Ear Infections

Children suffering from ear infections should be seen by their physician, and for good reason!

If your child complains of ear pain and has a fever, chances are she's suffering from a common childhood ailment, otitis media, otherwise known as an ear infection. Ear infections require medical attention for many reasons; they can be extremely painful, and without treatment can lead to complications such as meningitis. Some research points out that recurrent ear infections lead to hearing loss and in turn, delay in speech development. Fortunately prompt treatment with antibiotics usually clears up an ear infection within a few days. Still, even once your child is on antibiotics, it's important to monitor her progress says pediatrician Dr. Mickey Lester. "If the doctor puts the child on antibiotics, the parents should monitor the situation to be sure the symptoms and the fever disappear within a couple of days. If not, they should report to the doctor. They should also return to the doctor after a couple of weeks to be sure that the infection is completely cleared. "

For those with stubborn ear infections, a doctor may suggest keeping a child on a low dose of antibiotics for many months, adds Dr. Lester. "Prophylactic antibiotics, which are administered in small doses once a day, for three to four months will hopefully clear up the infection. It gives nature time to heal the middle ear and return to normal so it will not be prone to further infections." Even with this, some children continue to have recurrent ear infections in which case a common and safe operation called tube surgery may be suggested. This is when ventilating tubes are inserted through the eardrum and into the middle ear to drain fluid.

Ear infections are most common in young children under three because the tube between their ear and throat is immature and not quite developed. Because many young children aren't yet verbal, parents need to be attuned to the signs of a child with an ear infection says pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr. Lesley Salkeld. "Young children may be fussy or irritable or may appear to be in a lot of pain that makes sleeping or eating difficult."

Is an ear infection ever a medical emergency? Most physicians would agree that the older child suffering from an ear infection could usually be treated with acetaminophen to reduce the pain, and then be seen by a physician within 24 hours. But Dr. Salkeld warns, "if a young child has a high fever, I consider it a medical emergency for which a diagnosis and treatment should be immediately commenced."