Earache is very common among infants, but being able to know if your baby has an earache or if they are in pain can be difficult. That’s why it’s a good idea to be aware of the signs and symptoms that your baby may display if they are in pain or uncomfortable. Here is a look at what to watch for if you think your baby has an earache.
Common Causes
The most common cause of an earache in young children is an infection of the middle ear. Ear infections are typically sudden and very painful at first. Pain is bad at the beginning of the ear infection because the sensory nerve endings in the eardrum respond with pain to the increased pressure. The pain may reduce, however, after the eardrum stretches a little.
Other causes include:
- Damage to the inside of the ear (punctured eardrum)
- A buildup of earwax
- Throat infection
- Otitis Media (buildup of fluid inside the ear)
Signs and Symptoms
If your baby has an earache then they may be showing common signs symptoms such as:
- rubbing or pulling their ear
- not reacting to quiet sounds
- presenting a fever of 99.5 F or above
- seeming irritable and are restless at night
- coughing or runny nose
- having trouble keeping their balance
- loss of appetite
How to Relieve Earache for Infants
Earaches can range between mild and being very painful. You can help relieve discomfort or pain from an earache in your infant by:
- Placing a warm (not hot) heating pad covered with a towel or a warm cloth over the aching ear.
- Ask your pharmacist about eardrops to help with pain. If your baby’s eardrums have burst, however, do not use eardrops or olive oil drops.
- If the earache lasts for more than 3 days, call your doctor; but usually an earache will clear up before then.
- If the earache is caused by an ear infection, do not get the affected ear wet.
- The ear canal is very delicate so it’s important to not put cotton swabs in your infant's ear.
- Keep your baby upright while drinking. You should hold them at a 45 degree angle when feeding them from a bottle. Don’t lie them down while they are drinking. Holding them upright will prevent fluid from entering their Eustachian tubes, which are the small channels that connect the middle ear to the throat.
- Keep your baby away from secondhand smoke. The dust and fumes increase their chance for fluid build-up in the ear.
When to Call a Doctor
If the cause of the earache is an ear infection, then it should clear up without any complication within a few days, however you should contact your doctor if:
they have the following symptoms: fever, vomiting, a severe sore throat, swelling around the ear, or discharge from the ear
the earache doesn’t get better within a few days
there is something stuck in their ear
you have any concerns
