Why do young children tend to have ear infections?

The Eustachian tube, a canal that runs from the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat, is shorter and more horizontal in young children than in older children and adults. This allows easier entry into the middle ear for the microorganisms that cause infection and lead to otitis media. The result is that children are at greater risk of acquiring ear infections than adults. How does the Eustachian tube change as a child gets older? As an individual ages, the Eustachian tube doubles in length and becomes more vertically positioned so that the nasopharyngeal orifice (opening) in the adult is significantly below the tympanic orifice (the opening in the middle ear near the ear drum). The greater length and particularly the slope of the tube as it grows serves more effectively to protect, aerate and drain the middle ear. What microorganisms cause otitis media? Bacteria and viruses can cause otitis media. Bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), nontypable Hemophilus ...  more