Our children are prone to all types of diseases and infections. They are constantly around germs in day cares and playgrounds and they do not practice the same amount of hygiene awareness what adults do. This can lead to the common spread of infections in the child. However, these infections help to build their immune systems and the child?s body learns to fight them off. One of the most common medical concerns in young children is that of ENT problems, or ear, nose and throat problems. These seem to be very common problem areas in young children and it is important, as a parent to take the appropriate steps of recovery when your child comes down with an ENT disease.

Ear, nose and throat conditions in young children are so common that more than 90% of all children will have at least one ear infection by 2 years of age. Although it is a common condition, many parents still worry a lot when their young child comes down with an ear infection. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The child should still be seen immediately by a medical professional and given the appropriate medication. Without proper care for an ear infection, it can lead to more chronic ear problems or even permanent hearing loss. Parents whose children experience multiple ear infections or ear infections past the first few years of their life should also be seen by a medical professional. If the ear infections continue, it is likely that there is something more serious going on that should be fixed. Common ENT problems can lead to more serious problems.

Common ENT problems should still prompt a parent to visit an ear, nose and throat specialist. Hearing problems can come from a lack of medical care for chronic ear problems. Chronic ear problems and common ENT problems can still lead to more serious conditions. Although genes are responsible for hearing loss among 50% to 60% of children with hearing loss, there are some children who experience temporary or permanent hearing loss from chronic ear problems.

Sleep disturbances from ear, nose and throat problems are also very common. In fact, snoring is very common in children. It is prevalent in about 12% of children in the general population. Some snoring can be normal, but if the snoring is very loud or excessive or they experience breathing difficulties, it should also be consulted with a medical professional. The child could be experiencing some type of obstruction during sleep, preventing them from getting the appropriate amount of air during sleep. This could result from many things, including sinus infections, sleep disordered breathing and other common ENT problems to more serious breathing conditions. Fortunately, once a chronic sleeping breathing condition is found, there are many treatment options available. Most of these procedures have proven to be successful and will help the child get better and safer sleep.

Some ear, nose and throat conditions are actually very common among young children. In fact, most children will have an ear infection at least once by the time they are 2 years old. However, a problem exists when the ear infections do not stop later on in life. Additionally, a child who is excessively snoring and losing oxygen during sleep will need sleep and breathing treatments. These common ENT problems can lead to more serious complications and disorders of the ear, nose and throat. A parent whose child experiences any of these conditions or disorders should work closely with a qualified ear, nose and throat specialist to monitor and treat their child, in order to prevent more complications of the common ENT problems.