“Can an eye infection spread to the ear?”
My son is 12 years old and has an eye infection. I want to know if an eye infection can spread to the ear?
2 Answers
The answer is yes, but mostly in younger children, < 2 years old. There is a connection between the eye and the ears, from the nasolacrimal duct, to the nose to the back of the nose, and then up the eustacian tube. Bacteria from the eye can travel this route and cause an ear infection.
Dr. K
Dr. K
Both "eye infections" and "ear infections" can be caused by a variety of organisms, both bacterial and viral. Certain specific organisms are notorious for involving both locations, others not so much. Your pediatrician should be able to help decide what is going on with your son and make the appropriate recommendations for treatment.
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
