Ear Pain

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Did you know that ear pain is not always associated with an ear infection? If your child is complaining of ear pain, call us at Over the Moon Pediatrics so we can help you figure out why!

Ear Infections - The most common symptoms of an ear infection is pain. While older children can verbalize their pain to you, infants and toddlers may relay their discomfort to you in the form of crying, fussiness, and ear tugging. Commonly, younger children will mount a fever due to an ear infection. Sometimes ear infections result in the eardrum rupturing and drainage of a white/yellow fluid with a foul odor. Children with frequent ear infections or concerns for hearing loss due to recurrent ear infections may need a referral to a pediatric otolaryngologist or ENT (Ear Nose Throat) physician.

Swimmer’s Ear - Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the external ear canal and does not involve the eardrum. This happens when water gets trapped in the ear canal, either during swimming or bathing, and irritates the skin which then becomes infected. If the infection is severe enough, you might also notice redness and swelling of the canal along with oozing of yellow pus. Children with swimmer’s ear usually have exquisite pain when their ears are touched. To avoid swimmer’s ear, consider wearing ear plugs when swimming, drying the ears with a hair dryer on the low and cool setting, or using swimmer’s ears drops that contain alcohol after swimming.

Allergies - Allergies can cause an abundance of mucus to be produced in the nasal passages. When this mucus does not drain appropriately, it can build up and thus cause pressure-type pain in the ears. Usually, treatment with over-the-counter antihistamines can help alleviate symptoms, including ear pain.

Teething - The nerve that innervates the gums also innervates the middle ear, so many times, an infant or toddler who is teething can also be experiencing referred ear pain.

Objects - Toddlers are curious. Unfortunately, they like to test their curiosity with small objects and either their ear canals, nostrils, or mouth. If your child has stuck something in his or her ear, this could be a cause of ear pain.

Ear Wax Buildup - Cerumen, also known as ear wax, can build up in the ear canals. This more commonly occurs when people use Q-tips or cotton swabs to clean their ears. Doing so will often push ear wax deeper into the ear canal, which can then effectively form a hardened plug in the ear canal and can cause pain. If your child has ear wax that you would like to clean, just clean the outside of the ear with their towel or a warm washcloth.

If you are concerned about a possible infection or if you think your child needs something removed from their ear canals, please call Over the Moon Pediatrics to schedule your child’s appointment.

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