Know how to identify common ear conditions

Earaches are truly a pain to deal with, and if left untreated for too long can be a growing nuisance that seemingly never goes away. The same goes for young children and babies, though they may not always be able to tell us what is hurting and why. That’s where our skilled professionals at Village Pediatrics come in, as we have years of experience working with children and get to the root of the problem that’s causing so much pain upon your little one.

Swimmer’s Ear (otitis externa)

Otitis externa, often referred to as swimmer’s ear, simply put is a condition that arises when the outer ear canal becomes infected with bacteria or fungi. Most commonly, this happens when too much water is left inside the ear after swimming. The canal from the eardrum to the outside of the head undergoes inflammation, resulting in swimmer’s ear. Fortunately, this painful condition can normally be treated with over-the-counter medication.

Common Earache

If your child constantly mentions a pain in their ear, that is most often an ear infection. Usually over-the counter medication will do the job of relieving that discomfort, however if you find that the pain remains it’s time to give your pediatrician a call right away.

How we can help

Sometimes as parents we feel hopeless witnessing our child endure what seems like lasting pain. But knowing what to look for to determine if your child has a true ear infection can make a world of a difference in getting them on the road to treatment and a speedy recovery much sooner.

Look for the signs:

• Pulling and tugging of the ears
• Crying
• Decreased appetite
• Spiked fever
• Discharge in the ears
• Irritable

There are many varying factors that could cause your child to experience a bad earache including tonsillitis, excessive earwax, sinus infection, a stuck foreign object, bacterial ear infection and so much more. Even if they may only show signs of a fever, and you suspect your child has an ear infection, text (469) 382-3796 or click here to schedule an appointment to get the proper diagnosis right away from our expert pediatricians at Village Pediatrics in Plano, TX.