Can mold exposure cause an ear infection?

Question

Hello doctor,

Last year, I noticed that my 3 year old's tonsils were very large. I contacted his doctor. But, he could not find anything wrong. I later noticed him yelling or talking loudly and asking me to repeat a lot. So, I had a hearing test done and he failed. They explained that he had a fluid buildup behind both the ear drums and that his ears needed a cleaning. So, I scheduled that. Early this year, his right ear drum burst and he had a yellowish-green discharge. A month before that, we had hired a mold inspector because I was falling sick more often than usual. I found the mold and had it tested and it was a Chaetomium mold. It was growing right above the intake vent for my heat and air. Now, he is scheduled for surgery. Could the mold have caused this? And who do I contact to have a testing done?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your kid has a serous otitis media. The mild conductive hearing loss is due to this. In kids the most common cause is adenotonsillitis. 1) My advice is to get a nasopharynx lateral view X-ray done for adenoids and send me the pictures. 2) Give him an oral decongestant syrup and nasal decongestant drops. 3) Keep the ears dry. 4) Also, give him steam inhalation. This will help open the eustachian tube blockage and will drain the middle ear secretions, hence correcting the loss. 5)If the adenoids are found to be too enlarged, they should be operated along with myringotomy. Any further questions are always welcome.