Winter is Ear Infection Season!

Acute ear infections occur most often in the winter. You cannot catch an ear infection from someone else, but a cold may spread among children and cause some of them to get ear infections.

Risk factors for acute ear infections include:

• Children Attending daycare
• Changes in altitude or climate
• Cold climate
• Exposure to smoke
• Genetic factors (susceptibility to infection may run in families)
• Not being breastfed
• Pacifier use
• Recent or Previous ear infection
• Recent illness of any type (lowers resistance of the body to infection)

We like these tips to help prevent ear infections, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/basics/prevention/con-20014260

See your Doctor if you are experiencing any pain in your ears for more than a day, if the pain is severe or if there is any discharge from the ears.

While its common to experience some mild hearing loss or a feeling of wearing ear plugs while the ear infection is active, once treated, the hearing should return to normal. Chronic ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss. Its important to keep those ears healthy!

If you or your child experience recurrent ear infections, call our Doctors of Audiology to arrange a hearing test!