Ear, Nose & Throat Ear Infections Ear Infections Guide Ear Infections Guide Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Coping and Caregiving Symptoms of a Middle Ear Infection By Vincent Iannelli, MD Vincent Iannelli, MD Facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 12, 2021 Medically reviewed by John Carew, MD Medically reviewed by John Carew, MD LinkedIn Twitter John Carew, MD, is board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. He is an adjunct assistant professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center and NYU Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Frequent Symptoms Rare Symptoms Complications When to See a Healthcare Provider Frequently Asked Questions Next in Ear Infections Guide Causes and Risk Factors of Middle Ear Infection When you have ear pain or suspect that your child does, you may be dealing with an ear infection. Infections of the middle ear are called otitis media and they are the most common type of ear infection individuals face. Discomfort, ear drainage, and muffled hearing are all common signs and symptoms, but less-specific ones (irritability, decreased appetite, and others) can also occur. These infections are usually easy to recognize in children who are able to articulate how they are feeling but can be more difficult for parents to identify in infants and toddlers. Illustration by Verywell Frequent Symptoms The common signs and symptoms of a middle ear infection in adults and children include: Ear pain (otalgia), especially just in one ear or when lying downHearing loss: Sounds can be muffled as if you are wearing an earplug in the affected ear.A feeling of fullness in the earFeeling like you are ill in generalEar drainage (otorrhea)Fluid behind the eardrum detected with an electronic ear monitor Children often have a middle ear infection with a cold or soon after a cold; you can expect that they will have cold symptoms such as a cough and runny nose just before the ear infection sets in. Babies and toddlers obviously can't tell you they are feeling ear pain, so you will need to know the symptoms they commonly show. Also Watch For In addition to those listed above, look for: Tugging on or holding the ears (this indicates pain, though it may not always be due to an ear infection) Showing signs of muffled hearing or hearing loss by not responding to sounds Fever of 100 degrees or higher Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Fussiness, irritability, excessive crying, inability to be soothed Trouble sleeping, either getting to sleep or staying asleep Decreased appetite Lethargy; lack of energy or interest in play Rare Symptoms The buildup of pressure in the inner ear can cause a ruptured eardrum, with a sudden flow of yellow, green, or bloody drainage from the ear. The ear pain can then subside quickly. You may have ringing in the ear and the spinning sensation of vertigo. Otitis Media With Effusion Otitis media with effusion, also called secretory otitis media, is an accumulation of fluid in the middle ear. It can follow a middle ear infection. In other cases, the effusion may have developed due to a blocked eustachian tube without infection, but the fluid traps bacteria that can develop into an ear infection. Otitis media with effusion often has no symptoms, but it can be accompanied by: A feeling of fullness in the earMild hearing loss (you may turn up the volume on the television or a video)Cracking or popping sounds with swallowing Chronic Otitis Media Chronic otitis media (repeat infections or ongoing infections) can lead to additional signs and symptoms, as well as indications that complications can be developing. You or your child may have renewed symptoms of an ear infection after having a cold or getting water into the middle ear (due to a perforated eardrum). These may include: Hearing lossChronic ear drainageDrainage and swelling behind the earBalance issuesFacial weaknessDeep ear painHeadacheConfusionFatigueSpeech delay in young children Complications The eardrum can rupture due to the pressure of the accumulated fluid and pus in the ear. A hole or a small tear develops in the eardrum (tympanic membrane). This will almost always heal on its own in a few weeks without the need for medical treatment. The spinning sensation you can have with a ruptured eardrum can produce nausea or vomiting. You should see a healthcare provider to get appropriate treatment. If the eardrum fails to heal, it may need surgical repair. Middle ear infections can cause conductive hearing loss, preventing the transmission of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. In children, repeated ear infections with conductive hearing loss can impair speech and language development and may cause kids to not be able to locate where sounds are coming from. Children may have more difficulty distinguishing and understanding words when they are in noisy places such as the classroom. Such infections can contribute to auditory processing disorders. Permanent hearing loss is rare, but it can develop with prolonged and repeated infections. Chronic otitis media can lead to labyrinthitis and damage to the delicate structures in the ear that help with hearing and maintaining balance. Cysts, or bening growths of skin tissue (cholesteatoma) can also develop in the middle ear. Although rare, bacterial otitis media sometimes spread to the mastoid bone (mastoiditis) or to the inner ear. In extremely rare cases, the infection could spread to the brain and cause meningitis or an abscess. When to See a Healthcare Provider The American Academy of Pediatrics promotes an approach of treating the pain and waiting for two to three days to see if it goes away, as it usually will. You should check with your healthcare provider as to when a child needs to be seen. Ear pain that worsens or doesn't improve, fever, and drainage with blood or pus—especially in a baby under age 6 months—require medical evaluation. Adults should call their healthcare provider when experiencing ear pain or other symptoms to learn whether they should wait or come in for an examination. Adults with otitis media should be evaluated by an ENT practitioner to rule out a nasopharyngeal cancer, which is a rare cause of otitis media in adults Ear Infection Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. A healthcare provider will be able to confirm the diagnosis by seeing signs of inflammation (redness, bulging) of the eardrum on physical examination. If you or your child is treated for a middle ear infection, take note of when your practitioner says you should have improvement. If the ear doesn't respond to treatment, or if new symptoms are noted, call your medical professional or pediatrician. Similarly, if any new symptoms are noted after treatment for otitis media with effusion, mention them to your healthcare provider. Frequently Asked Questions What are the symptoms of ear infections in babies? For children who can't talk yet, it can be harder to tell when their ear hurts. Some signs to look for include:Tugging at the earTrouble sleepingFussinessFeverTrouble with balanceLess response to quiet soundsCheck with your child's healthcare provider if you notice any symptoms of an ear infection. How do you treat symptoms of an ear infection? If the ear infection is mild, your healthcare provider may suggest waiting a couple of days before prescribing an antibiotic. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen) can help to relieve symptoms of an earache. Never give aspirin to children since it may lead to a life-threatening condition called Reye's syndrome. If your symptoms persist or get worse, check with your healthcare provider. How soon will symptoms of an ear infection improve? Symptoms of a mild ear infection may improve on their own within two or three days. When your healthcare provider prescribes an antibiotic, your symptoms should improve in a few days. If you or your child is still sick after several days, check with your practitioner. Even after an infection is gone, you may still have fluid in your middle ear, but it will usually go away within three to six months. What Causes Ear Infections? 8 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus. Ear infection - acute. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus. Otitis media with effusion. Qureishi A, Lee Y, Belfield K, Birchall JP, Daniel M. Update on otitis media - prevention and treatment. Infect Drug Resist. 2014;7:15-24. doi:10.2147/IDR.S39637 Karunanayake CP, Albritton W, Rennie DC, et al. Ear Infection and Its Associated Risk Factors in First Nations and Rural School-Aged Canadian Children. Int J Pediatr. 2016;2016:1523897. doi:10.1155/2016/1523897 American Academy of Pediatrics. healthychildren.org. Ear Infection Information. Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA. Ear Pain: Diagnosing Common and Uncommon Causes. Am Fam Physician. 2018;97(1):20-27. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Ear infections in children. Cleveland Clinic. Ear infection (otitis media). Additional Reading Ear Infections. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/earinfections.html. Ear Infection (Middle Ear). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/symptoms-causes/syc-20351616?p=1. Kliegman RM, Stanton BMD, St. Geme J, Schor NF. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 2 Vols. München: Elsevier Books; 2015. Liberman MC, Liberman LD, Maison SF. Chronic Conductive Hearing Loss Leads to Cochlear Degeneration. PLoS ONE 2015: 10(11): e0142341. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142341. Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al. The Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media. Pediatrics. 2013;131(3). doi:10.1542/peds.2012-3488. By Vincent Iannelli, MD Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit