CORPUS CHRISTI — Longer wait times and farther destinations. Doctors said those are the lengths some people are taking when it comes to getting care for ear infections.
“There is a difficultly for getting in for your child when you have ear infections to be seen.” Dr. Andreas Kaden said.
Kaden is one of the otolaryngologists at Ear Nose and Throat Associates of Corpus Christi.
“Air is not getting out or not being able to clear,” Kaden said. “Eventually, if it builds up enough, then it can also lead to infections because that eustachian tube also has access to the bacteria that grow in your throat and your nose.”
He said often times doctors will refer people to ENT’s for numerous reasons including ear infections.
“Every month or every two or three weeks, or if the infection doesn't clear, then you'll often be sent to one of us an otolaryngologist,” Kaden said. “Where we can put in ear tubes.”
He said ear infections mostly affect children because of their Eustachian tubes.
“As an adult we grow and stretch,” Kaden said. “It’ll stretch to a more 45-degree angle. Because it’s horizontal, it doesn't always get rid of all the air or fluid.”
Kaden said the wind, moisture and warm temperatures can be the perfect ingredients for an ear infection.
“We don't have a real winter,” Kaden said. “So, sometimes, we see it at different times throughout the year.”
He said he wasn’t overwhelmed with those types of patients.
“But something I’m sometimes noticing is that I’m hearing that people are leaving to Houston or they go to San Antonio,” Kaden said.
He said some people, especially parents, assume they can only go to Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
“They have great ENT’s,” Kaden said.” Unfortunately, because they're such a good hospital, they get lots of referrals even from down south in the valley. And, they're often, there's just so many children, it's hard sometimes to get an appointment.”
Kaden said people don’t necessarily have to look so far from home to get good health care.
“Unfortunately diabetics, there’s lots of diabetes in our area, are at very high risk for those swimmers ear infections to become very bad if they're not properly managed,” Kaden said. “So if you are having ear pain, you're having drainage out of your ear, come and see us so we can take a look.”
Ear, Nose and Throat Associates of Corpus Christi
5959 South Staples
(361) 694-5778
Corpus Christi ENT Sinus and Allergy
5641 Esplanade Drive
(361) 287-0100.
ENT Department at Driscoll Children’s Hospital
(361) 694-5778.
