Preventing Otitis Media

Preventing ear disease

The best thing to do to prevent ear disease is to take your child to a health service for regular ear checks from a health worker, nurse or doctor.

Sometimes ear disease doesn’t cause pain, so children show no symptoms. Even if they seem fine, children should have their ears checked at every visit to a health service. 

Other ways to keep ears healthy include:

• breastfeeding babies if possible – it helps fight infection
• remind children to wash their hands and faces regularly, especially before they play with bub
• encouraging children to eat healthy foods like fruit and vegetables
• reminding children to blow their nose in a tissue, put the tissue in the bin, and wash their hands
• keeping any objects out of children’s ears – except if is part of a health professional’s instructions
• not smoking around children
• taking children to a health service for their vaccinations.