What is an ear infection?

Also called otitis media, an ear infection refers to inflammation or infection of the middle ear (the little air-filled pocket backside the eardrum).

There are a few different types of heart ear infections, simply the one most commonly experienced by babies and children is called acute otitis media (AOM). In this type of ear infection, fluid is trapped behind the eardrum, and parts of the heart ear become infected and swollen. This causes hurting in the afflicted ear and your child may also develop a fever.

What causes ear infections?

A middle ear infection tin can be acquired by leaner or a virus. After an illness such as a cold or influenza, fluid can build upward in the middle ear, allowing leaner or viruses that accept traveled to the expanse to multiply and cause an infection.

Normally any fluid that enters this area drains apace through the eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the olfactory organ and throat. Simply if a eustachian tube is blocked – every bit ofttimes happens during colds, sinus infections, and even allergies – the fluid gets trapped in the eye ear.

Germs like to grow in dark, warm, wet places, so a fluid-filled centre ear is the perfect breeding footing. Equally the infection gets worse, the inflammation in and behind the eardrum also tends to worsen, making the status more painful. Your kid may also develop a fever every bit his body fights the infection.

Using a pacifier may increment the risk of middle ear infections. In ane study, the incidence of ear infections was 33 percent lower in babies who didn't use pacifiers.

Babies are more prone to ear infections because they have short (about one/ii inch) horizontal eustachian tubes. Every bit children abound to adulthood, their tubes triple in length and become more vertical, allowing fluid to drain more easily.

sticky wax covering part of ear

© Dr. P. Marazzi / Science Source

Signs of an ear infection in babies and children

The easiest style to tell if your baby might have an ear infection (or any other affliction, for that matter) is by observing a change in her mood.

If your infant gets fussy or starts crying more than usual, be on the watch for a problem. If she develops a fever (whether slight or high), you take another big inkling. Ear infections tend to follow a common cold or sinus infection, so keep that in listen too.

Yous may also notice the following symptoms:

  • Pulling, grabbing, or tugging at the ear. This could exist a sign that she'south in pain. (Babies practice pull on their ears for many other reasons, so if your baby seems otherwise fine, she probably doesn't have an ear infection.)
  • Diarrhea  or vomiting . The bug that causes the ear infection can as well affect the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Reduced ambition. Ear infections can cause gastrointestinal upset. They can too make it painful for your baby to swallow and chew. If your baby has an ear infection, she may pull away from the breast or bottle after the first few sips.
  • Yellow or whitish fluid draining from the ear. This doesn't happen to most babies, only information technology's a certain sign of infection. It also signals that a pocket-size hole has developed in the eardrum. (Don't worry – this volition heal once the infection is treated.)
  • Unpleasant aroma. You may smell a foul odor coming from your child's ear.
  • Difficulty sleeping. Lying down can make an ear infection more than painful.
  • Fever. Your kid may accept a rectal temperature of 100.iv degrees F or college.

If you take a toddler or an older child, an earache is often the first noticeable symptom. Your toddler may seem cranky or might tug at her ear. Or your kid may tell you that her ear hurts.

In addition to the symptoms above, you may notice these symptoms in your toddler or older child:

  • Headache. Pain from the ear tin radiate to the head.
  • Trouble hearing sounds. Fluid buildup in the eye ear can block sound.
  • Difficulty with balance. The ear helps with equilibrium, so y'all may notice that your child seems a bit unsteady.

How common are ear infections in children?

Ear infections are 1 of the most ordinarily diagnosed illnesses in children in the U.s.. A large written report constitute that 23 percent of babies had at least one ear infection by their beginning birthday, and more than half had at to the lowest degree one ear infection past historic period 3.

Ear infection treatment in babies and children

Treatment depends on the severity of the infection and the age of your child. Babies who are half dozen months and younger, and children with severe cases, may need to be treated with antibiotics. For almost other children, doctors recommend a await-and-see approach for two to 3 days, considering ear infections usually clear up on their own. (Nigh 80 percentage of kids with AOM get improve without antibiotics.)

For years, antibiotics were the first line of defense against ear infections, but now doctors are prescribing them more judiciously. Taking antibiotics too oftentimes is a concern because it tin set children up to be vulnerable to antibiotic-resistant infections (come across below for more information).

Ask your child's md whether she suggests watchful waiting or prescription medicine. The doctor may propose an approach like this:

  • If your child is between 6 and 24 months quondam and has mild symptoms in only one ear, or if he's at to the lowest degree 2 and has mild symptoms affecting one or both ears, proceed an eye on his condition starting time. Your child's doctor may also suggest an over-the-counter pain reliever to aid him feel better.
  • If your kid doesn't improve in 48 to 72 hours, follow up with your child's doctor, who may consider starting an antibiotic.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends treating AOM with antibiotics for:

  • Babies half dozen months or younger; infants don't yet have a strong immune system and are peculiarly vulnerable to complications from AOM
  • Children six months or older with severe symptoms, such equally a fever college than 102 degrees F or moderate to astringent ear hurting that lasts at least 48 hours
  • Children between 6 and 24 months one-time who have AOM affecting both ears (fifty-fifty without severe symptoms)

If your kid does need an antibody, give him the entire course, even after he seems to feel better. Then take his ear rechecked a few weeks afterwards and so the doctor can make sure the medication worked.

If your child doesn't better later 48 to 72 hours on the antibiotics, let the medico know. She may want to switch medications.

Why are doctors concerned about prescribing antibiotics for ear infections?

Doctors are generally cautious about prescribing antibiotics because more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to them. And too contributing to antibody resistance, giving a child antibiotic medication kills skilful bacteria, which are essential for keeping the digestive tract good for you.

Likewise, an ear infection can exist caused by either bacteria or a virus. Since antibiotics don't work confronting viral infections, doctors are more than cautious about prescribing them.

Drug companies used to stay i step ahead by continually introducing new medications, only leaner have been mutating apace in response, making the drugs less effective. (Doctors say that parents can help combat this problem past not requesting antibiotics for every ear infection or bout with the common cold.)

When to call the doctor

Call at the beginning sign of an ear infection. If the doctor asks yous to come up in, she'll probably look in your kid's ear with an otoscope. An eardrum that'south red, bulging, and possibly draining is probably infected.

The physician may also check whether the eardrum moves in response to a device chosen a pneumatic otoscope, which releases a brief puff of air into the ear. If it's not moving, that'due south some other indication that fluid is collecting in the middle ear and may be infected.

Whether the treatment is watchful waiting or antibiotics, your kid's condition should amend each twenty-four hour period. If your child isn't doing better subsequently 48 to 72 hours, let the md know. She may want to have you come up back for a follow-upwardly exam and get-go antibiotics, or to change antibiotics if your child was already taking them.

Home remedies and other ways to treat hurting and discomfort

Here are a few means to help your kid experience better:

  • Hurting reliever. The right dose of infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen (merely give ibuprofen if your child is 6 months or older) can save pain. If your kid is younger than 3 months, enquire her doctor before giving her any medication.
  • Warm compress. Hold it gently to your kid's ear to assistance salve pain.
  • Lots of fluids. Encourage your kid to drink more fluids, because swallowing helps to drain the center ear and relieve painful force per unit area. If you have an infant, offer the chest or canteen more ofttimes. Encourage your toddler or older child to sip on water throughout the day.

Hither's what Not to do:

  • If your child is 3 years or younger, do NOT requite your child over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications such as decongestants or antihistamines. These not but won't help her get amend, they can also cause unsafe side effects in immature children. (The AAP does not recommend OTC coughing and cold medications for children under the age of 6, though some doctors may suggest it for 4- and 5-year-olds. Be sure to follow your doctor's advice.)
  • Never requite your child aspirin because information technology makes her more susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

How to forbid ear infections in babies and children

The following are steps y'all can take to lower your child's risk of recurring ear infections. (The get-go few are specifically intended for babies.)

  • Breastfeed your baby for at least six months.Chest milk provides antibodies against ear infections. A major study published in the journalPediatrics showed that children who are breastfed for the starting time 6 months of life are less probable to develop ear infections.
  • Hold your baby upright when feeding him.Hold him and then his head is college than the rest of his trunk. Babies fed while they're lying down are more than probable to develop AOM.
  • Wean your baby off the pacifier if your baby is prone to ear infections.Babies who are 6 months of historic period or older are slightly more than likely to develop ear infections if they apply pacifiers. But since using pacifiers in the outset year may assist protect confronting SIDS, ask your infant's medico near the all-time fourth dimension to wean.
  • Wash your hands often.Although ear infections aren't contagious, the respiratory infections that atomic number 82 to them are. Keep your child'southward hands clean, and stay away from people with respiratory infections whenever possible.

  • Make sure your child's vaccinations are up to date.Immunizations help prevent sure illnesses that tin can lead to an ear infection. For case, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has dramatically reduced the number of ear infections in children. Research shows that since the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been on the immunization schedule, the number of three-yr-olds who have had at to the lowest degree one ear infection dropped by 20 percent.

    If your child has repeated ear infections, peculiarly later on bouts of the influenza, talk to your doctor about giving your child an almanac flu vaccine. (Just children who are at least 6 months erstwhile tin go a flu shot.)

  • Avoid secondhand smoke. Researchers have concluded that kids whose parents smoke are more likely to get ear infections and have hearing problems.

    Children living with a smoker have a 37 per centum higher risk of middle ear infections and hearing issues, and a 62 per centum higher risk if the mother is the household smoker. Kids are also 86 percent more likely to receive surgery for their middle ear problems when their mothers fume, compared with children who take no smokers in their household.

    Even a weekend spent in a firm with a smoker can significantly harm a child and raise his chances of getting an ear infection. Tobacco smoke seems to suppress the immune organization, making it more hard for your child to fight off infection. Don't let people fume in your house, and keep your child out of smoky environments.

Tin can ear tubes assistance with repeated ear infections?

Possibly. Doctors vary on whether ear tubes should be used for recurrent ear infections because in that location isn't much research on their effectiveness, and the available information is inconclusive. According to the AAP, "More and better controlled studies of [ear] tube placement would help determine its do good versus harm."

If your child's doctor suggests ear tube surgery, yous'll have a conversation almost the process's pros and cons. The doctor may suggest this treatment if your child:

  • Is at least six months onetime
  • Has recurring hearing problems or speech delays due to multiple ear infections
  • Has persistent fluid behind the eardrum
  • No longer responds to antibiotic handling

The AAP says ear tubes can be offered to babies (who are at least 6 months erstwhile) and children who accept had iii episodes of recurrent AOM in half-dozen months, or four episodes in one year with the nigh recent episode occurring within the terminal six months.

Hither'south how ear tube surgery works:

  • Your child is taken to the operating room and given general anesthesia.
  • An otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doc) makes a tiny incision in the eardrum and removes fluid using suction.
  • The physician inserts a small tube into the slit.
  • The tube releases pressure and acts as a vent, letting air in and fluid out, so leaner tin can't flourish.
  • Your kid will wake up in the recovery room.

As with any surgery, there are risks, which tin include the following:

  • Complications from the anesthesia
  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • The tubes can sometimes come up out by themselves
  • Increased risk of damage to the eardrum

Are ear infections in babies and children ever serious?

They tin be. A severe or untreated infection can rupture your child'south eardrum. Ruptures don't happen very frequently and mostly heal quickly, simply it'due south important to follow upwardly with your child's physician to brand sure the infection has cleared upwards and the eardrum is healing well.

Repeated ear infections can sometimes crusade hearing loss and scarring. And in very rare cases, untreated ear infections lead to mastoiditis (a skull infection behind the ear) or meningitis.

Acquire more:

Is it true that colds crusade babies to get ear infections?

How to requite medicine to your child safely and finer