Otitis media is inflammation located in the middle ear. Otitis media can occur as a result of a cold, sore throat, or respiratory infection. Nearly half of these children have three or more episodes by the time they are 3 years of age.
Otitis media can also affect adults, although it is primarily a condition that occurs in children.
About 30 million visits to the pediatrician each year are due to otitis media. Otitis media occurs most often in children younger than 7 years of age and even more frequently in children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. Otitis media is more common in boys than girls. Otitis media occurs more often in the winter and early spring . Middle ear infections are usually a result of a malfunction of the eustachian tube, a canal that links the middle ear with the throat area.