![]() Treatment options depend on the duration or frequency of ear symptoms. This includes use of a pneumatic otoscope (a small device that visualizes the ear canal and blows air towards the eardrum), a tympanogram (a test to evaluate eardrum mobility), and a specialized hearing test. Middle ear fluid can be diagnosed through a variety of methods. Children with chronic middle ear fluid or recurrent ear infections may present with hearing deficits, poor attention, and even speech and language delays. Under acute and more severe circumstances, patients will experience a localized ear pain, fever, irritability, and upper respiratory symptoms. Often, this middle ear fluid will result in a “blocked ear” feeling with decreased hearing. Children are more prone to infections and fluid buildup due to a variety of factors, including frequent exposure to others with illness, poor Eustachian tube function, or an immature immune system. Viral and bacterial infections are the most common cause of middle ear infections and the subsequent middle ear fluid that may accumulate. This condition is called otitis media with effusion (or middle ear fluid). ![]() The middle ear periodically becomes swollen (inflamed) and fluid accumulates in the air-filled region behind the eardrum. These ossicles transmit sound to the inner ear, or the organ of hearing (cochlea), which will then transmit impulses via a major nerve (acoustic nerve) to the brain, which completes the hearing loop. The middle ear contains the eardrum (tympanic membrane), and a small air-filled cavity behind it which contains three tiny bones, known as ossicles. The outer ear consists of the pinna (the rigid cartilage covered by bone that we can see) and the auditory canal (a short tube from the pinna to the eardrum, or tympanic membrane). All of these various areas are essential for hearing, and when there is an abnormality in one area, it can affect hearing adversely. The ear is made up of three major parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear.
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