The website “Ebonet.d” reported that ear pain in children requires consulting a doctor as soon as possible, after two days at the latest, as pain often indicates a middle ear infection.
The website – which is the official portal for German pharmacists – explained that otitis media usually occurs after a cold or other infection, as pathogens – usually viruses or bacteria – ascend from the nasal cavity and throat to the middle ear, and then the mucous membranes in the ear become inflamed and swollen, and fluid accumulates, which cannot be drained, causing hearing problems and severe pain.
Symptoms of otitis media
Symptoms of middle ear infection are:
– Sharp, throbbing pain in the ear, sometimes only at night
– Fever
– Hearing loss in one or both ears
– Vomiting and loss of appetite
– Headache, nervousness, and irritability
– Fatigue and sleep disorders
Consult a doctor urgently
The specialized website “Abonit.d” stressed the need to consult a doctor immediately and without waiting for two days in the following cases:
- Infants up to 6 months old.
- Sick children, between the ages of 6 and 24 months, who suffer from persistent fever, vomiting, and generally poor health.
- Children under the age of 24 months who suffer from severe inflammation of the middle ear on both sides.
- Severely ill children of all ages who suffer from high fever and persistent vomiting, as well as children with a history of complications from acute otitis media.
- Children with high fever, ear discharge, or noticeable hearing loss.
Parents should call 911 immediately in the event of painful neck stiffness, convulsions, severe facial paralysis, or an infectious condition.
Treatment
Otitis media is treated with decongestant drops, in addition to painkillers, which must be taken with precise dosage instructions appropriate to the child’s age and weight.
If otitis media is not treated in a timely manner, complications may occur, the most common of which is known as mastoiditis, where pathogens spread and attack the cells of the mastoid process, which is a protrusion of the temporal bone. Its common symptoms include pain and swelling behind the ear, where the temporal bone is located.
Swelling caused by mastoiditis often makes the ear appear to protrude, and this swelling is treated with antibiotics.