Ask an Expert
What are the common symptoms of ear infection in children?
There is more than one type of ear pain which your little one may experience. Earache can be constant or come and go. It can also be sharp, dull or a burning sensation in one or both ears. There are a number of common symptoms relating to ear infection. These are:
- Dulled hearing, often lasting for a few days
- A fever
- Feelings of sickness, or vomiting
- Irritability (particularly in babies who cannot point to their pain)
With some infections, a child’s ear drum can also burst. If this is the case, there will often be ear discharge in the form of water and infected mucus. This will usually be runny for a few days. A burst eardrum often relieves the pain that your child has been feeling. This usually heals within a few weeks, after the infection has fully cleared.