Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Ear Infections StartSymptomsDiagnosisWhat Else Could It Be?When to See Your Healthcare ProviderTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Ear Infections Start
Symptoms
Diagnosis
What Else Could It Be?
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
This article discusses the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of ear infections. It also includes information about other possible reasons you or your child may have ear pain and redness.
Verywell
Behind your eardrum is a small chamber called the middle ear. Connected to the middle ear is youreustachian tube, which drains fluid into the back of your throat and ventilates the middle ear space. An infection can cause the eustachian tube to swell and block fluid from draining or allow negative pressure to build up.
As the fluid builds up in the middle ear, viruses or bacteria can grow, causing an infection in the middle ear. Children have narrower and shorter eustachian tubes than adults, making them more prone to ear infections.
5 Ways to Drain Fluid From the Middle Ear At Home
Some ear infections may not cause symptoms at all and are only diagnosed when a healthcare provider notices fluid buildup behind theeardrum.
The most common type of ear infection is acute otitis media (AOM). Symptoms of AOM tend to come on suddenly.
Symptoms include:
Early diagnosis and treatment of an ear infection may help prevent it from developing into a more serious illness. For 80% of children with AOM, symptoms completely resolve within three days without the need for antibiotic treatment.
Complications
In very severe cases of AOM that do not resolve, a child can developmeningitis, a condition in which the tissues surrounding the brain become inflamed.
Although rare, children can also develop a bacterial infection in the temporal bones that surround the ear canal. This condition is known asacute mastoiditis, and it is very rare.
Healthcare providers can safely examine ears for infection using an otoscope. This special tool has a light and a lens that help them see all the way to the eardrum without the risk of puncturing it. Usually, this exam is enough to make a diagnosis.
Visual Examination
Your healthcare provider will check to see if the eardrum appears cloudy, red, yellow, or swollen. Signs of fluid behind the eardrum or in the ear canal will confirm the diagnosis.
Between 5 and 10% of children will develop a small tear on the eardrum due to the infection, causing cloudy pus to drain from the ear.
Your healthcare provider may also use a small probe to lightly pulse sound waves against the eardrum. This test is known astympanometry, and it shows your healthcare provider how well the eardrum moves in response to sound.
Imaging
In most cases, imaging is not necessary to check for an ear infection. However, your healthcare provider may order imaging tests if the ear infection persists despite treatment or if there’s a concern about complications or about a possible cholesteatoma.
Imaging may include:
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Recap
The following symptoms can develop due to ear infections, as well as with other conditions:
Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa) Self-Care and Treatment
Children younger than three months of age need to see a healthcare provider at the first sign of ear infection.
Older childrenshould be seenif they have one or more of the following symptoms:
Most cases of ear infections get better on their own without medication. Infections that are severe or persist beyond three days may be treated with an antibiotic like amoxicillin.
In the meantime, drinking plenty of water, applying a warm compress to the ear, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) can help ease the healing process along.
How to Prevent Ear Infections and Fluid in the Ears
Summary
An ear infection typically begins after a cold, flu, or upper respiratory infection. The bacteria or virus that caused the infection may build up in fluid behind the eardrum, leading to a middle ear infection.
A Word From Verywell
Figuring out if your child has an ear infection can be quite distressing, as young children can’t always express what symptoms they are having. If something seems off with your child, take them to a healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider may recommend using a warm compress and over-the-counter pain relievers. Typically, your child will be back to their usual self within a few days.
The most common symptoms of ear infection in adults are:Pain in one or both earsFluid draining from the affected earHearing issuesSore throatFeverProblems with balance
The most common symptoms of ear infection in adults are:
Ear Infection Treatment to Get Rid of Symptoms
9 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.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.Venekamp R, Damoiseux R, Schilder A.Acute otitis media in children.Am Fam Phys.Seattle Children’s.Ear infection questions.Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al.The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media.Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):964-999. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-3488Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA.Ear pain: Diagnosing common and uncommon causes.Am Fam Physician.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Middle ear infection in adults.Cedars-Sinai.Middle ear infection (otitis media) in adults.Merck Manual Professional Version.Otitis media (acute).
9 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.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.Venekamp R, Damoiseux R, Schilder A.Acute otitis media in children.Am Fam Phys.Seattle Children’s.Ear infection questions.Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al.The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media.Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):964-999. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-3488Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA.Ear pain: Diagnosing common and uncommon causes.Am Fam Physician.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Middle ear infection in adults.Cedars-Sinai.Middle ear infection (otitis media) in adults.Merck Manual Professional Version.Otitis media (acute).
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.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.Venekamp R, Damoiseux R, Schilder A.Acute otitis media in children.Am Fam Phys.Seattle Children’s.Ear infection questions.Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al.The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media.Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):964-999. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-3488Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA.Ear pain: Diagnosing common and uncommon causes.Am Fam Physician.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Middle ear infection in adults.Cedars-Sinai.Middle ear infection (otitis media) in adults.Merck Manual Professional Version.Otitis media (acute).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear infections in children.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infection.
Venekamp R, Damoiseux R, Schilder A.Acute otitis media in children.Am Fam Phys.
Seattle Children’s.Ear infection questions.
Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al.The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media.Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):964-999. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-3488
Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA.Ear pain: Diagnosing common and uncommon causes.Am Fam Physician.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Middle ear infection in adults.
Cedars-Sinai.Middle ear infection (otitis media) in adults.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Otitis media (acute).
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