Earache in babies

Producer: Wahida Sabir

The ear is usually described as having three parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and the inner ear. The most of an earache and its infection belongs to the middle ear.

According to the information provided by the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists in Indira Gandhi Child Health Care Hospital in Kabul city, about 80% of kids under 3 years has experienced earache or ear infection in Afghanistan.

Earache faces kids with some problems. Writer/producer AEPO has talked to some mothers and a physician in Indira Gandhi Child Health Care Hospital in Kabul city.

A mother says: my baby suffers from an earache. He always shakes his head, cries and has no sleep during day and night.

Another mother says that her baby has the same problems.

Doctor Mohammad Sharif Silani, a specialist in nose, throat and ear diseases says: the signs of an earache in babies are: crying, fidget, fever, headache, flu, and diarrhea that are the main symptoms of an earache, if parents do not cure them, it might cause rupture of the eardrum.

Causes:

A mother from Kabul city says that her baby’ faced an earache because water entered in his ear during bathing.

Sardar Wali, another resident of Kabul city says: if we do not wrap the baby’s ears in a blanket during the night, the cold weather might cause him/her earache.

Treatment:

A woman from Nangarhar province says: when my kids face with an earache or ear infection, I put a warm cloth on their ear and rub some oil on their ears.

Some mothers drop a few drops of milk or warm oil into the infected ear.

Physician rejects home treatment of an earache and advises mothers if their babies face with an earache, they should show them to a physician or a nearby hospital for essential treatment.