<s>[INST] Why Do Kids Get Ear Infections? [/INST] Kids (especially in the first 2 to 4 years of life) get ear infections more than adults do for several reasons:

Their shorter, more horizontal eustachian tubes let bacteria and viruses find their way into the middle ear more easily. The tubes are also narrower, so more likely to get blocked.
Their adenoids, gland-like structures behind the nose, are larger and can interfere with the opening of the eustachian tubes.
Other things that can put kids at risk include secondhand smoke, bottle-feeding, and being around other kids in childcare. Ear infections are more common in boys than girls.

Ear infections are not contagious, but the colds that sometimes cause them can be. Infections are common during winter weather, when many people get upper respiratory tract infections or colds (a child with an ear infection also might have cold symptoms, like a runny or stuffy nose or a cough). Source: KIDS HEALTH ORG. Link: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/otitis-media.html. Field: Otolaryngology. Disease: Ear Infection </s>