Why does a child have an earache: causes of pain and treatment. With the approval of a pediatrician or pediatric ENT doctor, it is allowed to use. What to do for ear pain

When many parents of babies are faced with such a problem as a child’s ear hurts, you don’t have to get lost, you should give first aid, but dripping ear drops into the ear canal, using folk remedies without the knowledge of a doctor is not recommended. At home, a child can call an ambulance, but what to do if the ailment overtakes in the country or the sea. It will be possible to reduce the suffering of the baby if you apply the knowledge presented in this article.

What is ear pain

The most common symptom of ear inflammation is earache. This unpleasant sensation occurs due to damage to the mucous membranes, tympanic membrane, auditory ossicle, Eustachian tube, mastoid cell or trigeminal nerve. Diseases that cause earache:

aerootitis;
laryngitis;
SARS;
flu;
eustachitis;
acoustic damage to the auditory canals;
labyrinthitis;
mastoiditis.

The reasons

If a child has an earache, then the parents, before starting to treat him, should find out the reason for feeling unwell. To accurately diagnose, the baby should be shown to the otolaryngologist, because the wrong therapy can be dangerous. In young children, unlike adults, the hearing aid is not sufficiently formed: due to the structure of the Eustachian tube, the infection, once in the nasopharynx, spreads very quickly through the middle and inner ear.

In infants, milk may enter the auditory tubes, which contributes to the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. In addition to inflammatory diseases, the baby may be disturbed by pain due to damage to the tympanic cavity by foreign objects:

insects;
ear sticks;
pencils;
small toys.

Ear pain in a child without fever

Such an unpleasant symptom as pain is not always a sign of infection in the child's ear, especially if there is no high temperature. The organ of hearing can get sick after a long walk down the street with strong gusts of wind. Therapy in this case is not required, because in a warm room, after a while, the baby's condition returns to normal. It should be borne in mind that due to cold weather, a nasopharyngeal infection can cause acute otitis media, especially if the baby has diseases that are accompanied by a runny nose (colds, flu).

Swimming in a pool or other body of water is also considered a common reason that a child has an earache. As a rule, this happens when swimming without a protective cap. Water, once in the ear passages, softens the skin of the auditory opening, causing swelling and congestion of the ears. In some cases, excessive production or lack of sulfur can lead to discomfort. With a large volume of secretions, a cork occurs, and in the opposite situation, dryness and cracking of the mucosa. Sometimes ear pain is caused by sudden changes in pressure.

Earache and fever

If the child's ear hurts, and the temperature rises, it means that he develops an inflammatory process:

a boil ripens - it refers to diseases of the outer ear;
mycosis of the auricle and auditory canal;
purulent otitis;
infection due to trauma to the eardrum;
exacerbation of chronic otitis.

To determine the causative agent of the disease and its sensitivity to antibiotics, you need to take the baby to the hospital for examination by a doctor. If the sensations are sharp, very unpleasant and accompanied by vomiting, then you should call an ambulance. It is necessary to treat damage to the hearing aid in a timely manner in order to avoid complications. Some parents, thinking that medicines are dangerous, refuse antibiotic treatment, thereby they can harm the baby. In order for the child to recover quickly, you need to follow all the recommendations of a specialist.

After swimming

Parents should be very careful when bathing a child in a bath, pool or sea. The baby's immune system and hearing apparatus have not yet fully formed, so he is especially prone to inflammation of the outer and inner ear. A child can get sick with otitis media, in which purulent discharge, furunculosis often appear, including other pathologies. How to relieve ear pain in a child that arose after bathing? To help the baby and alleviate his condition, you need to carefully clean the auditory passages from the liquid with cotton swabs or buds.

At night

Due to the sharp pain that occurs at night, the child may cry for a long time and not sleep. Parents, if possible, should anesthetize the ear, given the age of the baby. After that, you should examine the organ of hearing. Often, severe pain occurs due to the ingress of foreign objects, usually small bugs. Insects swarm, causing children anxiety and pain. If they are not removed in time, complications may arise - inflammation of the inner ear or perforation of the eardrum.

What to do for ear pain

If the child complains of pain in the ear, then he should be given first aid as soon as possible. Before the arrival of a specialist, you need to try to reduce the manifestation of discomfort - drip vasoconstrictors, anesthetize with a permitted drug, or put an alcohol compress. One of the important points is that while waiting for an ambulance, you should calm a sick child by distracting his attention with the help of conversations or toys.

First aid

When the baby complains of severe pain, you need to call a doctor. Until the ambulance arrives, you need to try to reduce the discomfort in the child's ear. Following a simple instruction, you can remove strong symptoms from a sick baby:

Examine the auricle - it is possible that an insect has climbed into the ear, which can cause inflammation.
If the inflammation is accompanied by severe pain, then give the baby an anesthetic that is approved for use for this age group.
Then you need to insert a swab soaked in boric alcohol into the auditory canal.
If there is a high temperature, then give an antipyretic.

Compress

If there is no purulent inflammation of the ear cavity, then make a warm compress. It is very easy to build in the form of a headband:

Take gauze, bandage and dry cotton.
The first layer of a warming compress is gauze with a hole for the ear, soaked in diluted alcohol.
Then put a second layer of film or plastic bag.
The top layer is a bandage for fixing the compress around the affected ear. Insulate the entire structure on the baby's head with a scarf or woolen scarf.
Repeat the procedure regularly every day until recovery.

Medicine for ear pain in a child

Many medications can anesthetize and relieve inflammation in the ear. Before using them, you should determine according to the instructions for what age the drugs are intended. The following drops are mainly used for treatment:

Otipax is a pain reliever that contains lidocaine. It should be borne in mind that it can cause an allergic reaction in some patients.
Sofradex is an antibiotic that is used for frequent otitis media.
Otinum is an effective pain reliever with anti-inflammatory action. It is approved for the treatment of children from one year of age.
Vibrocil - This vasoconstrictor drug is used to treat a runny nose and prevent the infection from spreading.
Boric acid solution. This remedy has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect. It is not recommended to bury ears with boric solution for children under the age of fifteen.

How to properly instill drops

When an ear hurts in a small child, antibiotics and drops are prescribed for treatment. Unlike an adult, to whom everything can be explained in detail, it can be difficult to give a drug to a baby. Children rest, act up or shake their heads from side to side. Before dripping the ears, the baby needs to be reassured, explaining that it does not hurt to be treated and that he will soon get better. Some children are easily distracted from the pain at the sight of toys.

After calming the baby, lay him on his side, with the sore ear up, continuing to explain his actions. Put a bunny or a bear next to it. After doing the first procedure on a toy, show your child that it does not hurt at all. Before administering the medication, gently clean the ear canal with a cotton swab. This object must not be pushed deep, so as not to damage the eardrum. Then put a few drops and place a cotton swab in the hole so that the medicine does not leak out.

Features of neonatal therapy

A specialist should deal with the treatment of ear inflammation in newborns, since self-medication, improper or untimely therapy often leads to serious complications - hearing loss or loss, spread of infection to neighboring areas. To restore such babies, you should not resort to traditional medicine methods. To treat newborns, doctors use antibiotics, antipyretics and vasoconstrictors that are allowed at this age.

Folk remedies

Along with pharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of discomfort in the hearing aid, traditional medicine methods are widely used, which can be used on the recommendation of a doctor:

Garlic. The crushed teeth are placed in gauze, then applied to the auricle.
Salt. It is necessary to pour into a cloth bag, heat and use as a compress.
Warm oil. Drip two or three drops into each ear canal. You can drip warm baby oil.

Video

Quite often, the ears in children begin to hurt quite spontaneously - this can happen on a day off, and on a holiday, and even at night. Sharp pains torment the baby, and do not allow parents to take the time to see a doctor. All responsibility for immediate assistance to the child falls on the shoulders of mom, dad, grandparents. How to help a child, folk remedies or special medicines? What if the baby's temperature rose in parallel, or the ear began to bother after water procedures?

What is the nature of pain and how to provide first aid?

The cause of ear pain can often be a foreign object, as young children easily experiment with small parts of toys, food, and everything that is at hand. At sea, the ears can ache from the water. Also, ear pain can be a manifestation of a cold or infectious disease. Moreover, children 3-4 years old are easily exposed to infection.

If the child began to complain of a shooting pain in the ear, it must be shown without fail and as soon as possible to the otolaryngologist. If you do not have such an opportunity, and the next trip to the doctor has to be postponed, you can provide first aid by relieving pain with improvised means.

With a long-standing method of dealing with ear pain - boric alcohol - you need to be careful. The fact is that you will not be able to independently determine the integrity of your baby's eardrum. If it is damaged, boric alcohol can only increase the pain and worsen the condition.

It is best to do a warm compress. To do this, you will need a thick napkin or five layers of gauze, which must be moistened in a warm solution of water with vodka (one to one). Apply cream around the child's ear and apply a napkin, leaving the auricle and ear canal open. Put a circle of compress paper on top (cutting it inside) and put a good layer of cotton. Secure the compress with a bandage and keep it for about an hour.

If there is no opportunity and time for a compress, just warm the ear with improvised means, such as a handkerchief or a bottle of warm water wrapped in a cloth.
The compress is contraindicated at high temperature and discharge from the ear.

With a temperature and ear pain, you can make a cotton swab, and after wetting it in boric alcohol, insert it into the ear. Close the ear canal from above with cotton wool. This must be done carefully, not pushing the cotton swab too far, but not leaving it on the surface. It is not worth warming up boric alcohol, just hold the bottle in your hands for a while. It is imperative to consult a doctor, even if the child has no pain after the procedure.
In no case should you drip alcohol drops into your ears without consulting a doctor. This can lead to burns, inflammation, and even hearing loss.

The cause of ear pain can be a runny nose, so its timely treatment prevents the appearance of ear problems.
Pain in the ears can also appear after water procedures. In order to avoid pain, you need to follow certain rules: dry your baby's ears in time, and not too often and carefully remove earwax - as it favorably affects beneficial bacteria that play an important role in maintaining immunity, and sulfur also prevents moisture from entering the eardrum .

To prevent inflammation of the ear, try to keep the child's head warm in the cold season, avoid direct drafts and foreign objects in the ear canal. Also teach your child about ear hygiene, and in case of any complaints, contact the doctor in time.

Dear readers, today we will talk about what to do when a child has an earache. If this happens on a normal day, then of course, any wise parent will go with the child to the clinic or call the doctor at home.

But what if the pain overtook you on a day off, at night, or at this time you are far from home? An adult can endure until the morning, but an earache in a child is a special case! Prolonged suffering will injure the delicate psyche of the baby, and timely assistance not provided can cause an aggravation of the disease. Every parent should know how to give first aid to their baby and do no harm.

Today on the blog I want to present you an article by otorhinolaryngologist Svetlana Ershova. You are already familiar with it from the article. Svetlana has to work with both adults and children, and today she will tell us how to provide first aid if a child’s earache has caught you by surprise.

Good day, dear readers of Irina's blog. If you or your loved ones have small children, then pay attention to the information provided in this article. At the first complaints of ear pain in a child, you need to make an appointment with an otorhinolaryngologist. Only an ENT doctor (not a pediatrician!) with the help of special instruments can examine the eardrum, make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.

But there is no need to panic if you are far from civilization, and the child complains of earache. You yourself can help your baby if you know the basic rules of first aid.

In my opinion, the main commandment of a doctor is “Do no harm!” should become a commandment for every parent. You should know the main points when self-medication can harm the baby, and avoid them.

What can not be done if the child's ear hurts?

Self-administer antibiotics to the baby.
Clean the ear with tweezers or a cotton swab (cotton swabs are not intended for cleaning the ears, but for removing makeup - read on the package).
Drip alcohol-based drops into the ear if there is damage to the eardrum.
Do a compress or warm the ear with dry heat without a doctor's prescription.

Causes of ear pain in children

The structure of the ear in a child is somewhat different from the ear of an adult. Due to the underdevelopment of the cartilage, the auditory (aka Eustachian) tube in children goes directly into the nasopharynx. Therefore, as soon as the baby starts having a runny nose, there is a high risk of mucus flowing into the auditory tube and, as a result, the development of otitis media.

To avoid this, you need to prevent the occurrence of colds as much as possible. And if the runny nose lasts more than three days, then be sure to show the child to an otorhinolaryngologist.

Attention! Treat a runny nose in a child in a timely manner and then you will forever forget about otitis media.

To understand how to provide first aid to your baby, you need to know what provoked this problem. Ear pain in a child can occur for the following reasons.

Getting into the ear of a foreign body or insect;
Trauma (barotrauma, fall from a height, damage to the ear canal with a sharp object);
Water in the ear
Otitis (inflammation of the ear canal and eardrum);
Eustacheitis (inflammation of the Eustachian tube);
Infectious diseases;
The first signs of a cold (ARVI);
Sulfur plugs;
Hypothermia.

How to give first aid to a child with ear pain?

Parents often cannot determine why the baby has an earache, therefore, to provide first aid for earache, you need to use only those methods that will not harm the small body.

Nose drops and painkillers

When complaining of pain in the ear, you need to drip vasoconstrictor drops into the nose and give any painkiller that is in your first aid kit. If the baby is allergic, you can give him an antiallergic drug, which is prescribed to him by the attending allergist.

If an insect gets into the child's ear

If an insect gets into the ear, then this does not pose any danger to a healthy ear, and even more so to the eardrum. But a fly or a cockroach can move its legs and touch the eardrum, causing severe pain and dizziness. To ease the suffering of the baby, you can put warm oil or alcohol-based drops in the ear, and immediately go to the doctor's office to remove the insect.

Foreign body in the child's ear and ear injury

If a foreign body enters the ear, as well as in case of injuries or suspicion of injury, it is absolutely impossible to self-medicate. You need to immediately go to see a doctor, and if this is not possible, then call an ambulance.

In my practice, such cases often occur, I have to remove various foreign bodies in children from the ear (balls, pieces of eraser, cotton wool). Once the parents brought a 5-6 year old boy with complaints of hearing loss. When examined in the ear canal, I found a pea that blocked the ear canal. The pea was removed and the boy began to hear better.

What to do if you suspect otitis media in a child?

Few children have been spared the unbearable ear pain that occurs most often with otitis media. It happens that the baby gets sick for several days with an acute respiratory disease, and then begins to complain of pain in the ear. Parents do not know what to do and how to help the baby.

It would be ideal to see a doctor. Otitis media can be complicated by meningitis, encephalitis, damage to the facial nerve, and hearing loss. The most important thing is not to give in to emotions and not try to give the child "adult" or potentially dangerous drugs. No need to warm the ear or bury something in it - just offer the baby the usual "Nurofen" to relieve pain and lower the temperature. This will make him feel better, and give you a few hours to call a doctor or transport the child to a medical facility.

Otipax - the first remedy for ear pain

Otipax is a modern analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug that is instilled into the ear for pain and inflammation. The agent is used 2-3 times a day, 3-4 drops. Treatment with Otipax drops lasts no more than 10 days and in no case replaces antibacterial drugs.

Do not be afraid of antibiotics: if they are prescribed according to indications and used in accordance with the instructions, there will be no complications. Otitis media is a serious infectious disease that can lead to severe complications. Quite often, antibiotics literally save lives. If the doctor prescribes antibacterial drugs, then there are reasons for this. Usually, with otitis media, pediatric ENT doctors choose drops with antibiotics (norfloxacin, rifampicin), which are combined with Otipax and physiotherapy (UHF, UVI).

You can bury any drops in your ears only if you are sure of the integrity of the eardrum.

I have worked in different regions of Russia and I know that huge distances between settlements often do not allow people to receive qualified medical care in a timely manner. For example, we had to hospitalize a child with otitis in one of the regions of the Leningrad region. It took about 6 hours for the parents to get to the nearest ENT department, and they did everything possible to alleviate the baby's condition during this period.

Dear readers, I hope my advice will help you not make mistakes when giving first aid to your children with ear pain and will quickly deal with this problem. Remember that at home it can be difficult to assess the condition of the baby. It is better to quickly show the child to a pediatrician or ENT doctor.

And finally, I want to invite you to watch a very short video from Dr. Komarovsky. What to do if a child has an earache. Let's briefly summarize our conversation.

Wishing you and your children good health,
Svetlana Ershova, otorhinolaryngologist.

I experienced severe pain in my daughter's ear when we first went on a trip with them, or rather, flew. And during the landing, the daughter just almost screamed and cried so much from the pain in her ear. No swallowing and breathing movements helped. And when we went through passport control after landing, the pain did not go away.

I still remember this picture. And I didn't have anything suitable in my first aid kit. As soon as we got to the pharmacy, we immediately bought boric alcohol, I dripped it, the pain immediately went away. Then the doctor was called, of course. She gave us drops. And since then, it is this ear that blows it a little, or a runny nose drags on, it immediately worries. We know the problem, it protects the ear very much. Those. such a moment of pressure change during landing so affected the eardrum.

Dear readers, I wish you all only good health. Protect yourself, your children and grandchildren from colds, dress according to the weather, and be wise. If ear pain bothers your baby, take the time to show it to the doctor!

And for the soul, we will listen today Vladimir Kabatov. Autumn Woman . How many feelings, harmony, tenderness ...

16 comments

21 Feb 2018 at 22:23

Today we will talk about pain in the ear of a child. We will tell you why the child has an earache, what to do in this case, how to treat the ear and pain in it.

Symptoms of an ear disease

There are situations when your baby just starts to be mischievous, scream, sleep badly, even the most any kind of entertainment cannot stop the screaming and crying of the child. Such behavior can only indicate one thing: the child is very worried about something.

One of the primary reasons may be that the child has an earache. Undoubtedly, it is easier to establish the cause in a child older than 3 years, because he can show or tell you what is bothering him. What should parents do if their child is still quite small and unable to correctly point out the source of pain. Below we will look at the most common reasons why the ear hurts.

The main reasons why a child has an earache

The likelihood that pain in the child's ear can occur at any time is high. And parents, first of all, need to establish whether the problem is in the ear. To do this, it is enough to carry out the following manipulations:

Ask the child about the reason for his crying. It is suitable for children from 3 years old.
Examine the auricle for foreign objects.
Press lightly on the protrusion in front of the entrance to the auricle. If the baby cried, the problem is in the ear, if he didn’t react in any way, the reason for his behavior is different.

How to quickly establish the cause of crying, we learned. Now let's look at the reasons that indicate that a child has an earache.

Water got into the ear. The main symptom is that it shoots in the ear.
The presence of a foreign body in the ear.
Traumatism of the ear and its area.
The formation of a sulfur plug.
Walking in the wind without a hat.
Otitis.
developing fungus.
Viral infection.
Other diseases: tonsillitis, toothache, mumps and others.
Malfunctions of the central nervous system: ICP, poor blood circulation in the brain.
Pathology in the structure of the brain, eyes, nasopharynx.

IMPORTANT! Your task when detecting a foreign object is simply to remove it. In this case, the use of sticks or tweezers is unacceptable. Just tilt the baby with the affected ear down and the foreign object should fall out.

If the child has a fever, it is recommended to give him an antipyretic medicine, which will not only lower the temperature, but also minimize pain.

If pain in the ear disappears without fever, then ear pain may be the result of diseases such as increased pressure, trauma, or another external factor. Pain can also be accompanied by viral infections and fungal bacteria.

IMPORTANT! Any self-treatment of the ear is dangerous with complications up to hearing loss. After you have given your child first aid, brought down the temperature and reduced pain, urgently call an ambulance or visit a doctor.

After all, the sooner the diagnosis is established, the more effective the treatment will be. In this case, there is no time to waste.

First aid when a child has an earache

Every parent should know these instructions to automatism. After all, to suppress the feeling of panic in oneself, and to relieve the child's pain is the first rule that must be fulfilled as soon as possible.

To reduce pain before arriving or visiting a doctor, it is necessary take pain medication. The amount of the drug should be given based on age and weight. This is especially important if the child woke up at night.

Also, in order to anesthetize the ear, the child can apply a warm compress. To do this, you need to take gauze in several layers, make an incision for the ear, apply medicine to the entire area. After that, it is necessary to cover the area around the ear with permanent paper, put gauze and fix it all with a handkerchief.

If the temperature rises during ear pain, you can give antipyretics. This method is used as a last resort, if other methods have not come up. There is another good method to anesthetize the ear, and that is to soak a cotton swab in warm boric acid and insert it into the ear. It is also important to give plenty of water.

Often there are times when a child has an earache from time to time. And most are wondering how to relieve pain, how to treat? In this case, you need to have a lot of patience, do not panic or yell at the child, and immediately use anti-inflammatory drops.

So, what to drip for pain? Drops such as Otinum, Otipax, Otofa are suitable for treatment.

Ear pain in a child with a cold

When your child starts having an earache with a cold, the right course of treatment is an important factor. Indeed, in this case, the pain is caused by an inflammatory process inside the ear.

Such inflammation is dangerous, and only a specialist can establish an accurate diagnosis, as well as prescribe treatment. In this connection, you need to immediately contact the doctors and get qualified help.

If you do not have the opportunity to quickly find a doctor, then you can reduce pain with the help of herbal medicines.

The child has a sore ear, throat and snot flowing

There are cases when a child has pain in the ear is still accompanied by a runny nose and sore throat. Such symptoms are signs of progressive angina. Such a tandem is real because of the direct connection between the ENT organs using the trigeminal nerve. This promotes the movement of pain in other areas. The pain can be both mild and acute.

And under certain conditions, this pain can cause such a secondary disease as otitis media. Also, pain in the ear, throat and snot may indicate diseases such as diphtheria, chickenpox, scarlet fever, etc.

Dr. Komarovsky on what to do when a child has an earache?

“The best remedy for otitis media is special vasoconstrictor drops for children, which quickly reduce swelling. You need to drip them into the nose. If a child has a damaged eardrum, then drops in the ears can only do harm.
Therefore, it is customary throughout the world not to use ear drops until the doctor has examined the child and confirmed that the eardrum is not damaged.
If the child has a high temperature, you need to give him antipyretic drugs. But Dr. Komarovsky categorically does not advise warming the ears. If pus has accumulated in the ear, and warm it up, it will only get worse.
If fluid leaks out of the child's ear, it means that the eardrum is perforated (damaged). In this case, you must immediately consult a doctor.

We also want to note that in the treatment of pain in the ears, an antibiotic is used as a last resort. And then under the strict supervision of doctors, after a detailed examination and testing.

Folk remedies for ear pain

Also, in addition to medicines, folk remedies help relieve ear pain: infusions of chamomile or lemon balm.

In this case, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the herb, let it brew, and after the infusion has cooled, strain it and gently rinse the ear twice a day.

Summing up

If a child has an earache, then you should immediately contact a specialist to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Therefore, in order to avoid such a problem as ear pain in a baby, it is necessary to take care of him in an appropriate way: put on a hat, monitor his health and mood, prevent water and foreign objects from entering the care, and constantly strengthen immunity.

Ear pain is no less painful and dangerous than toothache. Young children under the age of 5 often suffer from otitis media, other ear problems. The hearing aid in babies is still imperfect, the infection easily penetrates into the auditory tube and middle ear.

What should I do if my child has an earache? How to relieve severe soreness in infants and older children at home? Find out how to act if it is not possible to quickly get an appointment with an ENT doctor, in which cases urgent hospitalization of the baby is required.

Causes of pain

Why does my child's ear hurt? Pain is caused by a variety of factors. One reason is the size of the auditory tube in babies. This part is wider than that of adults, pathogenic bacteria freely penetrate from the nasopharynx, an inflammatory process develops. Another danger: nutrient mixtures, breast milk easily enters the auditory tube, which threatens with inflammation of the middle ear.

There are other reasons as well. Sometimes a negative impact from the outside is combined with pathological processes inside the body, a severe form of otitis media develops with an abundance of purulent discharge.

External factors:

viral or fungal infection;
the onset of a cold or the development of a chronic form;
complication of mumps, deep caries, tonsillitis, sinusitis;
otitis. The external form of the disease develops after a wound or abscess in the ear canal, the middle one - as a complication of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx;
hypotension, high intracranial / arterial pressure, problems with cerebral circulation;
inflammation in the Eustachian tube;
auditory nerve injury.

Internal factors:

the baby pushed a foreign body into the ear: a button, a ball, a cotton wool, a small detail from a toy;
a large amount of sulfur that clogs the ear canal, with insufficient / incorrect cleaning of the ears;
trauma (insect bite, burn, bruise, burst eardrum);
"Puffed out ear." The problem arises when walking in cold, windy weather without a hat;
penetration of water into the deep parts of the ear. Most often, inflammation develops if the liquid was dirty / cold.

Symptoms

The pain in otitis media is so strong that the child always reacts to it. Babies often turn to screaming, crying loudly, older children complain that "it hurts a lot," shoots "inside the ear." Soreness intensifies in the evening, the most severe manifestations of otitis media are noted at night.

How to understand that a child has an earache? Remember the signs of inflammation of various parts of the ear in babies and older children. If such symptoms are detected, provide first aid, immediately consult a doctor, for the smallest, call an ambulance.

Advice! To accurately determine whether the ear really hurts, a simple technique will help. Gently pull on the affected ear. If otitis media develops, the pain will intensify, the baby will start to cry, and may turn to screaming. A similar reaction will appear when pressing on the auditory opening (tragus of the ear). Children under one year of age are especially sensitive.

Ear pain in babies

Signs of pain inside the ear in babies:

anxiety when feeding;
poor, interrupted sleep;
the baby moans in a dream, tosses and turns, wakes up crying;
the baby lies on the big ear, trying to relieve the pain;
the temperature is often higher than normal;
appetite disappears: chewing, sucking movements cause severe discomfort;
on the pillow, yellowish spots from discharge from the ear canal are often noticeable;
the baby rubs his ear, often cries.

Otitis media in children under 5 years of age

Signs:

the child constantly touches the ear, presses on the outer part of the ear canal, trying to relieve pain;
the baby complains of pain in the cheek or tooth;
when turning the neck, pain is felt;
the child is naughty, quickly irritated;
the temperature often rises, sleep worsens;
inflammation of deep zones is accompanied by the release of purulent masses. After sleep, yellowish-brown marks remain on the pillow.

The most important thing is not to panic. If you suspect otitis media in infants, provide first aid. If the pain is severe, not subsiding, call an ambulance. For older children, invite a local pediatrician. With the severity of the case, you will need to consult an otolaryngologist.

How to act when identifying a certain factor that provoked severe discomfort in the ear zone:

trauma, injury. Call an ambulance or take the injured baby to the emergency room. Did the accident happen at night? Do not wait until the morning, you need to act quickly. Hold the child vertically in your arms, make sure that he turns his head less. With the appearance of nausea, vomiting, you can not put the baby, otherwise the vomit will enter the respiratory tract;
ruptured eardrum. You can not clean the sore ear with cotton swabs: due to inexperience, parents injure delicate tissues even more. Contact an ENT doctor. The specialist will process the ear canal, remove pus with special devices. With a timely visit to the doctor, the membrane will heal within a month, hearing is restored, ear congestion disappears;
otitis (fungal, viral infection, eustacheitis, inflammation as a complication of a cold, tonsillitis). In the absence of purulent discharge, a warm compress is allowed. If a thick, yellowish-brown mass is released, especially with an admixture of blood, it is impossible to warm the ear. For very severe pain that suddenly appeared in the evening or at night, give an analgesic for children: Ibufen, Nurofen. Do not give analgesics the day before the doctor arrives. If the child screams a lot, cannot calm down even after a dose of painkiller, call an ambulance;
a foreign body has entered. Seek medical attention. Only a specialist will carefully remove a foreign object without strong pressure on the tissue. Wrong actions of parents drive a button, a part from a toy, a bead even deeper, there is a risk of injury to the eardrum;
the insect got into the ear. When moving the paw, the wings cause acute pain. If, in addition, the insect has bitten the area inside the ear, the soreness becomes unbearable. You can not dismiss the complaints of the child, laugh at him. Immediately drop 1 drop of camphor oil into the ear canal, wait until the insect dies. Visit an otolaryngologist as soon as possible: the doctor will carefully remove the insect, wash the ear with a disinfectant solution.

Important! Doctors recommend contacting a specialist or hospitalizing a sick child. Self-medication, improper use of home remedies complicates the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, provokes serious complications. Remember: an infection from the inner ear can spread to the brain.

What Not to Do

Doctors point out common mistakes that young parents often make. Wrong actions increase the spread of infection, increase the volume of pus.

It is forbidden:

give painkillers on her own before the doctor arrives: the symptoms will “smear”, it will be more difficult for the doctor to understand what happened to the baby;
treat a child at home, refuse to consult a pediatrician and an ENT doctor;
apply dubious folk recipes;
bury the ear with drops: if the eardrum has burst: any solution in the ear will harm the baby;
warm the ear, put warm compresses if pus flows out of the auricle: heat provokes the development of the inflammatory process, the exudate soon penetrates into neighboring organs and tissues;
independently get a foreign body out of the ear canal if the baby admitted that he pushed a ball or button inside;
refuse antibiotics if the doctor prescribes drugs with the development of infection, an abundance of purulent masses.

How to give first aid

First aid for ear pain in a child:

check if the child really has an earache. Symptoms of inflammation, complaints, methods for confirming the diagnosis at home are described above;
call your local pediatrician. If the condition is serious, suddenly there is a sharp, sharp pain, call an ambulance;
in the absence of discharge from the ear canal, make an alcohol compress. If an ambulance is called, do nothing;
give painkillers to the baby only in a situation if the ear is very sore in the evening or at night. Did you have to call an ambulance? Do not give analgesics so that the symptoms are clearly visible;
at high temperature, give an antipyretic. Suspension or syrup is recommended at temperatures from 38 degrees;
be sure to give the baby a drink: boiled water will do;
slightly warm the boric acid, moisten a cotton swab, gently put it in your ear. It is impossible to press the turunda strongly. After a while, the pain will subside a little;
hold the baby in your arms, soothe, talk to him in order to distract him a little from severe pain.

Important! Unfortunately, young children often suffer from ear pain. Otitis often develops against the background of a cold. Always keep on hand the ear drops that the ENT doctor previously prescribed for the baby. If you are sure that otitis media is developing again, drip a proven remedy to relieve inflammation as soon as possible.

Warm compress

In the absence of purulent discharge, correctly place a warming compress:

the first layer is gauze soaked in alcohol diluted 1:1 with water. First make a cutout according to the size of the auricle;
the second layer is a plastic bag with a hole for the ear;
the top layer is a scarf, a woolen scarf to keep warm. Wrap your head so that the first two layers are pressed against the area near the auricle.

Remedies and recipes for pain relief

Ear drops will help reduce inflammation, relieve soreness:

Sofradex. An antibiotic that quickly suppresses the activity of pathogenic bacteria.
Otipax. An effective remedy for otitis media. The composition contains lidocaine, some children experience allergic reactions to an analgesic substance;
Otinum. A good remedy with an active analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Approved after 1 year.
Otofa. A potent drug, the active substance is the antibiotic rifampicin. Uncontrolled use is strictly prohibited. The remedy quickly relieves inflammation of the middle ear.

Always consider the age of the young patient. Check the expiration date of the drops, observe the storage conditions.

An article is written about the first signs and symptoms of intestinal dysbacteriosis in infants.

At the address, read about how and how to treat pharyngitis in a child.

How to treat a sore ear at home? Folk recipes:

warmed almond/walnut oil. 1 drop three times a day;
honey plus propolis tincture. Equal proportions. Excellent effect even with the appearance of purulent discharge. Dosage - 2 drops, frequency - three times a day;
pine nut oil. An active disinfectant is recommended in the treatment of a fungal infection.

Preventive measures

timely treatment of colds, diseases of the nasopharynx, the fight against caries. Do not allow the transition of the acute phase of viral, fungal or bacterial infections to the chronic;
strengthening the immune system, walking in the air, nutrition rich in vitamins, hardening;
Clean your ears regularly, but don't overdo it. It is not worth rubbing the ear canal for a long time, with pressure: you yourself will provoke tissue irritation, further inflammation. Clean the outer part of the ear, do not push cotton swabs far inside;
in windy, cold weather, be sure to wear a cap or hat according to the weather. Make sure the kids don't get cold.

Don't panic if your child has an earache. Now you know what to do at home, how to reduce pain. Follow the recommendations of doctors, prevent inflammation. The more you know about the causes and treatments for ear pain, the less likely you are to be confused when identifying a problem.

What to do if a child has an earache? Useful tips in the following video: