Can adults get serous otitis media?
While it is most prevalent in children, adults can still have issues with serous otitis media, it’s just not as common.
How do you treat serous otitis media in adults?
How is a middle ear infection treated?
- Antibiotics, taken by mouth or as ear drops.
- Medication for pain.
- Decongestants, antihistamines, or nasal steroids.
- For chronic otitis media with effusion, an ear tube (tympanostomy tube) may help (see below)
How long does serous otitis media last in adults?
(Serous Otitis Media; Otitis Media with Effusion) Symptoms include hearing loss and a sense of fullness or pressure in the ear. Diagnosis is based on appearance of the tympanic membrane and sometimes on tympanometry. Most cases resolve in 2 to 3 weeks.
Can adults get acute otitis media?
AOM is seen frequently in children but is less common in adults. This is because children are more prone to viral infections, and have shorter and more horizontal Eustachian tubes. The incidence of otitis media in adults is widely quoted as 0.25% per annum. Smoking is a recognised risk factor.
Is serous otitis media serious?
Chronic Serous Otitis Media Chronic otitis media may be irritating or painless, but ear pressure and popping of the ears is often constant. While chronic serous otitis media may not directly cause hearing damage, it can make a child vulnerable to recurrent ear infections, which place the child at risk of hearing loss.
What causes fluid behind the eardrum in adults?
Otitis media with effusion is the medical term for fluid buildup behind the eardrum. It happens because something–inflammation, mucous, a growth, or a structural problem–blocks the drainage of fluid from your auditory tube. You may or may not have symptoms.
What helps serous otitis?
Etiologic treatment of serous otitis rests on restoration of satisfactory nasal ventilation (education to improve nose-blowing, adenoidectomy), improvement of eustachian tube patency (corticosteroids), and modification of the characteristics of middle ear secretions (mucolytic agents and mucomodifying agents).
Can adults get OME?
Although rare, OME also occurs in adults, usually developing after a severe upper respiratory infection such as sinusitis, severe allergies, or rapid change in air pressure (barotrauma) after a plane flight or a scuba dive.
What happens in serous otitis media?
Serous otitis media is a specific type of otitis media with effusion caused by transudate formation as a result of a rapid decrease in middle ear pressure relative to the atmospheric pressure. The fluid in this case is watery and clear.