- Ear infections are incredibly common. Five out of six children will develop at least one ear infection by their third birthday.
- They can be quite painful but luckily there are ways you may be able to help soothe your child’s ear infection.
- If the ear infection is accompanied by a fever, severe pain, or discharge leaking from the ear then you should take your child to the doctor.
As parents, we’ve all experienced sleepless nights, non-stop crying, and emergency trips to the pharmacy and doctor because our child is suffering from a painful ear infection. They’re incredibly common. In fact, the National Institute of Health (NIH) says five out of six children will develop at least one ear infection by their third birthday.
Most ear infections develop after a cold, allergies, or a sinus infection, which can cause the eustachian tube to become inflamed and fluid to accumulate in the middle ear canal (an ear infection referred to as otitis media with effusion) or a mixture of fluid and bacterial infection to accumulate in the middle ear cavity (referred to as acute otitis media ear infection). Seeing your child in pain is not a nice experience. Luckily, there are steps you can take to help provide a bit of relief.
Symptoms to Look Out For
Earaches can be painful for your little one and if they can’t quite communicate verbally it’s important to watch out for the signs that they have an infection. Earaches can cause varying symptoms from irritability to disruptions to their sleep.
Another telling sign of an ear infection to look out for is if they’re pulling or batting at their ear. Healthline says you should also be on the lookout for fever, loss of appetite, and fluid draining from their ear. In some cases, ear infections can cause dizziness. If your child is wobbly when walking, this may indicate an infection.
Now that you know what to look out for, let’s take a look at how you can help ease their discomfort.