A person may experience mild pain in the middle ear or a feeling of plugged ears when the space at the back of the eardrums gets clogged by mucus. Mucus is commonly filled with bacteria which causes ear infection.

Ear infection is one of the common reasons why parents bring their child to the doctor. Children are very susceptible to ear infections because aside from having a very unstable immune system, the Eustachian tube (the tiny passage which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose) is not yet vertically formed and matured.  This causes bacteria to travel easily from the nose and throat into the space behind the middle ear.

The common medical term for ear infection is acute otitis media. Otitis denotes ear infection and media means in the middle. So basically, acute otitis media means an infection in the middle ear. When the middle ear was infected, it could result to an increase of fluid in the ear, thus, causing irritability, fever, and pain. A person should consult a doctor if he/she is experiencing pain the ears. Infants are too young to complain about ear pain so they will habitually pull on their ears, be very unusually fussy, and may have fever once they have a feeling of pain in their ears. A lot of people especially children, will first have colds before developing ear infections.
Most ear infections happen to children who are under three years of age. So, parents play a vital role in preventing this to occur. They must teach their child to:

1.    Regularly wash their hands especially after sneezing and coughing.
2.    Not to use the utensils of other people, toothbrushes and other things that goes into the mouth.
3.    Cover their mouths whenever they cough.
4.    Use disposable tissues in blowing their nose and throw them properly and right away.

Are ear infections communicable and contagious? The answer is no. The bacteria in the ears which cause the infection are not contagious. The one that is contagious and communicable is the cold virus which could result to an ear infection.

When ear infections recurrently occur, it means that not all bacteria in the middle ear were treated. So, a person must always follow the doctor's advice on how to cure this kind of condition. The most common prescription for this is the use of antibiotics and it will most likely be amoxicillin depending on the condition of the patient. One dose of antibiotic is not enough to treat ear infection. You have to make sure that you continue the prescribed medication even if your child seems to be well.