Respiratory viruses, which compromise the Eustachian tube's ability to move bacteria and debris away from the middle ear, are a predisposing factor for the illness, Bakaletz said. Symptoms of otitis media may include a sense of fullness in the ears, pulling at the ears, impaired hearing, pain and fever. However, Bakaletz said, both options have shortcomings. In some cases, antibiotic treatment for middle ear infection is only marginally effective, she said. However, once the middle ear gets infected, it can become a closed system.
Antibiotics have a very hard time getting in there.
Giving children more powerful, broader spectrum antibiotics heightens the chances of inducing antibiotic resistance, Bakaletz added. The surgical option is equally problematic, she said. Putting tubes in the ears involves putting a young child under general anesthesia. Plus, it's rather expensive. At this same age, a child's antibody levels are at their lowest.