MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

* People with chronic ear infections may find relief through tympanostomy tubes, which let the ears drain.

Inflammation of the middle ear, or otitis media, occurs most commonly in young children but occasionally affects adults. It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter from the nose or throat and rise through the eustachian tube to reach the middle ear.

This condition can become chronic, lasting for weeks, months or even years after the painful part of the infection is over. Children are also subject to frequent recurrences of the infection.

This is where the problem lies according to Dr. Richard Martin, a Cape Girardeau ear, nose and throat specialist.

Hearing is impaired with the fluid sitting in the ear, but young children may not be able to express the problem. They may simply tug or rub the affected ear.

Doctors are able to examine the ear through the use of a microscope-like device. Patients are able to see what is being done as the image is projected onto a television screen.

Martin said that the device has been a big boost toward making the patient and parents feel more secure about checking and cleaning the ears.

For patients who have chronic bouts of ear infections, a measurable hearing loss over a short time span or repeated allergy problems, tympanostomy tubes may be an option. The tubes are inserted into the ears to help mucus and pus drain as it should.

"We were going from one round of ear infection and antibiotic to another ear infection and new antibiotic," said Emily Goode of her son Quentin. The doctor suggested tubes be put in Quentin's ears when he was 14 months old.

The number of Quentin's ear problems has fallen off dramatically.

"Tubes continue to be bringing relief to a great number of people," Martin said. Removing the adenoids and tonsils can also help lessen ear-related problems.

"Some children are just prone to ear infections as a result of family history," Martin said. Children of parents who suffer from some type of allergy disorder usually acquire the same problems.

Karen Gleason's son Paul got off to a rough start. Chronic ear infections affected his hearing during his formative years.

"It affected his speech; there are some sounds he didn't pick up on," Gleason said.

Children with chronic ear infections may have a hard time hearing the soft "s" and "th" sounds, Martin said, and that will affect their speech and possibility create learning disabilities.

But speech and language therapy is helping correct Paul's problems.

Dr. Martin offers several suggestions to help prevent ear problems:

* Avoid smoking around children.

* Babies should be breast fed whenever possible.

* Mothers who are bottle feeding should change hands halfway through the feeding allowing the baby to switch sides.

* Don't put a baby down immediately after feeding; try to play with the infant an hour or so before bedtime.

* Never put an infant to bed with a bottle (this can cause tooth as well as ear problems).

* Cover the head on cold days (1/3 of body heat escapes through the head and neck -- an infant can become chilled quickly.

* Be sure to rinse thoroughly after swimming (soap is not necessary, but a thorough rinse will remove chlorine residue and bacteria you may have come in contact with).

* Use Q tips or other cleaning devices in the cracks and crevices around the ear only; they should never be placed inside the ear.