

If you’re concerned about an ear infection or any other medical issues don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.James R. Any other symptoms present themselves including vomiting, headaches, a stiff neck, drowsiness and a loss of balanceĪfter examination, doctors will usually prescribe ear drops or antibiotics if the infection is bacterial to help fight off your ear infection.There is a discharge of fluid, pus or bloody fluid from the ear.The symptoms of an ear infection are present in a child younger than 6 months.Ear infections are being experienced regularly, as they can eventually lead to hearing loss.Body temperature rises above 100.4 degrees as an accompanying fever could indicate a more serious infection.The symptoms do not improve within 3 days.You should contact your doctor immediately if: Most ear infections will clear up on their own in a few days and its just a question of waiting it out and managing the pain.īut, its important to know when its time to go and get it checked out by your doctor, just in case the symptoms indicate something more serious. When Should You Go to the Doctor for an Ear Infection You might notice redness and itching in your ear along with discomfort and muffled hearing. It can also be caused by damaging the thin skin that lines the ear canal when inserting items such as cotton swabs into the ear. This infection causes swelling in the outer ear canal. Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear)Īfter you go swimming, the water that remains in your ear canal provides a moist environment for bacteria to grow. This doesn’t always present any symptoms other than muffled hearing unless it develops into an ear infection. This is when there is fluid present behind the eardrum, but there is no infection present. This can also be accompanied by a fever Otitis media with effusion (OME) The middle ear becomes infected and swells.

This is the most common form of ear infection. There are three types of common ear infection: Acute otitis media (AOM) The pain is the result of this build-up of fluid and the accompanying inflammation increasing pressure on your eardrum. This results in a build-up of fluid in the spaces of the middle ear. More often this happens because of another illness that causes one of your Eustachian tubes to swell or become blocked. They are usually caused by bacteria in the middle ear, but they can also be viral. They come with pain, a sensation that the ear is clogged up and can even affect our hearing. Whilst they are numerous remedies to help ease sore throats, colds, and coughs, ear infections are a different matter.įive out of six children will have had at least one by their third birthday, but when should you do to the doctor for an ear infection? What causes ear infectionsĮar infections (medically known as otitis media) are the most common infections of the middle ear. I used to suffer from ear infections perhaps every two months as a kid, and if there’s one thing I don’t want to experience again, it’s an ear infection.
