Baby ear pain symptoms
Your
child continues to pull on the ear. They seem fussy and cry more than usual.
They stop breastfeeding or turn away from bottles or food.
If
your child could speak, he might try to say, "My ear hurts."
Symptoms
Sooner
or later, almost every child gets a middle ear infection. By age 3, 5 out of 6
children have it. Infection, also called acute otitis media, is the most common
reason for visits to the pediatrician and the leading cause of ear pain in
infants.
Signs
that your child's ear may need attention include:
- Cry a lot and seem fretful
- Don’t sleep well
- Have a fever of 37.8 C or higher
- Pull at one or both ears
- Leak fluid from the ear
- Have trouble with balance
- Show signs that their hearing isn’t as sharp as usual
Causes of ear pain
- Ear infections. If your child has a sore throat
or other bacterial infection, the germs can reach the middle ear and cause an
infection there. The tissues around the eardrum may become red and swollen.
Fluid may accumulate.
- If your child has a cold, it can also lead to congestion and swelling in the ear, which can lead to an infection.
- Dysfunction of
the Eustachian tube.
This tube between your child's throat and middle ear is much smaller and angled
less than yours. This can make it difficult for fluid to drain. If the tube
swells or becomes clogged with mucus, the resulting increase in pressure can
cause ear pain. This often happens with colds and other viral infections.
- Other possible causes
Less
common causes of ear pain in children include:
An
outer ear infection, also called swimmer's ear, which can occur if the ear
canal becomes inflamed and scratched. You will usually need prescription
antibiotic drops.
Airplane
ear. This common condition occurs when large changes in cabin air pressure
during takeoff or landing cause ear pain. The best way to prevent or alleviate
this is to help your child drink or swallow something.
What can you do
Currently,
doctors do not prescribe antibiotics as quickly because ear infections often go
away on their own.
If
your baby is over 6 months old, the doctor may wait a few days to see if the
symptoms go away. In the meantime, ask your pediatrician if this will help ease
your child's discomfort if you:
- Give them over-the-counter baby painkillers.
- Use saline drops or spray to relieve swelling and nasal congestion caused by a cold. If a blocked ear drain does not open, your doctor may suggest inserting small ear tubes for a while.
- If your child has been prescribed antibiotics, stop all medications, even if he gets better. Otherwise, the infection can return quickly.
When to call the doctor
Call
your child's doctor if you think they may have an ear infection and:
- They’re younger than 6 months.
- Symptoms don’t go away after 1-2 days.
- They have a fever.
- You can tell their ear pain is severe.
- Your baby stays restless and whiny after getting over a cold or chest infection.
- Fluid, pus, or bloody discharge comes out of the ear.
- Your baby is not eating or drinking enough.