May 4, 2019, 6:03 am | Read time: 2 minutes
First the cold, then the pain: It’s hard to prevent ear infections in toddlers. Find out what parents can do here!
Toddlers get ear infections more often than school-aged children and adults. It’s often not possible to completely prevent them, explains the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG) on Gesundheitsinformation.de.
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Less Pacifier Use and Smoke-Free Environment Help
Parents can slightly reduce the risk of an ear infection. One way is to give children a pacifier less often. Frequent sucking on a pacifier is associated with a higher incidence of ear infections–likely because sucking changes the pressure balance between the throat and ears. Vaccinations against pneumococci also reduce the risk of infection, and possibly against the flu as well. The best measure against infections in the nose and throat area is a smoke-free environment.
Also interesting: What helps when an ear infection becomes chronic
The reason for the high susceptibility to infections in babies and toddlers is anatomical: The tube, known as the Eustachian tube, connecting the middle ear and throat, is still very narrow and short in them. During a cold or flu, pathogens can quickly reach the middle ear through it. The risk of ear infections decreases only after the age of seven.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The best remedy for the infections are fever-reducing pain relievers in the appropriate dose–such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, in suppository or syrup form. Decongestant nasal drops or sprays have no proven healing or alleviating effect. However, many children with ear infections also have a stuffy nose. The drops or sprays can then make breathing easier.