Otitis Media 581r3j

Otitis Media Joanne Lee S00017138 ADAB203: Indigenous Contemporary Issues

Acknowledgement of Country I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Dharug people who are the traditional owners of this land. I would also like to acknowledge their elders both past and present. I am especially humbled to be welcomed on to this land and be able to have this opportunity to further my education and look forward to taking what I have learnt back to my own community.

How does “Otitis Media” affect the education experience for Aboriginal children? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX1xLZYuG0o

What is Otitis Media? Burns 2013 states, in 2000, a study to measure the occurrence of middle ear disease and hearing loss for Indigenous school children aged 4-12 years in a selection of schools in NSW, found that more than 61% of children had ear problems of some type.

‘Otitis media’ is the medical term for middle-ear disease. It comes from the Greek word otitis which means inflammation of the ear and the Latin word media which means middle. Thus, otitis media simply means inflammation or infection of the middle ear. This disease is a common childhood ailment which may affect many children before the age of five years. Seventy-five per cent of all children will have at least one episode of Otitis Media by the age of five (Board of Studies, 1994).

ABS Statistics

2012-13

Comparison between Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander to non-Indigenous people.

Risk Factors

Macro-Social Level: Influences that are developed and lead from a national and state perspective; factors typically driven by government priorities that are often the levers used to address the health needs of the population, improve equity and add quality to services and outcomes.

Community Level: Factors surrounding the individual in their immediate natural and build environment; factors that are not in the individual's control to influence but a person's access to these factors is paramount for these protective factors to be effective and enable an individual behaviour to be carried out. Individual Behaviours: Individual behaviours that are required to protect ears and promote good hearing; behaviours that an individual has control over and the ability to directly influence.

Exposure to tobacco smoke

Otitis Media Complaint of ear pain

Discharge from ear

Pulling at the ear

Dizzy/Clumsy

Redness of the ears

Fever

Congestion related to a cold

Signs of Middle Ear disease

Grizzly/Grumpy

Signs of hearing loss associated with middle ear disease might include: asking to turn sounds up

signs of boredom

poor concentration

decreased alertness

watching others for cues behaviour problems

asking to repeat things

How is Otitis Media treated? •

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Antibiotic treatments and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination can help reduce the number of otitis media episodes. Although, the benefit of antibiotics must be weighed against the cost and inconvenience of the treatment and the risk of occasional side effects. There are questions about which antibiotic is most appropriate, the optimal length of the treatment, and the number of episodes required. There is also a risk that the use of antibiotics could promote the emergence of antibiotic resistance in otitis media. Neonatal screening for early identification of congenital malformations and early intervention enables timely treatment and management. Routine child health checks that incorporate ear and hearing assessments allow for early identification, management and treatment, and if necessary, fitting of hearing aids.

Treatments continued… A variety of treatment programs to improve the ear health of Indigenous children has been developed and implemented, including screening, surveillance, and medical and surgical therapy. These strategies require coordination of multiple health service providers, including Aboriginal health workers, general practitioners, audiologists and ear, nose and throat specialists. The development and use of Indigenous-specific clinical care guidelines are important components of effective treatment.

Prevention

The best way to prevent children getting ear disease is to have their ears checked every time they see the health worker, nurse or doctor. The following are also recommended: Keep children clean (wash their hands and faces regularly) Ensure children eat healthy foods like fruit and vegetables. If unavailable, use frozen or canned fruit and vegetables. Make sure children get all their vaccinations; get children to blow their nose, then wash their hands. Nose blowing opens up the Eustachian tube. This helps get fresh air into the middle ear space. (balloon activity) Breastfeeding helps babies fight disease, so it is important to do so for as long as possible. Avoid smoking around children. Avoid sticking anything in a child’s ears, unless recommended by a health worker, nurse or doctor.

Current Issues • Isolation – families in communities having to travel long distances to major cities that have specialists (ENT).

• Education - There is concern that there may be limited awareness about the extent and impact of ear disease in the Indigenous population. Poor knowledge of causes, prevention and interventions are other issues of concern. Education of parents in understanding and knowing the signs and symptoms of Otitis Media so to raise awareness. In saying that there are also some cases where there are no signs or symptoms.

• Funding/Programs – NSW Health Aboriginal Ear Health Program Healthy Ears, Happy Kids – works to reduce the number of young Aboriginal children affected by Otitis Media in a number of ways: working with families, working with community and improving services. Whether this is implemented within schools or communities is another story.

Do you have these same issues in your community? Are there any issues that you have come across?

Problems in the Classroom  selective attention  reduced recall  reduced comprehension  poor phoneme discrimination  delayed speech development  limited and inappropriate use of information  delayed acquisition of language concepts  delayed development of vocabulary  inability to hear low intensity sounds, such as ed, s, v, th

 limited understanding of conversational rules  limited range of communicative functions  delayed development of sound/syllable/sound segmentation  delayed development of phonological blending  less awareness of listeners’ needs

Classroom management strategies In view of the high conductive hearing loss among Indigenous children, implementing school-based initiatives that address classroom acoustics, such as installing amplification systems, changing class seating arrangements, negotiating listening behaviours and implementing ‘buddy’ systems have been recommended.

 Awabakal Newcastle http://www.awabakal.org/lil-mike

 Aboriginal Health Services  Australian Hearing  Marathon Health Dubbo – Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening Program (primary health for Indigenous children and youth (0-21yrs) for diagnosis, treatment and management of ear and hearing health.

 Care for Kids Ears http://www.careforkidsears.health.gov.au/internet/cfke/publishing.nsf

References: Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au/austats/[email protected]/Lookup/OBBD25C6FF8BDB06CA257C2FO O1458BF?opendocument Board of Studies (1994). Otitis Media and Aboriginal Children: A Handbook for Teachers and Communities. retrieved 18/9/2016 from http://ab-ed.bostes.nsw.edu.au/files/otitis_media_aboriginal_children.pdf

Breathe Blow Cough Wash and Chew Program http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/key-resources/promotion-resources?lid=16498 Burns J, Thomson N (2013) Review of ear health and hearing among Indigenous Australians. Retrieved [18/9/2016] from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/other-health-conditions/ear/reviews/our-review