Symptoms Of Ear Infection In Children

Your child is crying and in pain and running through your head is a list of things that it could be… upset stomach, teething, flu, etc.. earaches are common in children and can follow a cough or cold. Babies might just cry, seem uncomfortable or have a slight temperature, while toddlers may rub or tug on their ears.

Some ear infections may be need to be treated with antibiotics and are not able to heal properly on their own. Earaches can last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. If you think your baby or child has an ear infection, or has some of the symptoms listed below, call us at (406) 334-2204.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Ear Infection?

The major symptoms of both of these ear infections are…

• Fever
• Sleep disturbances
• Dizziness
• Pulling at ears, especially in young children
• Headache
• Difficulty hearing
• Irritability or excessive crying
• Problems with balancing
• Drainage from the ear

When Should You Call The Doctor?

According to the CDC there are 2 main types of an ear infections:

AOM – The first type of ear infection AOM, acute otitis media, is an acute bacterial infection that has been occurring for less than 6 weeks in the middle ear, occurring quickly and extremely painful. The initial therapy for this type of ear infection is antibiotics. The use of tympanostomy tubes can also helpful.

OME – The next type of ear infection is OME, otitis media with effusion, is when there is no actual infection, but a thick, sticky fluid is present in the middle ear, behind the eardrum. With this type of infection antibiotics are not necessary. Life changes can actually help to clear this type, including, but not limited to Staying away from cigarette smoke and allergens; and encouraging parents to breastfeed so the child isn’t laying down while eating.

By the time most children reach their 3rd birthday they will have been diagnosed with at least 1 ear infection, most between the ages of 6 and 24 months. The only way to know which type of ear infection you are dealing with is to have the ear canal examined by your family doctor.

Whitefish Family Doctor In Whitefish

At Whitefish Family Doctor Medical Clinic we treat all types of ear infections offering the best treatment for you personally. After asking about your symptoms we will examine your ears and work forward with you, our patient to decide the best plan of action for your case.