Otitis Media
Imagine your little one waking up crying, clutching their ear in pain – it’s heart-wrenching, right? One common culprit behind these midnight woes is Acute Otitis Media, a nasty ear infection that can be both painful and distressing for your child.
Acute otitis media often causes symptoms to be more severe at night, as the position of the head while lying down may cause pressure changes in the middle ear that increase pain.
Symptoms
- severe earache, due to the pressure of the mucus on the eardrum,
- fever
- flu-like symptoms in children, such as vomiting and lethargy
- difficulty hearing
- irritability
- difficulty sleeping, and
- in some cases, there may be discharge from the ear or a feeling of fullness in the ear.
Babies with ear infections will be hot and irritable. They cannot point to the source of discomfort so it can be hard to tell what is wrong with a baby, but an ear infection is one possibility to consider if your baby is unsettled in this way.
Treatment
Around 80% of cases of acute otitis media clear up within three days.
Perforated ear drums also usually heal by themselves.
Pain killing drugs like paracetamol or ibuprofen may be used to control the symptoms of otitis media (pain and fever).
Nose drops containing decongestants may be used to reduce the swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose and back of the throat.
Midnight Ear Pain Management
So, what do you do if your little angel wakes up with ear pain? See our latest Vlog to know what’s to be done before taking the child to a specialist.
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