Are Ear Infections Contagious?

Are ear infections contagious? Ear infections are mostly caused by a contagious infection like a cold. Learn about the causes, treatment, and more.

January 17, 2025 · 8 min · 1535 words · Joshua Perez

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsAre Ear Infections Contagious?TreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes

Symptoms

Are Ear Infections Contagious?

Treatment

Prevention

Frequently Asked Questions

Anear infection—also calledotitis media—is an infection in the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum. Acute otitis media is an ear infection that comes on quickly. An ear infection usually results from viruses, bacteria, a combination of viruses and bacteria, orallergies.

Verywell / Laura Porter

This article will discuss the causes of ear infections, whether ear infections are contagious, symptoms, and treatment.

The most frequent bacterial causes of ear infections areStreptococcus pneumoniaeandHaemophilus influenzae.These are bacteria commonly found in the nose and throat without causing illness.

The connection between viruses, bacteria, allergies, and ear infections is that these can cause congestion and inflammation extending from the nose to theeustachian tubes. These tubes (one in each ear) connect the back of the throat to the middle ear. They help keep pressure and the fluid that’s normally secreted from building up in your ear.

When the eustachian tubes swell, they allow for less ventilation and more buildup of fluid and germs. This invites an ear infection to develop.

Children are more prone to ear infections than adults because their eustachian tubes are shorter and less sloped, making them more likely to get clogged and blocked. That damp, dark environment is often perfect for infections to take hold and grow.

Adenoids—structures that sit at the back of the throat—are larger in children than in adults and can block the eustachian tubes.

Because of their immature immune systems, children also tend to catch more colds and other infections that can produce ear infections.

Ear infection symptomsinclude:

Young babies can’t tell you they have ear pain, so look for these signs:

Certain people have a higher risk of ear infections than others. They include:

The bacteria most often found in ear infections are normally present in the respiratory tract, so they are not contagious in the usual sense. Instead, people acquire them throughout their life and they cause ear infections only in some circumstances, such as having a blocked eustachian tube.

Because many ear infections improve in a couple of days without intervention and because of worldwide antibiotic resistance (germs become “resistant” to the drugs used to fight them), some doctors take a wait-and-see approach before prescribing an antibiotic.

This is especially true if the pain is mild and has lasted for no more than three days.In children with an ear infection, 80% of them get better without antibiotic treatment, and they are unlikely to develop a serious illness.

To ease pain and manage any fever, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen). Get your doctor’s guidance before using these; babies younger than 6 months, for instance, should not be given ibuprofen.

However, if the pain is severe at the get-go or symptoms get worse after a few days, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, such asMoxatag or Amoxil (amoxicillin).

Ear tubes are small, cylindrical tubes surgically inserted into the eardrum to help drain fluid and stabilize air pressure. They are an option for some children.Adults can also receive ear tubes, but it’s not common.

They’re generally recommended for kids who get recurrent ear infections (defined as three or more over six months), have fluid in their ears for months on end, and/or have a collapsed eardrum.The tubes fall out naturally—usually within 18 months after their insertion—as the child’s ear grows.

To prevent ear infections, you need to prevent the infections that cause them. Measures include:

Summary

In rare cases, an untreated ear infection can lead to hearing loss and/or more widespread infection. If you suspect an ear infection, consult your healthcare provider. They can best advise you about any possible treatments.

A Word From Verywell

While ear infections can be uncomfortable and (in extreme cases) lead to hearing loss, they are usually not a serious condition. Most people respond well to watchful waiting or treatments like antibiotics or ear tube surgery when needed. To avoid ear infections, treat your allergies and do your best to avoid viruses and bacteria.

Some red flags the infections might be bacterial include:

Most ear infections improve within a couple of days, even without antibiotic treatment. If symptoms don’t improve or even get worse, contact your doctor.

Many ear infections get better within a few days without antibiotic therapy. That’s why a lot of doctors suggest a “watchful waiting” strategy before prescribing antibiotics.

20 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Marom T, Nokso-Koivisto J, Chonmaitree T.Viral-bacterial interactions in acute otitis media.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012;12(6):551-558. doi:10.1007/s11882-012-0303-2Boston Children’s Hospital.Ear infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian tube dysfunction.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Nemours.Middle ear infections (otitis media).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Middle-ear infection in adults.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Kaur R, Morris M, Pichichero ME.Epidemiology of acute otitis media in the postpneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.Pediatrics. 2017;140(3):e20170181. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-0181Mount Sinai.Ear infections.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Ear infections (otitis media).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection treatment.American Academy of Pediatrics.Ear infections in children: information for parents.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ear infections in babies and toddlers.Walsh P, Rothenberg SJ, Bang H.Safety of ibuprofen in infants younger than six months: a retrospective cohort study.PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199493. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199493Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Ear tubes.Contemporary Pediatrics.Breastfeeding may offer early protection against ear infections.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Feeding guide for the first year.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear infection.Duke Health.Is it a bacterial infection or a virus?

20 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Marom T, Nokso-Koivisto J, Chonmaitree T.Viral-bacterial interactions in acute otitis media.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012;12(6):551-558. doi:10.1007/s11882-012-0303-2Boston Children’s Hospital.Ear infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian tube dysfunction.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Nemours.Middle ear infections (otitis media).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Middle-ear infection in adults.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Kaur R, Morris M, Pichichero ME.Epidemiology of acute otitis media in the postpneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.Pediatrics. 2017;140(3):e20170181. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-0181Mount Sinai.Ear infections.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Ear infections (otitis media).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection treatment.American Academy of Pediatrics.Ear infections in children: information for parents.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ear infections in babies and toddlers.Walsh P, Rothenberg SJ, Bang H.Safety of ibuprofen in infants younger than six months: a retrospective cohort study.PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199493. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199493Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Ear tubes.Contemporary Pediatrics.Breastfeeding may offer early protection against ear infections.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Feeding guide for the first year.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear infection.Duke Health.Is it a bacterial infection or a virus?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Marom T, Nokso-Koivisto J, Chonmaitree T.Viral-bacterial interactions in acute otitis media.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012;12(6):551-558. doi:10.1007/s11882-012-0303-2Boston Children’s Hospital.Ear infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian tube dysfunction.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Nemours.Middle ear infections (otitis media).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Middle-ear infection in adults.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Kaur R, Morris M, Pichichero ME.Epidemiology of acute otitis media in the postpneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.Pediatrics. 2017;140(3):e20170181. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-0181Mount Sinai.Ear infections.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Ear infections (otitis media).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection treatment.American Academy of Pediatrics.Ear infections in children: information for parents.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ear infections in babies and toddlers.Walsh P, Rothenberg SJ, Bang H.Safety of ibuprofen in infants younger than six months: a retrospective cohort study.PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199493. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199493Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Ear tubes.Contemporary Pediatrics.Breastfeeding may offer early protection against ear infections.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Feeding guide for the first year.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear infection.Duke Health.Is it a bacterial infection or a virus?

Marom T, Nokso-Koivisto J, Chonmaitree T.Viral-bacterial interactions in acute otitis media.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012;12(6):551-558. doi:10.1007/s11882-012-0303-2

Boston Children’s Hospital.Ear infection.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian tube dysfunction.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.

Nemours.Middle ear infections (otitis media).

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Middle-ear infection in adults.

Kaur R, Morris M, Pichichero ME.Epidemiology of acute otitis media in the postpneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.Pediatrics. 2017;140(3):e20170181. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-0181

Mount Sinai.Ear infections.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Ear infections (otitis media).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection treatment.

American Academy of Pediatrics.Ear infections in children: information for parents.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ear infections in babies and toddlers.

Walsh P, Rothenberg SJ, Bang H.Safety of ibuprofen in infants younger than six months: a retrospective cohort study.PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199493. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199493

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Ear tubes.

Contemporary Pediatrics.Breastfeeding may offer early protection against ear infections.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Feeding guide for the first year.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear infection.

Duke Health.Is it a bacterial infection or a virus?

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