Eight Signs of an Ear Infection

With an ear infection the inner ear fills with fluid and causes it to feel full and have lots of pressure. Ear infections can be hard to detect in children who are limited in their speech and may not even show any signs or symptoms of an ear infection. In some cases an ear infection presents itself a few days after a cold or respiratory infection.

Cold Symptoms

In many cases a cold can be the first sign that an ear infection is coming. The excess draining from your sinuses can detour to the middle ear, causing an infection to occur. It is very rare for an ear infection to occur without a cold first occurring.

Pain
Almost all ear infections will cause pain, which can range from a dull ache to a stabbing pain. It is possible that the pressure will be relieved from time to time, so the pain will not be continuous. You will notice that your child will become much more fussy and upset while lying down, and will come in spurs of an hour or two.

Fever
Not every child will have a fever when they have an ear infection, but it is not impossible for a low grade fever of 100 to 102 degrees to occur when a child is in pain with an ear infection. It is a very good clue that the body is fighting off something and something that should defiantly be brought to your child’s doctor’s attention.

Irritability

An ear infection, as with any other sickness, can make for a really cranky child. The ear infection may ruin your child’s eating, sleeping habits and create chaos in your child’s little world.

Diarrhea and/or vomiting
Like the fever, not all children will experience diarrhea and vomiting with an ear infection. It is possible that the virus that caused the ear infection did mess with your child’s digestive system and caused some vomiting and loose stools. It is important if you notice this to make sure to keep them hydrated as much as possible, to make sure not to make them sicker than they already are.

Difficulty Sleeping
Fluid builds up inside the middle ear when a toddler has an ear infection. This causes a sense of fullness and pain inside the ear, which is amplified when the child is lying down. During the day, a child with an ear infection might act perfectly happy. As soon as they are lying down to sleep, however, the pain may worsen.

Ear pulling
In many cases the first question a doctor will ask is if your child is pulling on their ear when they are in pain with an ear infection. It is not possible to diagnosis right off the bat if they have an ear infection just from the ear pulling, so if it is associated with other signs then it can indicate an ear infection Loss of Appetite

An ear infection can cause so much pain in some cases that it will feel worse when a child tries to swallow food or drink. If you notice your child is having issues with eating or drinking with any of the other above symptoms then it could in fact be an ear infection.

When to see a doctor
It is important that if your child is vomiting or having diarrhea and not eating or drinking then you need to be checked out by their doctor to rule out anything they may have, and to get fluids if needed. It is also important that if you notice any type of discharge form the ear, it may mean that the ear drum burst and needs to be checked out as well.

Having a child with an ear infection can cause craziness within the home, it is important to try and keep them happy, full of fluids and rest often. It will help them heal faster and also prevent more harm.

References:

WebMD– http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/ear-infections-symptoms

MayoClinic:– http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ear-infections/DS00303/DSECTION=symptoms