The Early Signs of Ear Infections in Children

Many children suffer from ear infections. In fact, 3 out of 4 children would suffer at least 1 ear infection by the age of five. Babies suffer from ear infections more commonly than adults since their Eustachian tube is under developed.

Seeing your child in pain is one of the hardest things of being a parent. Ear infections can’t be prevented entirely, but if diagnosed at an early stage – they can be easier to treat and handle. Taking action at an early stage is important. Just in case, here are a few things to watch for when winter is coming:

• Cold and/or running nose – A running nose usually means the infection is just around the corner. When the running nose turns from clear fluid to yellow – a parent should be on the watch for the infection setting in. The change in color is an preceding sign of the infection that will follow.
• Tugging the Ears – While it is common for babies to tug their ears just because they are revealing their bodies, frequent tugging may mean that something is irritating your child. Children know to identify the source of the pain only when they are 1 year old, so if they are younger than that – it might be just playing. It is important not to be over protective – not every tug of the ear means and ear infection.
• Fever – Fever is very common in children. They can catch a fever in kindergarten, at the playground, or just develop it on their own. Fevers are not a definite sign of ear infections, but in most cases they will accompany the ear infection.
• Difficulty to lie flat – The pressure rises when your child lies on his back, which means it will annoy the child or even be painful. A child with an ear infection is more likely to wake up during the night, sometimes because of turning over making the pressure rise.
• Irritability and crying – A sick child is usually cranky, crying a lot, and hard to calm down. A young child can’t handle the pain, so crying is the best option. Swallowing and sucking increase the pressure, so often a baby will cry after feeding of even during feeding.

All these symptoms are signs to watch for an illness, not necessarily an ear infection. One sign to be very watchful about if you think your child has an ear infection is ear drainage. Ear drainage means there is a rupture in the ear drum, so puss or blood can drain from the ear. It sounds worse than it actually is, but if you do see drainage – go to see a doctor or even the ER.

Feel well, and may the winter be good to you.