Table of contents:
- Your risk of middle ear infection increases if you have sinusitis
- Another factor that increases the risk of middle ear infections
Have sinusitis? Be careful, you can get a middle ear infection because of these conditions. Sinusitis is an infection that causes the tissue in the sinus cavities to swell. This disease often occurs after you catch a cold or flu. This sinus infection can cause nasal congestion, discoloration of mucus, fever, and pain in the head, around the eyes and nose.
Without treatment, sinus disease can worsen and lead to complications, one of which is a middle ear infection (otitis media). So, people with sinusitis are prone to developing otitis media. I wonder why, huh?
Your risk of middle ear infection increases if you have sinusitis
The sinuses are small air-filled cavities behind the cheekbones and forehead. When the sinuses become clogged with mucus, bacteria multiply and cause infection. This condition is called sinusitis and tends to occur when the flu or cold is bad.
Then, why can sinusitis cause otitis media? Don't these two diseases attack different organs?
The sinus cavity and middle ear canal have tubes connected to each other. In the sinus cavity, the connecting tube is called the ostia while the ear is called the eustachian tube. Apart from being a connector, the eustachian tube functions to equalize the air pressure inside and outside the ear. You do this by opening and closing the tube according to your activities, such as when you swallow, yawn, or speak.
However, when sinusitis occurs, excess mucus builds up in the middle ear canal. As a result, sinus-causing bacteria will spread to the eustachian tube and cause infection.
When bacteria start to infect, the middle ear canal can swell and fluid builds up even more. It is at this stage that the symptoms of otitis media will appear.
Otitis media symptoms vary in children and adults. Children tend to be fussy, lose their appetite, complain of ear pain or frequently touch or scratch their ears, and are unresponsive to sounds.
While symptoms in adults usually include earache, mucus discharge from the ear, and difficulty hearing. Immediately check with your doctor if you experience these symptoms.
Another factor that increases the risk of middle ear infections
Apart from having sinusitis, there are several factors that increase the risk of blocked eustachian tubes and ear infections, such as:
Age
Infants and toddlers between 6 months and 2 years of age tend to be more prone to ear infections because their immune system is still not perfect. In addition, a child's eustachian tube is shorter than an adult's, making it easier to fill with mucus and get blocked.
Have other health problems
Those of you who have a weak immune system and allergies are more prone to ear infections. This is caused by inflammation so that the body becomes more susceptible to the same diseases repeatedly with more severe symptoms.
Disorders and abnormalities in the structure of the ear
Children born with weak palatal muscles in the face or an abnormal middle ear canal structure are at increased risk of blockage of the eustachian tube. Diseases such as nasal polyps or adenoids can also change the size of the ears, nose, and throat, making it easier for mucus to clog up in the middle ear canal.
Heredity
Someone who has a family member with otitis media can also increase the risk of developing this disease. Although, it is not certain that you will get this disease in the future.
