Ear infection is the most common childhood illness other than
simple runny nose. Almost every child has had at least one ear
infection by the time he or she is six, and for many children
and their parents, frequent recurrences of these infections are
a major problem. Further, there's always the worry that the
complications of ear infections can impair the child's hearing
and even delay learning to speak. Adults sometimes get ear
infections too. There are two main types of ear infections.
Infection of the middle ear and eardrum is called otitis media.
It is the more serious illness and is the type most often meant
when a health professional diagnoses an "ear infection." Otitis
externa, as its name implies, is infection of the outer ear or
of the canal that leads to the eardrum. It is actually a skin
infection similar to those occurring elsewhere on the body, but
it can cause a great deal of ear pain and discharge. We'll
discuss each type of ear infection separately. Not all earaches
are due to infections. Duri