Causes and Treatment of Earache in Babies

Ear pain in children and infants is a common problem. To cure it, you must first know the cause. Multiple factors can cause earache in children. Since the correct diagnosis is necessary for the correct treatment, we examined all the conditions that cause pain separately.

What causes ear pain in babies?

1. otitis media

The main disease causing ear pain is otitis media. Otitis media, also called otitis media, is very common especially in children younger than 6 years old. Because at this age, the Eustachian tubes (the channel connecting the throat and ear) are short. Throat or nasal infections also spread more easily into the middle ear cavity. If left untreated, it can damage the eardrum and make various ear diseases chronic.

• Pain in the ear, especially when lying down
• difficulty falling asleep,
• Difficulty hearing and responding to sounds
• Unusual crying and restlessness
• ear discharge,
• Loss of appetite,
• Ear pulling is one of the symptoms of otitis media.

Smoking near the child, insufficient intake of adenoids, breast milk, incomplete vaccination and allergies increase the risk of ear infections.

2. Extraction of milk teeth

Ear pain is very common in babies during the eruption of milk teeth. Your baby will tug at his ears during this period, and you might think it’s an ear infection.

3. Earwax

Earwax causes ear plugging and therefore pain. Earwax is removed from the ear by drying under normal conditions. However, dirt may swell due to water getting into the ear in the bathroom. For this reason, earwax is among the causes of earache in children.

A baby’s ear canal that is smaller than normal can also cause ear blockage. Many mothers can push the dirt even deeper when trying to clean their baby’s ears, be careful!

4. Foreign body getting into the ear

Objects such as peas, chickpeas, small buttons, crayon pieces can get into the ears of children. These objects can cause discharge in the ear as well as pain.

5. Ear pressure due to airplane travel

Pressure-induced pain in the ear is most common in infants and children on airplane journeys. Because the cabin pressure changes during take-off and landing, and babies are much more affected by this pressure.

Before you go on a plane trip, you can consult your doctor and ask if you can give your baby pain medication if there is pain. Breastfeeding, making children drink and chewing gum are also effective in preventing pressure in the ear.

6. Outer ear inflammation

Severe ear pain in children can also be caused by an external ear infection. You need to take your child to the ENT doctor and have it treated.

Long stays in the bath, sea and pool are among the main causes of external ear infections in children. The first sign of external ear infection is as follows: If there is pain even when you touch your child’s ear from the outside, even when he makes a slight pressure, it means that he has an external ear infection.

7. Common cold

Children may also have ear pain after a cold. Good nutrition and care after illness is very important.

Finally, you may wonder, does earwax in babies cause pain? A serious condition can occur when earwax blocks the external ear canal and hearing decreases. If the dirt is too deep and hard, it can cause pain. If the pain gets worse when you touch or move your baby’s outer ear or earlobe, you should show it to a specialist. The amount of earwax that will block the canal and cause pain should be removed.

Earache symptoms in babies

Children may say that their ears hurt, but babies try to express that they are hurting in some ways because they cannot speak. So, how to understand ear pain in babies?

• pulling ears,
• Cry,
• discontent,
• Kicking indicates earache in infants.

In addition, if the pain in the baby’s ear is mild;

• He frowns.
• His legs become tense and uncomfortable.
• It turns forward and backward.
• He constantly whines and groans.
• It calms down a bit when you hug and touch it.

If you have severe ear pain;

• He makes a face.
• Kicks left and right.
• It bends and shakes like a spring.
• Cries loudly nonstop.
• No matter what you do, you can’t console him.

At what month does earache start in babies?

The Eustachian tube in the ear is shorter in infants than in adults. Babies are more likely to spread if an infection starts in the ear or throat. In the first 6 months, ear discharge is more common in babies rather than pain. From the 6th month onwards, ear pain can be felt in babies.

What is good for ear pain in babies?

Ear pain in babies is a common condition. In such cases, you should show your baby to an otolaryngologist and have it treated. Let’s look at how the earache goes in children, now together.

Most earaches are caused by otitis media. The doctor may prescribe ear drops and antibiotics for this. But don’t use ear drops or medicine on your own without your doctor’s advice.

The doctor may also recommend drugs containing acetaminophen (paracetamol) or pain relievers such as Aspirin.

Giving local warm air to the ear also relieves the pain. Your doctor will tell you how to apply it if necessary. If the cause of the pain is not a boil or inflammation, placing a hot towel next to your ear may help. For some children, cold application for 20 minutes can be more relaxing.

Take extra care not to get water, soap and shampoo in your ear during your illness.

Is there any herbal remedy for earache in babies?

As we said, pain can have many causes. For example, if the otitis media has progressed, you should use the antibiotic recommended by your doctor, and if the outer ear inflammation is severe, you should vacuum the inflammation in the ear canal.

Herbal solutions such as dripping olive oil, mint leaves, onion-garlic juice in the ear may be good for earaches in children, but how they are applied, which earaches are effective, the answers to these are not scientifically finalized. Therefore, take your child to the doctor and do not apply alternative treatment options without asking him.

By the way, there is an application such as dripping breast milk for earache in babies . However, as we said above, you should not do anything without consulting your doctor, as such applications can increase ear pain.

When to go to the doctor?

• See if he has a fever.
• Check for ear discharge and decreased hearing. Say her name in a low voice with her back turned. Observe if he responds to you.
• Check her throat for enlarged or reddened tonsils.