6 months of life, the entrance to the external auditory meatus looks like a gap due to the fact that the upper wall is almost closely adjacent to the lower one.

In newborns, the temporal bone is not yet fully developed, so they have no bony part of the ear canal, there is only a bone ring to which the tympanic membrane is attached. The bone part of the auditory canal is formed by the age of 4, and up to 12-15 years, the diameter of the lumen, the shape and size of the external auditory canal change.

Eardrum

In children, the tympanic membrane has an almost round shape and is much thicker than in adults (0.1 mm), due to the inner and outer layers. Therefore, in acute otitis media in children, perforation of the tympanic membrane may not be observed.

Middle ear

The auditory (Eustachian) tube in children is wider and shorter than in adults.

Mastoid

In a newborn, the mastoid part of the middle ear looks like a small elevation behind the upper posterior edge of the tympanic ring, containing only one cavity - the antrum. The formation of the mastoid process ends by the beginning of the 7th year of a child's life.

hearing loss

This is a disease characterized by hearing loss, up to its complete loss. There is a pathology among people of different age categories, it can be a congenital or acquired problem. Hearing loss in newborns most often appears as a result of a woman suffering from any infectious or viral diseases during pregnancy.

The problem of hearing impairment in newborns is very relevant both from a social and medical point of view. The thing is that hearing loss in a baby leads to the presence of deviations in speech development, affects intelligence and personality formation.

Therefore, even before discharge, in many modern maternity hospitals, each baby is tested for hearing loss in newborns using special automated equipment. If the test is not passed, a referral is made to a specialist for further evaluation and hearing testing.

Symptoms of congenital hearing loss

The main symptom of hearing loss in newborns is the absence of any response to sounds. With normal auditory development, babies startle at sudden or too loud sounds as early as two weeks of age.

The most likely causes of hearing loss in newborns include:

• influenza, toxoplasmosis, herpes and rubella, transferred during pregnancy by the mother;
• alcohol intake and smoking;
• prematurity of the baby, weight less than 1500 gr.;
• bad heredity.

Also, the risk of hearing loss in newborns increases if a pregnant woman was taking toxic medications (streptomycin, furosemide, aspirin, gentamicin, etc.)

There are three degrees of hearing loss in newborns:

• The first degree of the disease is considered the easiest, with it a person can perceive a whisper at a distance of 1 to 3 meters, and colloquial speech of medium volume from 4 meters. Difficulties in auditory perception are observed when the speech of the interlocutor is distorted, as well as in the presence of extraneous noise.
• In the presence of the second degree of hearing loss, the child has difficulty in recognizing a whisper at a distance of more than a meter. At the same time, colloquial speech is best perceived when the interlocutor is no more than 3.5-4.0 meters away. However, even with such a removal, some words may be perceived illegibly.
• The most severe is the third degree of hearing loss. With such a hearing impairment, a whisper is almost indistinguishable even at a very close distance, and colloquial speech can only be perceived at a distance of no more than 2 meters.

Acute otitis media

Diagnostic feature

Clinical diagnostics. The sequence of development of acute otitis media is the same as in children of other age groups: the catarrhal stage of inflammation, the formation of exudate, perforation of the eardrum and suppuration from the ear, the development of complications or a favorable resolution of the process. The most important symptom of the disease - ear pain - in newborns and infants is detected by a change in the behavior of the child. Acute pain occurs suddenly and is usually so severe that the child holds his breath. Children of the second half of life stop playing, grab their ear with their hand. When sneezing, swallowing, coughing, accompanied by an increase in air pressure in the tympanic cavity, the pain intensifies; sometimes the pain subsides. The child is lethargic, supple, drowsy. At certain intervals, the pain attack is repeated with the same or greater intensity. Sometimes the restless behavior of the child is replaced by seeming calm, the child sleeps a lot, falls asleep during feeding, is lethargic, which indicates depression of the nervous system. The body temperature rises; children do not sleep well, often wake up screaming and do not calm down for a long time, shudder, moan. Painful facial expression, fixed gaze, painful grimaces. Changing the position of the child does not have a calming effect.

A child up to 4-5 months old cannot localize pain, only helplessly turns his head. There are erratic and obsessive movements: a pendulum movement of the head and a “tongue chewing symptom”. The reason for these movements is the desire of the child to find the optimal position in which the ear would hurt less. At the height of the pain, hand cramps (posture of the Kapellmeister) or false opisthotonus are possible. With an increase in intoxication, convulsive contractions of the eye muscles may be attached. Children of the second half of life stretch their hands to the sore ear, rub it with the back of the hand, try to stick their finger into the ear canal. Babies refuse to eat; more willingly suck the breast opposite to the side of the diseased ear. Soreness when pressing on the tragus is characteristic (Your symptom), since pressure is directly transmitted through the non-ossified part of the auditory canal to the inflamed tympanic membrane (after a year of life, pain when pressing on the tragus indicates only a lesion of the external auditory canal).

Diagnosis of ENT diseases in infants

Examination and treatment of babies differs markedly from work with adult patients. A small patient cannot always sensibly tell what worries him, he does not know how to properly dissolve tablets, gargle. The ability and skills of a good pediatric ENT doctor to find an approach to a sick baby, to establish psychological contact with him are no less valuable than the professional skills of an otolaryngologist. The physiological and anatomical features of the body of a small child determine the specificity of the treatment procedures, examination of the ENT organs, anesthesia (if necessary).

Modern methods for diagnosing ENT pathology include: clarification of parental complaints, questions of the treatment and diagnostic complex, etc., objective examination, laboratory tests, endoscopic and computer examinations of the nose, throat, and ear, ultrasound.

Treatment of ENT diseases in infants

The most important task in the treatment of otolaryngological diseases is to prevent the transition of the disease into a chronic form. In the treatment of ENT pathology, therapeutic (drug, physiotherapeutic) methods are used. In recent years, minimally invasive laser and endoscopic methods have been actively used to treat otolaryngological pathology.

Prevention of diseases in children of the nasopharynx, larynx and hearing organs must be applied from a very early age. A qualified pediatric ENT specialist will help you develop a plan of preventive measures, thanks to which your baby will avoid chronic colds and infectious diseases, as well as the risk of various complications.

Remember that regardless of age and general condition of the body, the child requires constant attention. A pediatric ENT doctor will always help diagnose the disease in time, establish its causes, and also prescribe the appropriate treatment and prevent possible complications.