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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Ear infections usually start with a viral infection, such as a cold. The middle ear lining becomes swollen from the viral infection, and fluid builds up behind the eardrum.
Ear infections can also be associated with blockage or swelling in the narrow passageways that connect the middle ear to the nose (eustachian tubes). When fluid gets trapped in the middle ear when the eustachian tubes become blocked during a cold, it can cause ear pain and infection.
Because children's eustachian tubes are narrower and shorter than those of adults, they are more likely to develop ear infections than do adults.
Another factor in ear infections is swelling of the adenoids. These are tissues located in the upper throat near the eustachian tubes. Adenoids contain cells that normally fight infection. But sometimes the adenoids themselves get infected or enlarged, blocking the eustachian tubes. Infection in the adenoids can also spread to the eustachian tubes.
In addition, children don't have fully developed immune systems. So it's easier for them to develop many illnesses, including colds and ear infections.
