Can Nutritional Defects Underlie Middle Ear Inflammation?

While cold weather leads to the development of many diseases, especially middle ear inflammation is one of the main diseases that threaten the health of children. Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist Prof. Dr. Müzeyyen Doğan pointed out that recurrent middle ear inflammation in children may be associated with dietary habits.

In the fall and mostly in the winter months, the risk and frequency of developing otitis media increases. During these months, flu, catarrh, sinusitis, pharyngitis, and tonsillitis are more common. All these infections disrupt the functioning of the eustachian tube in children and at the same time increase microbial transmission. Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist Prof. Dr. Müzeyyen Doğan said that there are many different factors, especially in recurrent middle ear inflammation, but some nutritional errors also have an important place. Prof. Dr. Doğan emphasized for this reason that dietary habits must be questioned and corrected in the presence of frequently recurring middle ear inflammation in children.

Eating Before Going to Bed

Prof. Dr. Müzeyyen Doğan said, "One of the two important factors causing infection in the middle ear is the closure of the eustachian tube. Apart from upper respiratory tract infections, reflux also causes the eustachian tube to close," adding that lying down, especially right after eating, causes throat reflux in both adults and children. Due to the anatomy of children, the stomach fluid coming upwards contacts the Eustachian tube and the ventilation of the middle ear is impaired due to edema (swelling) in this area. Fluid begins to accumulate in the middle ear, which cannot be ventilated, and infectious agents reaching here lead to otitis media."

Feeding Babies in Lying Position

Another important malnutrition behavior that can result in middle ear inflammation is breastfeeding babies in the horizontal position. In addition, giving the bottle to the baby while lying down and feeding them in this way can also cause the milk to reach the middle ear due to the anatomy of the babies. In this case, the inflammation of the middle ear, which is described as "milk otitis," occurs. 

Using a Feeding Bottle

Yeditepe University Hospital ENT Disease Specialist Prof. Dr. Müzeyyen Doğan stressed that the immunity provided by the substances passing through breast milk in newborn babies prevents the development of acute otitis media and stated that the use of bottles poses a risk for middle ear inflammation in children and added: "The position of the children who receive breast milk during feeding is more suitable for the normal function of the eustachian tube compared to that of the children who are fed with a bottle. For this reason, middle ear inflammation is less common in breastfeeding children than in bottle-fed children."