Ear Infection Treatment in Orange County, CA

Do you ever think you development too many ear infections? While ear infections are much more common in children, there may be an underlying cause for repeat or chronic ear infections in both children and adults that need to be treated. Southern California Ear, Nose, & Throat treats ear infections in both children and adults in Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach, California.

Ear Infection Q & A

What Causes Ear Infections?

The Eustachian tube goes from the middle of each ear to the back of the throat and normally drains fluid from the ear. When you have a cold or allergies, the tube can swell and become blocked, causing fluid to build up behind your eardrum.

A middle ear infection occurs when this fluid builds up and becomes infected. A chronic ear infection means that the initial infection did not completely go away. This is likely because the infection didn’t respond to treatment or was never treated.

Potential Complications

If a chronic ear infection is not treated correctly, it can lead to serious complications, including:

• A ruptured eardrum
• Hearing loss
• Infection or damage to bones in the ear
• Damage to the tissues in the middle ear
• A cyst in the middle ear

If an ear infection in you or your child does not respond to treatment, contact us right away to make an appointment.

Ear Tubes at Southern California Ear, Nose, & Throat

Surgery to insert ear tubes is a common procedure to drain the fluid and equalize pressure on the eardrums. A small cut is made in the eardrum and excess fluid may be removed. A small tube is then placed through the cut so fluid can continue to flow out of the middle ear and reduce the chance of another ear infection. The eardrum usually sheds the tube naturally after two or three years.

Depending on the cause of your ear infection, your ENT may also recommend removal of the adenoids or tonsils as well as other treatments.