Otitis Media Case Study

Otitis Media Jarvis (2016) states, “The middle ear is a tiny air-filled cavity inside the temporal bone” (p. 326). The tympanic membrane (TM) covers its opening to the outer ear. Another opening is the eustachian tube, which is usually closed, but it opens with swallowing or yawning. The middle ear has three functions: it conducts sound vibrations from the outer ear to the inner ear; it protects the inner ear by reducing the amplitude of loud sounds; and its eustachian tube allows equalization of air pressure on each side of the tympanic membrane ensuring the pressure does not build up (e.g., during altitude changes in an airplane).Otitis Media (OM) is inflammation of the middle ear. It is very common in children with several subtypes; acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME), and chronic otitis
OM cause is multifactorial and include genetics (e.g., race), infection (e.g., bacteria), allergies (e.g., swelling preventing normal flow of fluids), environmental factors (e.g., smoking in household), social factors (e.g., poor living conditions), trauma (e.g., sticking something in the ear) and Eustachian