A 4-year-old boy suddenly has a big personality change! Doctor: Many children have been recruited recently and have returned from their travels

"I used to be very obedient, but recently I've become 'dragging' and indifferent. We don't even know why..." In the consultation room of the Department of Otolaryngology at the First People's Hospital of Hangzhou, Xiaoxiao's mother was very confused.

Due to Xiaoxiao's repeated runny nose, his mother suspected that he was suffering from rhinitis, so she brought him to see a doctor. Unexpectedly, this casual sentence caught the doctor's attention and discovered a big problem hidden in Xiaoxiao's body

Returning from a trip

Children become indifferent and indifferent

Xiaoxiao is 4 years old this year and is usually obedient and obedient. This summer, parents took Xiaoxiao on a domestic tour by plane. But after returning, Xiaoxiao seemed to have changed a person: the sound of watching TV was very loud, and even when asked to turn it down, he didn't let it go at all. He didn't pay much attention to him when he was called... Mom and Dad felt puzzled: the child suddenly seemed like a different person. Is it a rebellious period?

Recently, Xiaoxiao's mother found that her child often has a runny nose, which is getting worse and worse. She took him to have his nose checked. According to Xiaoxiao's mother, the child has become indifferent. With years of experience, Dr. Zhu Jin, the chief physician of the Otolaryngology Department, believes that the problem is likely to be in Xiaoxiao's ears.

Sure enough, after examining Xiaoxiao's ears with an endoscope, he found the reason for Xiaoxiao's indifference - only the eardrums of Xiaoxiao's ears were sunken and there were obvious signs of fluid accumulation. After further examination, Xiaoxiao was diagnosed with secretory otitis media.

The most direct impact of secretory otitis media is on hearing. Due to the long history of the disease, the viscosity of the fluid in Xiaoxiao's ear is very high, and it is difficult to cure through conservative treatment. In the end, the only option is surgery, which involves cutting open the eardrum, draining the mucus, and placing a tympanic membrane ventilation tube... The entire recovery period takes about six months.

Recently, there has been a cluster of patients

Although the pain may not be strong, it can be very harmful

Dr. Zhu Jin said that Xiaoxiao's situation is not an exception. Recently, due to seasonal changes, there has been a high incidence of secretory otitis media, especially among children. In his outpatient department alone, patients with secretory otitis media account for a quarter of the total number of patients.

Everyone is familiar with otitis media, but many people are unaware of secretory otitis media. Unlike acute otitis media, secretory otitis media is not an inflammation caused by direct infection of microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria. "Due to the fact that secretory otitis media generally does not have strong pain, it often manifests as a feeling of stuffiness and hearing loss in the ear. However, young children often do not express hearing loss, which is difficult for parents to detect at home," said Dr. Zhu Jin.

Secretory otitis media is more common in preschool children, and many children do not have obvious symptoms. Some are found during physical examinations, while many children, like Xiao Xiao, seek medical attention due to nose problems, but are ultimately diagnosed with secretory otitis media. Tracing back the medical history, it may have been several months and missed the best treatment opportunity.

"Although secretory otitis media may not have strong pain, it can be very harmful. If left untreated for a long time, it can lead to middle ear adhesions and even permanent hearing damage, which is difficult to completely cure even through surgery." Dr. Zhu Jin said that compared to acute otitis media, secretory otitis media has a longer course and is more difficult to treat. Conservative treatment often requires more than a month of treatment cycle, and is prone to recurrence, usually requiring multiple outpatient treatments.

Children are more susceptible to disease

Parents should pay attention to these points

Strictly speaking, secretory otitis media is a secondary disease, usually caused by acute otitis media caused by viral or bacterial infections in the upper respiratory tract. In addition, factors such as flying during a cold, adenoid hypertrophy, sinusitis in children and adults, nasal polyps, and nasopharyngeal tumors are all triggering factors. The fundamental cause of its onset is the obstruction of the eustachian tube caused by the above diseases, resulting in negative pressure in the middle ear cavity and subsequently causing fluid accumulation in the middle ear cavity. Therefore, the treatment of secretory otitis media should first analyze the cause, starting from removing the cause and restoring normal function of the eustachian tube.

It is worth mentioning that age itself is a very important factor in the onset of the disease. Children are more susceptible to obstruction caused by peripheral lesions due to the shorter, thicker, flat, and straight structure of the eustachian tube compared to adults. Therefore, compared to adults, they are more likely to suffer from acute otitis media and secretory otitis media. About 90% of preschool children have suffered from secretory otitis media at least once.

The most troublesome part of secretory otitis media is that it is not easy to detect, and ear pain is very rare, especially for young children who often cannot express their hearing loss on their own, which can easily delay the condition. If timely detection and treatment are possible, the vast majority of children can still avoid surgery.

Dr. Zhu Jin specifically summarized several characteristics of secretory otitis media, and parents may want to pay more attention to them——

Hearing loss: It is possible to observe whether a child needs to call out multiple times to respond, or if they call out on one side to have a response and on the other side to have no response; Watching TV, videos, etc. usually turns on the sound very loud; When lying down frequently, the hearing condition will improve;

Ear tightness and bloating: Secretory otitis media often has symptoms of ear tightness and bloating, and children usually use their hands to press or touch their ears;

Tinnitus: Some children may experience tinnitus, and they may appear irritable;

Self listening enhancement: Due to hearing loss, children's voices become louder when they hear others speak less. Therefore, they will unconsciously lower their voice when speaking.

Zhu Jin stated that parents are very important in the discovery and treatment process of their children's secretory otitis media. The treatment of secretory otitis media is relatively special and requires guidance and supervision from parents to cooperate with their children's treatment in order to significantly shorten the treatment cycle. I hope to be a conscientious parent and make my child obedient.