Pain in the ears of children

Often parents do not understand why their little child cries for no apparent reason for a long time. It is worth remembering that such behavior can provoke pain in the ears of children.

Even an adult man is very difficult to tolerate dental and ear pain, what can we say about kids! And if an older child can already complain about himself and precisely indicate the place where he feels pain, very young children are forced to signal about such pains solely with their cry and crying.

However, parents can fairly easily determine at home whether pain in the ear is a cause of suffering in children. To do this, you need to lightly tap or tap on the triangular cartilage, which is located near the auricle, from the side of the cheek, in front of the ear canal (otherwise it is also called a goat). If after this manipulation the child responds to you with increased crying - then the source of pain is found. Now it remains to specifically localize and find the cause, after which to conduct the necessary treatment and forget about how unpleasantly the entire family suffered from childhood pain in the ear.

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Diseases that cause pain in the ears

The reasons that there is pain in the ears of children can be many. But, there are the most common and now we will introduce them to you: 

• Otitis. This is one of the most common diseases that causes pain in the ears of children. Noteworthy is the statistical fact that boys under the age of three are much more likely to suffer from this disease. What is this otitis? This is called inflammation of the middle ear due to getting there infection. As a result of this disease, a liquid accumulates behind the eardrum of the affected ear. This is due to the fact that the Eustachian tube is blocked (it serves as a connecting element between the middle ear and throat). As a result, this state of things can lead to infection. With otitis, ear pain in children can also occur during blooming. 
• Infection of the external ear canal. Otherwise, this disease is often called the "swimmer's ear" - all because of the fact that it is children who are swimming most often who suffer from swimming or just often visiting the pool or other water bodies. In addition to palpable pain, there are other symptoms of this disease. If the ear canal has turned red, soft (this is felt when touching) and you can see that it is swollen, then this indicates an infection of the external ear canal. And if to this is added also a sensation of an occlusion of an ear and a throbbing pain of a long character, then there is almost no doubt about this diagnosis. 
• Ear trauma also often causes prolonged painful sensations. Even if the child says that he hears the injured ear well, then a visit to the otolaryngologist should be carried out without fail. As a result of the impact, the tympanic membrane can be damaged and therefore it is not recommended to delay diagnosis. 
• The jamming of a foreign body in the ear in a small child is a fairly common thing, just as in other things, as in the nose. Curious kids strive at all costs to shove a small object in the ear or nose and watch with interest what will happen in the end with their feelings. Unfortunately, often such pranks lead to rather pitiable consequences. Parents allow such a mistake due to banal oversight. Therefore it is very important in case of ear pain symptoms to contact a doctor immediately. And, of course, leaving a small child unattended alone with small details or objects is absolutely unacceptable.

How exactly does the baby's ear hurt?

By the phrase "earache in children" we mean different types of pain and various diseases that can provoke this pain. Parents will be useful to learn the specific features that can more clearly characterize the pain in the ears of children. If the earache appears some time after the child has had a cold, it can often indicate that the middle ear has started the inflammatory process caused by the infection.

Also, the cause of pain can be an infection of the outer ear, which is manifested by discharge from the auricle, tingling or pain during touching the ear. This problem is often faced by children swimming or just spending a lot of time in water.

It is also important to remember that ear diseases can cause painful sensations not only in the heart of the disease, but, for example, radiating to the teeth and jaw. From this, it is much harder to determine the cause of children's suffering. But an experienced doctor immediately sees what's the matter.

If your child is not talking yet and can not properly explain the reason for his depressed mood and frequent crying, then take a closer look at his behavior. Is the baby more than usual grasping at the ears? Strongly crying and shaking his head from side to side? Beating yourself on the head with your hands? If the answer to these questions is yes, then in this case, most likely, you are dealing with ear inflammation. But, remember that besides this, this behavior is often found in children during the eruption of teeth or due to unusual sensations during the stimulation of the auditory canal with water or excreted sulfur. The exact answer will be given only by your pediatrician.

What should I do if my child has an earache?

First you need to watch your baby, and if within 15 minutes the pain passes, again does not occur and the child continues to play further, looking at the same time completely healthy, then there is no need to see a doctor in the clinic. Also, there is no need to panic especially if the pain in the children's check is caused by simple and understandable reasons - with a sharp descent or ascent, vigorous blowing, flight, very active chewing gum, etc. If the pain resulting from these causes is short-lived, then it does not carry any danger.

In the event that the pain in the ear lasts for an hour or longer, but at the same time, the cold compress is applied to the ear or neck, it is necessary at the time convenient for you, after all, consult a doctor.

There are also a number of symptoms that should cause fear and serve as an excuse to seek immediate medical help: 

1. A kid at the age of up to one year cries for a long time, there is an increased excitability and increased body temperature. 
2. The cause of the pain is a trauma to the ear of any character. 
3. Pain in the ear is so strong in the child that he can not safely carry it. 
4. For several hours, the pain does not subside, and neither cold nor warm compresses bring tangible relief.

How to cure a sick ear in a child?

If the pain in the ears of children causes concern among parents, then it is necessary to seek the advice of a qualified doctor. It can be a pediatrician or an otolaryngologist. In the event that the pediatrician determines that the source of pain is in the ear, he will direct you to Prem LR.

Depending on the type of disease and its stage, the doctor prescribes various methods of treatment. When infectious and bacterial inflammation of the inner parts of the ear, antibiotics are mandatory. If a "swimmer's ear" is diagnosed, then the treatment will be local, by lubricating the inflamed area with therapeutic solutions.