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A crying baby, in any case, is a cause of anxiety to parents especially if the baby is inconsolable. It took Gerson Odhiambo four days to connect his daughter’s distress with the rash behind her ear. “I thought it was just a heat rash and bought an antifungal tube and began applying it.
After two days, pus began oozing out of her ear.” When she developed a high fever, he decided to take her to hospital but it was too late. Two days later, the girl died of meningitis as a result of improper treatment of the earache.
Earaches in children below five years of age is a common malady, and most probably the commonest cause of fevers. According to Dr Amos Odiit, a paediatrician, this is because their ear canals are wide and straight, making them more accessible to bacteria, of which they have not developed strong resistance. “An earache encompasses pain anywhere in and around the ear and can be categorised as otitis media or otitis externa. Otitis media is the inflammation of the middle ear and is a bacterial infection caused by streptococcus pneumoniae and nontypable haemophilus influenzae.” The inner ear has a drainage system that connects the ear, nose and throat so a problem like common colds can block the drainage and damage the normal defences of the cells in the upper respiratory tract, causing otitis media. Contrary to common belief, build up of wax does not cause inflammation of the middle ear. Otitis externa, on the other hand, is an inflammation of the outer ear and the ear canal, and can be caused by active bacterial or fungal infection. In this case, the ear canal skin swells and may become painful and tender to touch. “Although earaches are common in children, some of the most vulnerable include those who are born with immune deficiencies and those with reduced immunity caused by HIV/Aids infection or poor malnutrition,” says Dr Odiit. Irritability and inconsolable crying are the commonest symptoms of earaches in babies, especially if accompanied by fever. Sometimes, the babies will rub one or both ears. Eventually, the ear may discharge pus. “Usually when the discharge comes, the pain stops, because the eardrum has burst and there is no more pressure on it. The pus must be left to come out,” says Dr Odiit. As with all medical cases, the child should be taken to a trained physician who will do a through check-up to ascertain the cause of the discomfort or fever. Do not self-medicate the child because you may make the wrong diagnosis and therefore give the child drugs for a disease they do not have. “Most children with earaches just need good and adequate treatment with antibiotics. If the eardrum bursts, it may heal with prompt and adequate treatment, however if it doesn’t, one may need specialised repair from an ENT surgeon,” advises Dr Odiit. “If left untreated, acute otitis media will cause conductive deafness and streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium is the commonest cause of meningitis.” Parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated against pathogens of the ear. Currently, the streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine is only available in the private domain but there are plans to introduce it into public hospitals to make it accessible to the general population. However, the haemophilus influenzae vaccine is available in all hospitals. The general health of children should be taken seriously. They should be properly fed to prevent infections from low immunity, and those with HIV/Aids should be put on treatment early to keep their CD4 count at manageable levels. All fevers in children should be taken seriously. (by monitor.co.ug)
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