In the past, parents routinely took their children to the doctor for ear infections expecting to receive a prescription for an antibiotic. However, that is no longer the case. Apparently, there is increasing evidence to show that most ear infections will resolve themselves in about the same amount of time, with or without an antibiotic. Therefore, many doctors may be reluctant to treat certain ear infections with antibiotics, especially in children over six months old, because the overuse of antibiotics is leading to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Relieving your child’s pain is really the most important factor in treating ear infections and can usually be accomplished by using typical pain relievers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and prescription ear drops. Infants and toddlers may pull on an ear to indicate pain or cry inconsolably. Other symptoms that may indicate your child is in pain and has an ear infection are hearing loss, dizziness or loss of balance, difficulty sleeping, fever, irritability, discharge of pus or fluid from the ear, and a loss of appetite. Older children may be able to tell you that they have an earache, or they may describe a feeling of fullness or pressure in their ear.

The recommended pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar) may prevent children from having recurrent ear infections, or needing ear tubes, and is usually offered along with other routine immunizations. Frequent hand washing can reduce the risk of catching a virus that may lead to an ear infection. A typical ear infection usually appears several days after a cold has been caught.

Ear infections usually stop occurring in children by the time they reach school age. The eustachian tubes have enlarged by then, which gives the middle ear improved ventilation and drainage. The immune system is stronger and therefore, helps to prevent the viruses that can lead to ear infection. School-age children are usually better at washing their hands and typically know how to blow their noses, which helps prevent the eustachian tubes from becoming blocked.

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Why Ear Infections?
The inner ear