Ear Infection

Our Approach

Middle ear infections (otitis media) are one of the most common childhood illnesses in the United States. At Franciscan Health, our pediatricians diagnose ear infections by looking into your child's ear with an instrument called an otoscope. We'll carefully assess your child and determine the appropriate treatment.

When is treatment needed for an ear infection?

There are a range of treatments for ear infections. Your pediatrician may wait and see if the infection clears up on its own or go ahead and prescribe antibiotics.

You can use a warm compress and over-the-counter pain medication to reduce your child's ear pain. Your pediatrician may also prescribe eardrops to help with pain.

We may ask that you return to our office so we can check to see if the infection has cleared.

Does my child need tubes?

Your pediatrician may recommend tubes if there is still fluid in the ear after the infection has cleared up. A doctor will insert tiny tubes into the eardrums to allow fluid to drain and relieve pressure.

We recommend tubes only if the ear infection lasts for more than 4–6 months and your child has hearing issues.

About ear infections

Otitis media causes fluid to build up behind the eardrum in the middle ear. The eardrum may bulge, swell and turn red. Inflamed tissue in the ear can cause pain or hearing problems. A bacterial or viral infection, usually a cold or cough, can cause an ear infection.

Ear infections are not common in adults and usually heal on their own. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics in some cases.

A eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the throat. Ear infections are more common in children because their eustachian tubes are narrower and more horizontal. This makes drainage more difficult. Excess fluid in the eustachian tubes can cause swelling, inflammation and mucus.

Frequent ear infections or infections that don't clear up can cause fluid in the middle ear. This can lead to muffled hearing. Repeated ear infections can delay speech development and lead to hearing loss.

Risk factors for ear infections

Very young children (6 months to 2 years) are more likely to get otitis media. Most children stop getting ear infections by age 6. Other risk factors for ear infections in children include:

• Daycare or other group childcare
• Babies drinking from a bottle while lying down
• Air pollution
• Tobacco smoke
• Pollen
• Large adenoids (the two small pads of tissue in the upper back of the nose)

Ear infection symptoms

Signs of ear infection in children may include:

• Ear pain or fullness in the ear
• Reduced hearing
• Fluid drainage from the ear
• Fever, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
• Tugging or pulling at the ear
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability
• Loss of balance

Symptoms in adults may include:

• Ear pain
• Reduced hearing
• Fluid drainage from the ear