Continuing on…

 

Signs and symptoms of middle ear infections appear so rapidly you won’t even see them coming! 

 

The obvious signs of AOM are ear pain, fever, and hearing loss.  Be on the lookout for your infant pulling on their ear; it’s a good way to tell if their ear is bothering them since they cannot share this with you in words quite yet.

 

Also, don’t panic with the hearing loss idea, it’s happening because of the fluid build-up in the eustachian tubes and it is a temporary problem.   

 

There are times when the signs and symptoms of a middle ear infection will be less obvious, especially in young children.  These not so obvious symptoms include fatigue, irritability, loss of appetite, or vomiting, and they usually occur more often in children who have been suffering from an upper respiratory tract infection for several days.  Ugh, two infections in one, that’s a double whammy right there! 

 

Also, be aware that it is possible for your child to not have any signs or symptoms of AOM other than a fever, in which case it’s important that their ears still get examined.   

 

Regardless of whether antibiotics are used or not (check out Part I of this ear infection series, and don’t forget about Part II and Part III!), symptoms caused by the ear infection can be treated.  Some good options to treat ear pain are Tylenol, Motrin, and Auralgan, all of which have a generic available. 

 

Auralgan is an eardrop that contains a combination of antipyrine, benzocaine, and glycerin and is available by prescription only.  The benefits of using Tylenol and Motrin are they can be purchased over-the-counter and they help treat a fever too. 

 

I would NOT, I repeat, I would NOT use antihistamines (like Benadryl) and/or decongestants (like Sudafed) because they have not been shown to be effective in treating AOM and they only lead to more medication side effects.

 

It’s G.I. Joe time; the true American hero is calling my name…going to the movies and the rose gardens here in Portland!  No worries – I’m still here for discussion, questions, and comments. 

 

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