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Earaches are very common in children between the
ages of 6 months and 2 years. Most children have at
least one ear infection before their eight birthday.
Ear infections often follow a cold, but cannot be spread
from person to person. Some ear infections are also
caused by allergies.
Symptoms
Tugging of the ears and fever are signs of an ear
infection. The child may cry more and seem fussier
than normal. Simply touching the ears may cause
pain. Swallowing, chewing and nose blowing can
increase ear pain. The pain is caused by pressure
changes inside the ear. Older children may say their
ears feel like they are under water.
Ear infections can cause short-term hearing loss.
The child may not head far-away noises.
A child's eardrum can break if too much pressure builds
up behind it. Sings of a broken eardrum are blood
and pus draining from the ear. This drainage does
not mean that the infection has gotten worse. The
small break will heal on its own in a few days.
However, the child could have a slight hearing loss until
the infection is gone. Hearing usually returns to
normal after treatment. If it does not fully return,
a hearing test may be needed.
If your child has frequent ear infections, your doctor
may suggest putting tubes in the ears. The tubes let
liquid drain from the ears and can help prevent additional
infections.
Source: The PDR Family Guide,
Encyclopedia of Medical Care (1997)
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