Who does it affect?

Middle ear infection is common in infants and children but can affect people of any age. Acute Otitis media is one of the most common illnesses of childhood and is often recurrent particularly up to age 7 years. Eighty to ninety percent of cases of otitis media occur in children aged 6 years or younger and those who develop acute otitis media below age 1 year are more likely to go one to develop chronic suppurative otitis media.

It can occur in adulthood, sometimes as a continuation of childhood disease or secondary to chronic infection or inflammation spreading from the throat.

Amended February 2009