An ear infection sometimes called acute otitis media is an infection of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Children are more likely than adults to get ear infections. Because ear infections often clear up on their own, treatment may begin with managing pain and monitoring the problem. Sometimes, antibiotics are used to clear the infection.

Acute otitis media AOM is a painful type of ear infection. It occurs when the area behind the eardrum called the middle ear becomes inflamed and infected. The eustachian tube is the tube that runs from the middle of the ear to the back of the throat. The trapped fluid can become infected.

A more recent article on otitis media is available. This is a corrected version of the article that appeared in print. Patient information: See related handout on ear infections in children , written by the authors of this article. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae , and Moraxella catarrhalis are the most common bacterial isolates from the middle ear fluid of children with acute otitis media. Fever, otalgia, headache, irritability, cough, rhinitis, listlessness, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, and pulling at the ears are common, but nonspecific symptoms.