My 4 year old has pnumonia and double ear infections, pnumonia is getting better, but he is having a hard time

Question

hearing. How worried should I be about permenant hearing dammage? He never complained about pain in his ears. He is on antibiotics, and the doctors seem to think that he has had this infection for at least a week. Are there any other sighns I should be looking for? I'm really concerned, please help.

Answer 1

I wouldnt be too worried about him developing permanent hearing damage as a result of his illness.

As long as he is receiving antibiotics, his pneumonia and ear infections should resolve in due time.

By ear infection, do you know what type of infection he has specifically? Does his have otitis externa (infection of the outer ear canal or does he have otitis media (infection of the middle ear, from the ear drum to the cochlea).

Without any ear pain, he most likely has otitis media, an infection of the middle ear. The reason why he is having trouble hearing is most likely due to fluid buildup behind the ear drum. When you have this type of fluid buildup, the normal mechanics of our middle ear are dysfunctioning. The eardrum cannot amplify vibrations from soundwaves in the same way they can when there is no fluid to dampen the response of the ear drum to the sound vibrations. The resultant effect is temporary hearing difficulty.

With resolution of the infection, as the fluid build up goes down in his ears, he will regain his normal hearing.

If he has fluid stuck in the ear, as is often with infections (either otitis externa or otitits media), the fluid also could be causing his hearing difficulty. Fluid in the ear also is a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria that can keep an infection from resolving. If he is complaining of fluid, you should have his doctor remove it with a pediatric ear vacuum that is often employed for these issues.

I wouldn't worry about permanent hearing loss. He will regain his normal hearing once he gets better with the antibiotics.

Answer 2

There's a good chance that the hearing problem with your son is caused by a blocked eustachian tube that causes fluid to build up in the middle ear. The fluid creates air pressure which makes the eardrum less pliable and less capable of transferring sound energy to the other parts of the ear. Young children are highly susceptible to this condition because their ear canals are narrow and not fully developed.

With children, it is possible for fluid build-up to cause damage if it is a prolonged or frequent problem. You can check to see if there is fluid build-up in your son's ears by having him slowly turn his head toward his shoulders and back, then repeat the same thing on the other side, and then in a forward direction. If there is fluid in your son's ears, he will notice a change in pressure, or a change in sounds as he moves his head. The sensations are a little vague for a 4-year old to describe, but if he indicates any type of inner ear sensation caused by moving his head, its a good bet there is fluid build-up.

If it looks like there is fluid in the ears, it's probably a good idea to ask your doctor's office if the doc wants to see your son about the fluid, but most likely your son's condition is not very serious since he is not complaining of pain. Fluids in the ears are common for children at this age and usually only antibiotics are given. Fluid build-up after an infection usually takes several weeks to dissipate.

Answer 3

It may take a while for the ear canals to clear and open completely; until then, while they're full of fluid/mucous, his hearing may be muffled. Even for adults who know what they're doing and can sometimes consciously unblock the canals, it takes quite a few days. Give it another 10 days; if he's still having trouble hearing, then certainly I would take him back to his pediatrician and ask that his ears be checked. If it's simply a mechanical blockage, as most children get with ear infections, then it's just a matter of time until the canals clear and he can hear with no problem again.

Answer 4

Otitis media (inflamation by infection of the middle ear) is certainly caused by the microbi that also cause pneumonia (streptococcus pneumoneae), and less frequently, by the influenza bacteria (pneumococcus influenza).
With or without pneumonia, both strains are sensitive to amoxycillin, and even better, a mixture of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid.
Permanent damage of the ear, is quite (Extremely) rare, when the infection of the ear is trated promptly, as it sounds to be the case of your 4 year old.
I have sons and grandsons, and believe me, after ear infections, (very serious in one of them) no ear damage has been detected.(Either by meninges infection nor ear infection proper)
Your concern is quite logic, however, if an antibotic course is yet working, there is little or no concern for permanent damage.
Relax dear..You and your child will be OK

Answer 5

hey
when i was little, i used to get a LOT of ear infections too. this is because at a young age, kids' ear and throat canals are more 'connected' - meaning it's easier for an infection to pass from the throat to the ears or vice versa.

kids will ususally grow out of this. i think i even had to get some operation in my ear b/c of infection but now my ears are perfectly normal.

so don't worry much, cure the infections as they come (so yes, do see the doctor), and im sure your kid will grow out of them.

=D