Overview
Most healthcare providers can tell if your child has an ear infection based on their symptoms, a physical exam to check for signs of a cold and an ear exam. For the ear exam, your child’s healthcare provider will view your child’s eardrum using a lighted instrument called an otoscope. An inflamed, swollen or red eardrum is a sign of an ear infection.
Your child’s provider may use a pneumatic otoscope to check for fluid in your child’s middle ear. A pneumatic otoscope blows a puff of air at the eardrum, which should cause it to move back and forth. It won’t move easily if there’s fluid inside your child’s ear.
Are there additional tests my child may need?
Your child may need other tests, including:
- Tympanometry: This test uses air pressure to check for fluid in your child’s middle ear.
- Acoustic reflectometry: This test uses sound waves to check for fluid in your child’s middle ear.
- Tympanocentesis: This procedure allows your child’s provider to remove fluid from your child’s middle ear and test it for viruses and bacteria. Their provider may recommend tympanocentesis if other treatments haven’t cleared the infection.
- Hearing tests: A provider called an audiologist might perform hearing tests to determine if your child has hearing loss. Hearing loss is more common in children with long-lasting or frequent ear infections or fluid in the middle ear that doesn’t drain.
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Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.
The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.
Prevention
Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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