An ear infection is the result of either a viral or a bacterial infection which affects the middle ear. The middle ear consists of the area just behind your eardrum. Ear infections are pretty painful because they cause fluid build-up and inflammation in the middle ear. Ear infections are usually categorized in chronic ear infection and acute ear infection.

Acute ear infections, though being painful, are of short duration. Chronic ear infections, on the other hand, either never clears up or keep recurring. Chronic ear infections can often cause permanent damage to both the middle and the inner ear.

An ear infection is a result of one of your eustachian tubes, which form the canal that connects your inner ear to the back of your throat, are either blocked or swollen, which causes the fluids to build up in your middle ear. There are many causes for eustachian tube to get blocked like colds, allergies, sinus infections, smoking, excess mucus, infected or swollen adenoids (tissue near your tonsils which sometimes traps harmful bacteria and viruses), and even changes in air pressure.

Symptoms
There are a few common symptoms of ear infections, like

• A persistent feeling of pressure in the ear.
• Mild pain or discomfort in the ear.
• Fussiness in young infants.
• Hearing loss.
• Pus-like ear drainage.

Some of these symptoms might just persist or could come and go. You can experience these symptoms in either one or sometimes both ears. Pain tends to get more severe when the infection is in both ears.

Symptoms of chronic ear infection are sometimes less noticeable compared to acute ear infections. If children 6 months or younger are showing symptoms like a fever or ear infection, one should consult a doctor. Ear infections are a common occurrence in children because of their short and narrow eustachian tubes.

Treatment
If the infection is mild, you can just wait it out. There are some effective methods to relieve the symptoms of such an infection, such as

• Applying a warm cloth to the affected ear
• Using prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) ear drops to reduce pain
• Taking OTC pain-relieving medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil)
• Using decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)

If your symptoms keep getting worse and don’t show any improvement, then schedule an appointment and consult with your doctor. The doctor may prescribe you some antibiotics for your chronic ear infection. You need to make sure to complete your entire course of antibiotics based on the prescription.

Surgery is an option if the usual medical treatments have failed to work or if you have been affected by too many infections over a short period of time. Many a time, a tube is placed in the ears that allow the fluid to drain out.

Prevention
By following the precautions herein, you may be able to reduce the risk of ear infection:

• Washing your hands regularly.
• Stop pacifiers with infants and small children.
• Avoiding overly crowded areas.
• Breastfeeding infants.
• Keeping immunizations up to date.
• Avoiding second-hand smoke.