{"id":2704,"date":"2022-07-27T12:50:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T17:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/?p=2704"},"modified":"2022-08-23T17:38:56","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T22:38:56","slug":"how-to-prevent-ear-infections-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/how-to-prevent-ear-infections-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Ear Infections in Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While <a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/pediatrics\/ent\/ear-infection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ear infections<\/a> are rarely serious, they can be a painful and unpleasant experience. This is especially true for children who experience frequent infections. However, as a parent, there are steps you can take to help reduce your child\u2019s risk of infection.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"children-are-more-at-risk-for-ear-infections\">Children are More at Risk for Ear Infections <\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/iStock-649286422-1280x854.jpg\" alt=\"Happy little boy having his ears examined by an ENT.\" class=\"wp-image-2706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/iStock-649286422-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/iStock-649286422-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/iStock-649286422-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/iStock-649286422-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>While anyone can develop an ear infection, they are much more common in children than adults. This is largely because their Eustachian tubes are smaller and still developing, which makes them more prone to swelling and blockages. Children who spend time in daycare, school, or have siblings have a higher risk simply because they are exposed to more germs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, these other factors may increase the risk of ear infections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Recent upper respiratory infection<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/pediatrics\/ent\/allergy-sinus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Allergies<\/a><\/li><li>Exposure to cigarette smoke<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tips-for-preventing-ear-infections\">Tips for Preventing Ear Infections<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>While you can\u2019t always avoid ear infections, taking these steps should help reduce the risk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Don\u2019t smoke or allow anyone else to smoke around your child.<\/li><li>If you bottle feed, make sure to feed your baby at an upright angle to prevent fluid from flowing into their Eustachian tubes.<\/li><li>Practice good hygiene for you and your child. Wash your hands and your child\u2019s hands regularly with soap and warm water.<\/li><li>Dry your child\u2019s ears after swimming or being in the water to avoid a type of ear infection known as swimmer\u2019s ear.<\/li><li>Avoid exposure to sick people whenever possible<\/li><li>Keep an eye out for snoring or mouth breathing. This may be a sign your child has enlarged adenoids, which could play a role in causing ear infections.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"can-vaccinations-lower-ear-infection-risk\">Can Vaccinations Lower Ear Infection Risk<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Another way to help prevent ear infections is to stay up to date on your and your child\u2019s vaccinations. Research has shown that <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7097351\/\" target=\"_blank\">vaccines that help prevent pneumonia and influenza<\/a> have been shown to reduce the risk of ear infections as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to your doctor about your or your child\u2019s vaccination status. If anyone is due for an immunization, see if you can make an appointment as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"when-to-see-a-specialist\">When to See a Specialist<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>If, even after making lifestyle adjustments, your child is still experiencing ear infections, make an appointment with a medical provider. Also, be sure to seek prompt medical care if they are experiencing severe pain, a high fever, or fluid draining from the ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your provider can assess your child\u2019s symptoms, examine their ears, and suggest potential treatments such as antibiotics if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on how to prevent ear infections in children, call our board-certified pediatric sub-specialists at <a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/ent\/\">Midwest Ear, Nose &amp; Throat Specialists<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/dr-kristi-gravel-published-in-renowned-medical-journal\/\" class=\"related-post\">Midwest Hearing Director Dr. Kristi Gravel Published in Renowned Medical Journal<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/when-should-my-child-see-an-ent\/\" class=\"related-post\">When Should My Child See an ENT?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/what-is-childhood-obstructive-sleep-apnea-how-is-it-treated\/\" class=\"related-post\">What Is Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea &amp; How Is It Treated?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While ear infections are rarely serious, they can be a painful and unpleasant experience. This is especially true for children who experience frequent infections. However, as a parent, there are steps you can take to help reduce your child\u2019s risk of infection. Children are More at Risk for Ear Infections While anyone can develop an&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"While you can\u2019t always prevent your child from developing an ear infection, taking these steps should help reduce the risk.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pediatric"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}