Middle ear. Otitis media of the middle ear

The middle ear is a system of airway cavities, which consists of three parts: an auditory tube, a tympanic cavity and airborne cells of the mastoid process.

In the middle ear system, the drum cavity occupies a central place. It has a volume of up to one cubic centimeter. The drum cavity includes the auditory ossicles, which serve to carry out sounds later on to the inner ear from the tympanic membrane. It is remarkable that at birth a person has a tympanic cavity filled with myxoid tissue, that is, it is not yet airborne. The mixoid tissue dissolves mostly on the sixth-seventh day, but it can be present for a whole year.

The auditory tube (or eustachian) is the only natural entrance to the middle ear system, it is opened by the mouth in the nasopharynx, on its side wall. It connects the middle ear with atmospheric air, which equilibrates the air pressure on the eardrum. The norm for an adult is the finding of an auditory tube in a sleeping state, whereas opening it for the passage of air is made only with yawning, swallowing and talking.

The structure of the middle ear of a child has some differences from the structure of the middle ear of an adult. So, due to the incomplete formation of the osseous division in small children, the auditory tube is always open, which, along with the dimensions (which are much shorter), leads to a more frequent occurrence of otitis in children. Penetration in such cases of infection in the middle ear occurs from the nasopharynx and nose through the auditory tube, is the natural and most frequent and is called the rhinogenic. There is also a rarer, hematogenous pathway that occurs in some infectious diseases, for example, acute respiratory viral infection, measles, scarlet fever.

Otitis in turn is distinguished by two types: chronic and acute.

Otitis is a serious enough disease, and therefore, when it occurs, you should consult your otolaryngologist as soon as possible. Only a qualified specialist will be able to correctly establish the type of disease, and also to appoint the correct treatment. On average, treatment of otitis media of the middle ear takes ten days, if the appeal to a specialist was timely.

Treatment of inflammation is complex. In order to eliminate the possibility of complications, the patient should be provided with complete rest. To combat the main pathogens of otitis, specialized antibiotics are prescribed, as in tablets ("Tsifran", "Flemoklav solutab" and others), and in drops ("Otipaks", "Sofraks" and so on). Drops must necessarily have a temperature not lower than room temperature. Dosage is indicated on the package of preparations, however, the appointment of antibiotics should be made by a doctor. In acute pain, analgesics are prescribed, if there is a fever, they are antipyretic. In the event of the appearance of suppuration by the doctor, an incision is made of the tympanic membrane, which accelerates the outflow of pus.

The middle ear is a complex system of the body, and therefore any diseases associated with it are difficult to cure. Therefore, prevention plays a big role. No matter how fantastic this may sound, but that otitis does not arise, you should not get sick. It should be tempered, strengthened immunity and not "thrown" a runny nose and cough, because such small infections, with seemingly mild and unimportant symptoms, are the reason that the middle ear is inflamed.

Watch your general health, do not "throw" the treatment of cold in the far corner, and then otitis will not be terrible for you.