How Middle Ear Infections Are Treated

Proper treatment of an ear infection—also known as acute otitis media (AOM)— will greatly reduce the amount of ear pain that you are experiencing, as well as decrease your risk of other complications from an untreated infection. Options include over-the-counter therapies and prescription medications that your healthcare provider can prescribe.

Explore these treatments for both pain and fighting the infection, as well as other treatments that you may want to understand.

Over-the-Counter Therapies

Pain is one of the most bothersome symptoms of an ear infection.

Ibuprofen or acetaminophen are the preferred options for children. Children under the age of 2 sometimes experience pain for three to seven days, so you will want to tailor the length of OTC pain control to how your child is reacting. You should ask your healthcare provider about over-the counter medications to ensure that you provide the right dose.

In general, here are standard doses for both ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Ibuprofen

• Children: 4 to 10 mg per kg every 6 to 8 hours as needed
• Adults: 200 to 400 mg every 6 hours as needed

Acetaminophen

• Children under 6 years old: 10 to 15 mg per kg every 4 to 6 hours as needed
• Children 6 to 12 years old: 325 to 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours (not to exceed 1.625 grams per day)
• Children greater than 12 years old: 325 to 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours (not to exceed 3.25 grams per day)

If you're using liquid medication, the side of the box lists how many milligrams are in each milliliter. You can draw the appropriate amount in either a syringe or pour into a medicine cup.

Prescriptions

A diagnosis of an ear infection will require antibiotics. Amoxicillin has been a successful first-line choice for over 25 years. It covers most variants of S. pneumonia but a smaller percentage of the variants of the other less common community-acquired ear infections: nontypable H. influenzae and M. Catarrhalis.

However, amoxicillin is usually successful for treating an ear infection and another choice may not be needed unless you have an allergy to penicillin. If you have an allergy to penicillin, your healthcare provider may prescribe you a cephalosporin such ascefdinir, cefpodoxime, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone,or perhaps another class of antibiotic.

Ear Infection Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions.

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Amoxicillin Dosage

Usual dosing may sometimes be based on the severity of the ear infection.

For adults:

• Mild to moderate: 500 mg every 12 hours
• Severe: 875 mg every 12 hours

For children:

• 80-90 mg/kg per day in 2 divided doses

There are alternate dosing styles that your healthcare provider may want to use based on your symptoms or previous treatment history. A severe ear infection is usually classified as having severe hearing loss, high temperature, or severe ear pain.

Ear Drops

If over-the-counter pain medicine is not sufficient for pain control, your healthcare provider may prescribe ear drops that contain a topical anesthetic.

Treatment Duration

Treatment will typically last for 5 to 7 days for the standard ear infection. However, your healthcare provider may prescribe up to 10 days for a severe ear infection.