Middle Ear Infection

I could write almost a whole book on the topic of middle ear infection and I can most probably may call myself an expert on the subject.
Recently, an acquaintance of mine told me that he had had an middle ear infection  for the first (and hopefully the last) time, so I was able to put myself in his shoes.
And immediately, memories came back to me, which I would not like to withhold from you, dear readers. Certainly not to generate pity, on the contrary, but to inform you. Surprisingly, I have hardly read about middle ear infection in various reports, although this infection is not only particularly painful, but cán also have long-term consequences. And please don’t read over “cán have”, because I don’t want to give the impression that this is always the case, because it is not.

First of all I have to explain briefly what exactly a middle ear infection is. From experience, of course, not as a physician.
An infection of the middle ear occurs when fluid behind the eardrum, i.e. in the middle ear, begins to inflame. The fluid behind the eardrum is usually caused by a cold or a flu.
When the fluid is inflamed, it presses on the eardrum. The pressure from inside causes pain in the ear and eardrum. Perhaps you know the pressure on the ears when flying (climbing and landing) …
Depending on the degree and treatment of the infection, one has more or less pain. The treatment can consist of ear drops, antibiotics, puncture of the eardrum by an ENT doctor, or the eardrum can burst spontaneously. In any case, you should definitely consult a general practitioner or an ENT specialist.

When I was a small child, my brother and I very often had middle ear infections, mostly due to a cold. And when we didn’t have a middle ear infection but had to go to an ENT specialist for a check-up, it could often happen that the ENT specialist discovered fluid behind our eardrum and had to remove it. This was done under partial anesthesia and it often happened that my mother entered the hospital with two healthy children but had to go home with one or two treated (sick) children.
Sometimes tubes were surgically inserted into the eardrum so that the fluid could come out of the ear by itself for a while. After a few months to half a year, the tubes spontaneously let go of the eardrum and usually the whole thing started all over again.

When I was 16, I had my last big ear infection, I thought. About two years later, my regular hearing tests revealed that I had hearing loss in my right ear. Enough for a hearing aid. The eardrum had been scarred by the many middle ear infections and was no longer flexible. Due to the loss of flexibility from the eardrum, sounds and tones were no longer transmitted well to the middle and inner ear, which led to my initial hearing loss.
At a later age, I had two more cases of middle ear infection, which led to further hearing loss (read eardrum scarring). On top of this, in 2007 I suffered a sudden hearing loss and this made my hearing loss severe.

As an adult woman, I always have huge sympathy for people with middle ear infection, especially children. When I sit in the waiting room of the ENT specialist and see their crying, bright red heads, I know what those children are going through. They have a lot of pain and often cannot yet say how, where and what.
Then I am glad that I am older and more experienced now and can tell you from here: it is going to be okay.