Patient's question:
Female, 4 years old, my child has had rhinitis symptoms for over a year. Recently, she has been experiencing ear pain, and the doctor said there is fluid in her ear, which may affect her hearing. I want to ask what should be done about her middle ear infection symptoms that have lasted for over a year?Doctor's answer:
Based on your symptoms, it is likely that you have otitis media with effusion. If it is not treated promptly, your hearing may significantly worsen in the future.Recommendation: It is important to determine whether it is non-suppurative otitis media. You should see an otolaryngologist, who can perform pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry.
Cold, nasal diseases, and various inflammations in the throat can all lead to non-suppurative otitis media (e.g., eustachian tube obstruction). It is best to treat otitis media early to avoid difficulty fully recovering from hearing loss. However, if the underlying condition is not resolved, otitis media is likely to recur. Therefore, it is also essential to actively treat the primary condition.
For acute non-suppurative otitis media (usually lasting no more than 8 weeks), both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine treatments should be effective. If Western medicine is not effective, it is recommended to use TCM as the primary treatment.