Middle ear infection Infection of the middle ear is a common disorder, especially in young children. In rare cases, repeated or chronic infection of the middle ear can result in hearing impairment.

What is infection of the middle ear?

Infection of the middle ear is an infection of the mucous membrane in the middle ear. The infection can be caused by bacteria or virus and is nearly always a consequence of an infection in the nose and throat, for example in connection with a cold, the flu, children’s diseases or sinusitis. Young children are particularly vulnerable to infection of the middle ear because the pathway from the back of the throat to the middle ear (the Eustachian tube) is short and angled, allowing bacteria to easily reach the middle ear.

Acute infection of the middle ear is very painful and should be treated immediately.

Infection of the middle ear and hearing loss

In some cases, the infection can result in perforation of the eardrum because fluid build-up presses the eardrum outwards until it bursts. A healthy eardrum usually heals by itself by developing scar tissue that closes the perforation.

After many episodes of middle ear infection so much scar tissue may have formed that it results in a conductive hearing loss. Chronic infection, which is a special and rare kind of infection of the middle ear, can lead to a considerable conductive hearing loss.

Untreated infections may result in severe complications such as dizziness and sensorineural hearing loss.

SEE ALSO:

Sensorineural hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss

Middle ear

The Eustachian tube