The first step in treating your child’s ear infection is to get a medical diagnosis. A doctor will examine your child’s ear and may recommend antibiotics. However, some infections do not respond to antibiotics and will persist for weeks or months. In this case, you should be patient and seek medical attention when symptoms persist.
While antibiotics do not cure the ear infection, they will help your child to feel better. Your child may experience some pain, but it will subside in a few days. During this time, your child should also take a non-aspirin pain reliever. In addition, your child should take all the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor. Depending on the severity of the infection, the child may not need to see a doctor for two to four weeks.
Ear infections in children are a common childhood condition. They usually occur in children ages six to 18 months. Infants tend to be more susceptible to recurrent episodes, so it is important to check your child regularly. However, the risk of recurrence decreases significantly as children grow older. Once children reach the age of five, their ear structures will have expanded and their immune systems will become more developed.
Ear infections in children can occur for several different reasons. The main symptom is ear pain, although younger children may be fussier or have difficulty sleeping. The infection usually clears up on its own, but if it recurs, antibiotics are often needed to get rid of the infection.
