Ear infections - symptoms and how to test
A middle ear infection affects the air-filled area beneath the eardrum, where the small bones of the ear vibrate in response to sound. Ear infections are more common in children than in adults. In children, ear infections are most frequent between the ages of 3 months and three years, and they remain common until age 8. You should get tested if you think you could have an ear infection. The danger of irreversible hearing loss and the infection spreading to other regions of the head increases if an ear infection is left untreated for too long.