Earaches

Treatments

If your child has ear pain, a trip to the doctor is necessary. Although only about 1/3 of earache cases are actually caused by bacterial infections, an untreated infection could lead to more serious problems, such as "boils" in the ear canal, mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone of the skull), cellulitis (deep tissue infection) or deafness.

Your doctor will find out the cause of the ear pain and give you instructions for treating it at home. If your child has a bacterial ear infection, your doctor will give him or her antibiotics. If the ear symptoms are because of wax blockage, your doctor will sometimes gently flush out the wax with warm water or recommend non-prescription wax-softening eardrops. If ear irrigation is unsuccessful, your doctor may try to suction out the wax or remove it with a small device called a curette.

When fluid accumulation in the middle ear becomes a chronic problem and hearing is impaired or infections become routine events in the child's life, the eardrum may need to be cut surgically to let accumulated fluids drain. This procedure is performed in hospital under anaesthetic by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. During such a procedure, drainage tubes ("ear tubes", grommets) may also be placed in your child's ear. These tubes stay in place for variable periods of time to allow continued drainage from the middle ear. The child is unaware of their presence and they usually fall out on their own after several months.

Pain relievers such as Children's MOTRIN* or Children's TYLENOL* are another way you can help treat your child's ear discomfort. Children's TYLENOL* Decongestant, which is specifically formulated to help relieve earache pain, nasal congestion and fever, is a good option if your child's ear pain is associated with a cold.