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Ear conditions may be caused by problems in the ear, the neck, sinuses or head. Babies and children are more vulnerable to ear infection, especially middle ear infection.
Last reviewed: February 2014
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Eardrum perforation can be caused by infection, a blow to the ear, injury from an object inserted in the ear, or exposure to a sudden loud noise.
Read more on myDr website
Ear health or ear care can prevent ear problems like ear infections, swimmer's ear and hearing loss. Avoiding cotton buds is important for healthy ears.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) means that the brain has difficulty making sense of the sounds that it hears
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Many babies who are born with hearing loss in one ear are now identified in the first few months of life by the newborn hearing screening program (SWISH)
Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website
Children who have been diagnosed by an audiologist as having unilateral hearing loss (deafness in one ear) should be followed up by an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist,or Paediatrician, to check if anything can be done to correct the hearing impairment
Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website
What is microtia? This is the medical name for an ear which has developed differently
Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website
Earache in babies and children is very common. Its a good idea to see your GP if your child complains of a sore ear or you think your baby has earache.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Meniere's disease has 4 typical symptoms: vertigo; hearing loss; tinnitus; and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Find out about causes and treatments.
Read more on myDr website
Relapsing polychondritis is a rare inflammatory disease of cartilage in the ear, nose or windpipe. It causes pain, swelling and destruction of cartilage.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Hearing loss is common in children with Trisomy 21 (also known as Down syndrome)
Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website
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Acute middle ear infection (acute otitis media) is a very common disease in children and may cause pain and hearing loss. Delayed or ineffective treatment may lead to serious complications such as ear drum perforation, sensorineural hearing loss or the disease becoming chronic. Amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, is the most commonly used antibiotic for treating acute otitis media. Currently, a reduction in the dosing interval to one or two daily doses is being used, in preference to the conventional three or four daily doses, to aid compliance.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Evidence suggests that grommets only offer a short-term hearing improvement in children with simple glue ear (otitis media with effusion or OME) who have no other serious medical problems or disabilities. No effect on speech and language development has been shown.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Antibiotics make little difference to children with an uncomplicated ear infection and ear pain. Some advocate ear drops with local anaesthetic such as amethocaine, benzocaine or lidocaine. Five trials (391 participants) were identified; two compared anaesthetic drops to placebo (inactive) drops; and three compared anaesthetic drops to herbal ear drops. There was no strong evidence that herbal ear drops were effective, but anaesthetic drops did provide better pain relief than the inactive drops. Only one trial looked at adverse reactions and reported no cases of ringing in the ears or unsteadiness when walking and three cases of very mild dizziness.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Influenza (true 'flu) is an infection of the airways caused by the Influenza group of viruses. Influenza occurs most commonly during winter months and can result in symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. These are usually self limiting but may persist for one to two weeks.The most common complications of influenza are secondary bacterial infections including otitis media (ear infections) and pneumonia. Influenza infection is also highly contagious and is spread from person-to-person by droplets produced when an infected individual coughs or sneezes.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
The effects of antibiotics on toothache caused by inflammation or infection at the root of the tooth in adults
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Antibiotics to prevent infection of the brain coverings (meningitis) in patients with basilar skull fracture
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is sudden loss of hearing where clinical assessment has failed to reveal a cause. Patients may also suffer from additional symptoms such as tinnitus (a background ringing noise), together with dizziness and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Prompt investigation is essential to identify and treat the hearing impairment. In a large proportion of patients, however, no cause can be found.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
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