Ear infections in babies
A doctor explains symptoms and treatment.
Ear infections can be painful for babies and worrying for parents. Dr. Alok Patel, paediatrician at Stanford Children's Hospital, explains symptoms and treatment.
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Ask a doctor: Caring for your baby's ear infection
Ear infections may seem really scary because you can't physically see them. But children can be in a lot of pain and be irritable. Don't worry, oftentimes they just kind of go away on their own. Let's get into it.
Causes of ear infections
We all have tubes in our heads called Eustachian tubes, which connect our ears to the back of our nose and throat. In children, these tubes are slightly shorter and more horizontal. So when they get backed up with fluid, like from a cold, they tend to get a little bit more congested in children. And this can cause an infection and inflammation.
Ear infection symptoms
Symptoms can include fever, pain, muffled hearing. Sometimes babies are tugging or pulling at their ears. And sometimes you can even see fluid coming out of the ear.
Doctors can usually diagnose an ear infection by using a tool called an Otoscope to look directly inside of a child's ear and look to see if there is an infection.
But sometimes, especially in young babies or if there's something blocking the ear canal, doctors may not be able to clearly see, but can still offer a diagnosis based on symptoms.
How to treat ear infections
Doctors may prescribe antibiotics. If they do, it's important to take them exactly as directed.
But in some cases, doctors may say: “Hey, this is probably caused by a virus. Why don't you watch and wait and look to see if symptoms improve on their own by 48 to 72 hours?”
Dr. Alok Patel is a pediatrician at Stanford Children's hospital, producer and ABC News correspondent.
