Ear, nose, throat problems worse during winter
February marks Kids ENT Health Month
DALLAS – Rylee Adams, 4, of Dallas, is an outgoing little girl who loves to play and talk to her dolls. Although her words are loud and clear now, that was not always the case. Constant ear infections were affecting her speech development, according to her grandmother Dione Jones, 47, of Dallas, who is no stranger to pediatric ear infections – they run in her family. Both Rylee and Darrius, Jones’s son, patients at Parkland Health & Hospital System, required ear tubes to treat frequent ear infections.
“I saw many of Rylee’s symptoms in my son about 20 years ago. She would always tug at her ears or say they hurt. Sometimes she had drainage,” Jones said.
Rylee is not alone. Ear, nose and throat problems are the primary reason children visit their pediatricians. Although February is Kids Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Health Month, Parkland physicians want to arm parents with knowledge to deal with these common health issues year-round.
ENT conditions and disorders range from sinus infections, nasal congestion and snoring to swimmers ear and sore throats. “Sinusitis is now the number one reason for pediatric visits,” said Barbara Durso, MD, lead staff physician at Parkland's Oak West Health Center.
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses usually caused by viral infections. Sinuses in children aren’t fully developed, making them prone to infections. “Children in daycare or those with a weak immune system are very susceptible to sinus infections and it may be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are often associated with common colds or allergies,” Dr. Durso said.
Some of the symptoms associated with sinusitis include a cold lasting more than 10 days, a low-grade fever, thick green-yellow nasal drainage, sore throat, cough, fatigue and swelling around the eyes.
Ear infections are another common reason for pediatric doctor visits and they’re classified by which part of the ear is affected.
Outer ear infections, also known as swimmer’s ear, often result from exposure to moisture. They occur when the skin of the ear canal becomes infected and swollen. Symptoms may include itching, redness, swelling, discomfort, pain, discharge (pus or fluid) and muffled hearing.
Middle ear infections, the type most frequently seen by doctors, occur when liquid builds up behind the eardrum and are usually caused by bacteria. “Middle ear infections often result from another illness like upper respiratory infections or allergies,” Dr. Durso said.
Common symptoms for middle ear infections include fluid discharge, tugging one or both ears, trouble with balance and fever.
“Many times infections go away on their own, but in some cases they become a chronic problem which may require insertion of ear tubes.”
“Heredity is a big risk factor when we talk about ear infections. When I was a child, I got an infection maybe once. My husband suffered from constant ear infections and got tubes in his ears as a baby. My father-in-law got ear tubes in his 80s because he kept getting infections. Clearly, there is something wrong on his side of the family,” she joked.
Ear tubes are not the only solution to ear infections. Pneumococcal vaccines, used to help prevent infections caused by streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, also help prevent them.
“Vaccines like PCV13 or Prevnar 13® that prevent conditions like meningitis, bloodstream infections, and pneumococcal diseases have actually helped curb the number of ear infection cases we see,” Dr. Durso said.
Dr. Durso offers the following tips to promote children’s ENT health:
• Don’t smoke around your children.
• Encourage everyone in your household to wash their hands.
• Watch out for small toy parts, button batteries and small magnetic parts.
• Avoid cotton swabs. Using them can sometimes push the wax in and may even puncture the eardrum.
• Do not ignore your children’s snores. Snoring occasionally may be normal due to nasal congestion, but snoring every night or pauses in breathing (called apnea) can have significant impact on your child’s health and quality of life, causing headaches, affecting attention spans and academic performance and potentially leading to more serious health issues.
• Make sure your child’s vaccinations are up-to-date.
Dr. Durso recommended that parents seek medical help when their child has ear discharge with pus or blood, if a previously diagnosed ear infection does not improve or if a baby under 3 months has a fever.
“If not dealt with properly, ear infections can result in speech or behavioral problems or even hearing loss. That’s why it’s important to closely monitor symptoms to determine if a visit to the doctor is necessary,” she said.
“When my son was having speech issues and we didn’t know what was causing them, it was frightening. After he got those ear tubes, oh, he started talking up a storm. Thanks to Parkland I see the same type of progress in Rylee,” Jones said.
For more information on services at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.
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