In the days leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year, the weather continuously changes with periods of cold air interspersed with unusual hot sunshine, causing the number of children hospitalized for ear, nose and throat diseases to increase. Among them, otitis media is a common disease, containing many dangerous complications if parents are subjective in detecting and treating it.
Ms. Kieu Trang (Ha Dong, Hanoi) said that her child started to cough and have a fever right when the monsoon came. Thinking that her child only had a common cold, she bought medicine for her child to take at home. However, after more than a week, the symptoms did not subside but also appeared with ear discharge, pain in the forehead and temples. After an otolaryngography examination, the doctor diagnosed the child with acute otitis media due to VA inflammation complications.
Similarly, Mr. Trung Nghia (Bac Ninh) took his child to the hospital with the desire to "cure her quickly to be ready for Tet" when he saw that his child had otitis media with discharge. Previously, the family arbitrarily injected medicine into the child's ear. After about two weeks, the child's ear condition worsened, discomfort lasted, the family took the child to the doctor and it was determined that otitis media had complications, causing eardrum perforation. Doctors said that in the immediate future, the infection needs to be treated, and after stabilization, eardrum reconstruction surgery will be required.
According to Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Hoai An - Director of An Viet General Hospital, the number of children hospitalized for otitis media increases rapidly after each cold spell increases. Most cases of acute otitis media originate from upper respiratory infections such as VA inflammation, rhinitis, acute pharyngitis. In the cold season, the number of children with otitis media increases significantly. If normal days only record 1-2 cases/day, in the cold season this number can be up to about 10 children/day.
Many parents are surprised when doctors diagnose their children with otitis media because before that children only coughed, had a runny nose, and a mild fever. This subjectivity makes the disease easily worsen and recur many times," Assoc. Prof. Hoai An said.
Middle ear infection is a condition in which the middle ear mucosa is inflamed, congested and can become pusty. The disease is common in children of nursery and kindergarten age and is mostly a complication of rhinitis and pharyngitis. If diagnosed early and treated correctly, the disease is not difficult to cure. Conversely, late or incorrect treatment can put children at risk of eardrum perforation, hearing loss, and even long-term sequelae.
Doctors recommend that after a period of rhinitis and pharyngitis of about 7–10 days, if the child has a high fever again, cries a lot, rubs their ears, complains of ear pain or refuses to eat, parents need to take the child to an ENT specialist. Keeping warm, cleaning the nose and throat properly and not self-medicating are important factors to help prevent otitis media for children in the cold season.
