Ear Infections: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Call your health professional immediately if:

• Your child has a severe injury to the ear.
• Your child has sudden hearing loss, severe pain, or dizziness.
• Your child seems to be very sick with symptoms such as a high fever and stiff neck.
• You notice redness, swelling, or pain behind or around your child's ear, especially if your child does not move the muscles on that side of his or her face.

Call your health professional if:

• You can't quiet your child who has a severe earache with home treatment over several hours.
• Your baby pulls or rubs his or her ear and appears to be in pain (crying, screaming).
• Your child's ear pain increases even with treatment.
• Your child has a fever over with other signs of ear infection.
• You suspect that your child's eardrum has burst, or fluid that looks like pus or blood is draining from the ear.
• Your child has an object stuck in his or her ear.
• Your child with an ear infection continues to have symptoms (fever and pain) after 48 hours of treatment with an antibiotic.
• Your child with an ear tube develops an earache or has drainage from his or her ear.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting is when you and your health professional watch symptoms to see if the health problem improves on its own. If it does, no treatment is necessary. If the symptoms don't get better or get worse, then it’s time to take the next treatment step.

If your child is age 6 months or older and has a mild earache, you might try watchful waiting. Most ear infections get better without antibiotics. However, if your child's pain doesn't get better with nonprescription children's pain reliever (such as acetaminophen) or the symptoms continue after 48 hours, call a health professional.

Who To See

Health professionals who can diagnose and treat ear infections (acute otitis media) include:

• Pediatricians.
• Family medicine doctors.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Physician assistants.
• Internal medicine doctors.
• Otolaryngologists.
• Pediatric otolaryngologists.

Children who have ear infections often may need to see one of these specialists:

• Otolaryngologist
• Pediatric otolaryngologist
• Audiologist

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

Last updated:	February 28, 2007
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Charles M. Myer, III, MD - Otolaryngology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC