What Is Acute Otitis Media?
5. Treatment
When acute otitis media is caused by bacteria, your doctor may prescribe antibiotic medication. However, it is important to determine whether the cause is bacterial and if the infection is likely to resolve on its own to avoid prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily. Otherwise, strains of bacteria can develop an immunity to the medication and be harder to treat in the future. When antibiotics are appropriate, doctors typically prescribe amoxicillin first to both children and adults with AOM. However, a different antibiotic may be prescribed to people who are allergic to amoxicillin or otherwise unable to take it.
Another possible treatment for ear infection is the placement of tubes in the eardrum. This requires a surgical procedure called a myringotomy to cut a tiny hole in the eardrum and place a small tube that allows the fluid to drain out. Myringotomy is an outpatient procedure reserved for children with certain medical conditions. Those who have recurrent, frequent ear infections may be candidates for ear tubes.
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