Earaches in young children

Painful times ... Earaches are common in young children.

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Earaches are common in babies and small children, and often follow a cold. It can be difficult to tell whether your child is simply suffering from an earache accompanying a cold, or a more serious ear infection, as the signs are similar; if you're ever in doubt, visit your doctor. 

Signs

Your child may have an earache if she:

• seems generally unwell, irritable, or cries a lot
• pulls at or rubs her ear
• complains of pain
• has a fever.

Children with earaches may also have disrupted sleep, as the pain can keep them awake.  

Treatment

Making an appointment for your child to visit their doctor is very important, as the GP will be able to determine the type of ear infection. Depending on whether the cause is viral or bacterial, a course of antibiotics may be prescribed. Sometimes children need several courses of antibiotics to clear the infection.

If not treated, ear infections can cause ruptured ear drums and hearing problems, which can also influence speech development, so it’s important to see your doctor if the signs continue.

Glue ear 

Persistent ear infections may result in glue ear, which is a build up of fluid in the ear. The sticky fluid acts like an ear plug and can reduce your child’s ability to hear clearly. It is a long-term condition that may last for weeks or even months. 

It is a common condition, with an estimated 25-30 per cent of children experiencing glue ear at some stage in their life. Young children are most susceptible as their Eustachian tubes (the tube that runs between the middle ear and the back of the nose) are short and straight; as children get older, their Eustachian tubes change shape, making infections less common.

Children often show no noticeable symptoms, and the main symptom is partial deafness. Over time, however, you may notice one or more of the following traits:

• lack of attention - your child may not appear to be listening to you when you talk to them, particularly if you're not in his line of vision
• requests for television volume to be turned up
• loud speech in older children, who may not realise how loudly they are speaking
• lack of awareness of things going on around them
• delayed speech development 

A small number of children may also develop issues with balance as a result of the build up of fluid.

If your child has glue ear, he may need an operation to insert grommets (small tubes) to help drain the ear and prevent further infections.

Keep in mind 

•Never poke anything (like cotton buds) into your child’s ear, because their ears don’t need cleaning.
•If there is a build up of wax in their ear, discuss this with your chemist or doctor.
•For pain and fever, give paracetamol as directed on the pack