It has been over a month that my 6 month old baby has had an ear infection. The doctor gave her antibotics for 5 days which did not work. She was then given Moxifloxacin and it did not help. My baby picks, and pulls at her ears and does not sleep like she used to before the infection. How long does it take for an ear infection to cause permanent hearing loss? Thank you for anyone that can help. I am worried about her losing her hearing.
Hearing Aids
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Permanent hearing loss is usually only an issue when the patient has multiple ear infections that result in scarring of the tympanic membrane (ear drum). In that case, the scar tissue prevents the drum from vibrating well. One ear infection would be unusual to cause hearing loss, but can result in long term fluid behind the ear drum that can decrease hearing.
It depends on what type of ear infection this is.
If it is an external ear infection then there is no real worries.
If it is a middle ear infection then scarring of the ear drum can cause hearing loss.
An untreated infection can travel from the middle ear to the nearby parts of the head, including the brain.
It would be a good idea to go back to the doctor and get it cleared up.
It is common for children to have ear infection. Usually 2-3 ear infections before the age of five is usual. Ear infections in childhood does not cause any permanent ear problems in most cases. In most cases it resolves and the damage to the tympanic membrane is healed with a minor scar sometimes which does not cause any problem. But change the ENT surgeon if the one treating you is not solving the problem. Keep the child under observation of the ENT till he says it is OK. Recheck after 1 month to make sure the tympanic membrane is fine. But don’t worry about hearing loss at present. Even in worse cases only a partial hearing loss will occur.
No way should a 6 month old have this infection this long. Are you taking her to a pediatric ENT? Please do so asap so you can find out the problem and have it corrected. To prevent her from pulling on her ears place mittens over them when she does this to prevent any transferring of the infection to somewhere else in her body. She also might need a shunt placed in the ear so that it drains more efficiently. This is a common procedure in children this age. Good luck and God Bless
BTW- When you call for an appointment explain what the problem is so that they can see her right away.
It usually does take a few infections, but it is better not to risk the hearing loss; see an pediatric ENT; if it’s a buildup of fluid or any other blocking in the ear, they can safely have it removed.
Best of Luck