Next to the common cold an ear infection is one of the most common childhood illnesses. Your child by the age of three would most likely have experienced an ear infection. Most of the time an ear infection clears up without any lasting problems.
Ear infections can occur for several reasons. A few factors can be controlled by you the parent others may not.
- Age of a child. A younger child is more likely to get an ear infection as opposed to an older child.
- A family history of ear infections can determine how likely a child is to have repeated ear infections.
- Colds are the number one leading cause of an ear infection. Children at a daycare setting are more likely to pass colds from person to person, which ignites more ear infections. A child with allergies that cause a stuffy nose would have a greater chance of developing an ear infection.
- Smoking around your child will put your child at a greater risk of developing health problems, which include an ear infection.
- Provide a smoke-free environment for your child. Including your house and automobile.
- Babies that are bottle-fed lying down are also more likely to develop ear infections.
- Breastfeeding would be the best choice, but if you choose to bottle-feed hold your child’s head above his stomach level.
Most common symptoms of an ear infection:
- The number one symptom of an ear infection is pain. It is easier in an older child because the older child is able to identify wear the pain is coming from. Younger children will let you know of the pain by extreme irritability. The pain may intensify during feedings (do to sucking and swallowing).
- Your child may experience a loss of appetite do to the pain.
- Do to severe pain your child may have trouble sleeping.
- A fever ranging from 100 to 104 degrees F.
- Your child may have trouble hearing for several weeks during and after an ear infection.
- A yellow or white discharge (possibly blood tinged) may be draining from your child’s ear.
It is recommended that if your child shows signs of an ear infection and doesn’t go away within two or three days than you should have him examined by his pediatrician. A few other conditions can cause ear pain but the only way to rule it out what the cause, is to have your doctor take a look. The following can also be the cause of an earache:
- Swimmer’s ear
- Blocked or plugged tubes
- A sore throat
- Teething or sore gums
It is important to comfort your child by giving him a pain reliever, which will help ease the pain caused by an ear infection. Be sure to dispense the accurate dosage for your child’s age and weight. If the doctor determines that your child has an ear infection than most likely he will prescribe an antibiotic.
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