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Ear anatomy Middle ear infection (otitis media) Eustachian tube Mastoiditis - side view of head Mastoiditis - redness and swelling behind ear Ear tube insertion - series

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Ear infection - acute

Alternative Names: Otitis media - acute; Infection - inner ear; Middle ear infection - acute Prevention: You can reduce your child's risk of ear infections with the following practices: Wash hands and toys frequently. Also, day care with 6 or fewer children can lessen your child's chances of getting a cold or similar infection. This leads to fewer ear infections. Avoid pacifiers, especially at daycare. Breastfeed -- this makes a child much less prone to ear infections. But, if bottle feeding, hold your infant in an upright, seated position. Don't expose your child to secondhand smoke. The pneumococcal vaccine prevents infections from the organism that most commonly causes acute ear infections and many respiratory infections. Some evidence suggests that xylitol, a natural sweetener, may reduce ear infections. Avoid overusing antibiotics. References: Text Continues Below Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2001. Gershon, AA, Hotez, PJ, and Katz, SL, eds. Krugman’s Infectious Diseases of Children. 11th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2004. Long, SS, Pickering, LK, and Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2003.

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