Pharmacy First: acute otitis media

Introduction

Otitis media – commonly known as middle ear infection – is a common ear infection that causes inflammation and fluid to build up in the eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear (the area behind the eardrum) to the back of the nose.

Often caused by a cold or flu virus, or bacteria, otitis media can affect adults but is most commonly seen in children. Symptoms of acute otitis media (AOM) include earache; fever; slight hearing loss; and – especially in babies and young children – pulling, tugging, or rubbing the ear.

Acute otitis media usually lasts for around a week and over 80 per cent of children recover spontaneously without antibiotics, within a couple of days of presenting with symptoms. Nevertheless, it can be an uncomfortable and even painful condition, and one that the Pharmacy First service aims to help with.