Pediatrics Electronic Pages
05/03/2002
By Elda Hauschildt
Two-thirds of children who have normal ears develop transient, negative middle-ear pressure within two weeks of starting a cold.
United States, Brazilian and British researchers say the presence or absence of bacterial pathogens in the nasopharyngeal secretions has little effect on the frequency with which children develop such negative pressure. They also say abnormalities occur in children older and younger than eight years with equal frequency.
"The findings in this study are most consistent with bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction being caused by a non-destructive viral infection of the nasopharynx and distal tubes producing a local inflammatory response, in the absence of direct viral infection of the middle ears," they concluded.
Investigators say therapeutic interventions that could reduce viral replication and the host response to infection should be studied as a way of ameliorating middle ear pressure changes and the risk of otitis media. Such interventions need to be carefully tested, they add.
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