About Ear Disease

About ear disease

Otitis media is an ear disease in which the middle ear becomes infected. Children are not born with otitis media, but they can get it soon after birth.

Otitis media is the main reason Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have hearing loss. Hearing loss can affect how a child connects with language and culture, and how they experience other opportunities during their lives.

We can avoid hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by preventing and treating otitis media.

Children often feel no pain and show no signs of having ear disease. Attending a health clinic for regular ear checks, even if your child seems fine, is the best way to make sure kids’ ears are healthy.

Care for Kids’ Ears – preventing ear disease

Care for Kids’ Ears aims to help reduce ear disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Care for Kids’ Ears resources explain:

• what ear disease is
• the symptoms (or lack of symptoms) of ear disease
• how to prevent ear disease
• the importance of getting regular ear checks.

Care for Kids’ Ears resources are suitable for:

• children
• parents and carers
• teachers and teachers’ aides
• early childhood workers
• health professionals.

Care for Kids’ Ears resources include:

• information booklets 
• fact sheets
• education tools
• a poster 
• story and photo books 
• activity books and crayons
• memory cards
• stickers
• crayons.

You can also watch the: 

• video, which is also available with an Auslan interpreter