Otitis media
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caused by a middle ear infection that produces pus, fluid and inflammation
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most common reason that children visit their physician
- 2/3 of kids under age 3 have at least 1 episode
- about 1/3 of kids will have at least 3 visits to the doctor because of otitis media
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in the US in 1995, over 2 million tubes were put in children’s ears, at a cost of over $2 billion
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frequently associated with upper respiratory infection - may be bacterial or viral - eustachian tube is shorter and less slanted in children, facilitating entry
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may cause TM rupture
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hearing loss is usually temporary, but can have significant impact on speech development
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low frequency sounds (=speech) are affected first - significant threshold elevations can be observed when fluid is not visible through TM (remember discussion of acoustic impedance)
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high frequency sounds are not affected until mass of middle ear bones is increased - at that point, both low and high frequency sounds would be reduced, resulting in the characteristic audiogram of conductive hearing loss