Earache in Children
Earache in Children – Earache is a very common condition in children – particularly those in the baby through to pre-school age group.
Sometimes, this condition can suddenly flare up during a daycare centre day often without obvious cause. Fortunately, it is almost never serious and most cases can be treated simply at home.
Please remember that what follows is NOT qualified medical advice and you should always consult a doctor if you have concerns over an aspect of your child’s health.
Earache in Children – What are the symptoms?
They may vary, depending on the age of the child.
For younger children, scratching, pulling, rubbing or shaking the head/ear are all very common symptoms. In older children, the same may be visible but usually accompanied by complaints of ‘itchiness’ or ‘soreness’. Many children of all ages, may seem irritable, whiny or distracted. Some may also report hearing difficulties or they’ll be evident. The affected ear or ears may appear red or blotched in colour – usually caused by rubbing and scratching.
Less commonly, the symptoms might also include running a temperature and a headache. At times, the child may also be off their food and seemingly struggling with their balance and bodily coordination.
Earache in children can be very painful and highly distracting. It should never be dismissed as ‘nothing’.
What causes earache in children?
There are several possible causes:
- a viral or bacteriological (possibly both) infection. Colds and influenza are both regular causes of ear troubles in children;
- tonsilitis or a sore throat. Although problems of the back of the throat, these conditions can also cause problems for the ear or ears. A related condition is called ‘quinsy’, which may sound mediaeval but it is a secondary problem arising from tonsilitis which can also affect the ears;
- excess ear wax;
- a perforated ear drum. This is less common but can happen following an accident, a very loud noise or sometimes for reasons that aren’t clear;
- teething or other dental/oral problems such as an abscess. Here, an earache is usually a secondary symptom of mouth pain, such as when swallowing;
- an object that the child has inserted into the affected ear;
- injury. A child that has struck its ear while playing, had their ear pulled or has been hit by another in a squabble, can suffer typically short-term ear pain.
Actions
The first step is usually to check for other symptoms, such as a temperature, swollen neck glands or discharges from the ear.
It’s also a good idea to have a gentle and non-intrusive look to see if anything is visible in the ear, including an obvious build-up of ear wax. Never insert anything into the ear. Never attempt to remove a foreign object spotted inside. These are jobs for a trained medical professional with appropriate equipment.
Most cases of earache do not have an immediate obvious cause or any secondary symptoms. Generally, waiting a few hours or a day or two is all that’s required for the problem to resolve itself if it is a minor secondary symptom of something such as a cold. A child can be given child-safe paracetamol in approved dosages to help and sometimes a warm or cool face flannel on the ear can be beneficial.
If the condition is relatively mild with no other symptoms, your pharmacist may be able to offer advice and some treatments.
Never put liquids into a child’s ear as a cure unless the drops and their applicability in a given case, have been approved by a doctor or pharmacist.
Where there are other symptoms apart from the earache in children itself, you should seek a doctor’s opinion as soon as possible. Even where earaches are mild and of short duration, a doctor should be consulted if they keep recurring.
A Daycare Centre’s actions
Where earache is seen during a day, a fully trained first-aider will examine the child.
Normally, all that’s required is a quiet time away from the hubbub of play and the problem will usually vanish quickly. Even where it does, the parents will be notified accordingly.
Where the problem was accompanied by other symptoms, the parents will be contacted immediately. The daycare centre may also invoke its procedures to contact emergency qualified medical personnel to assist.
If you’d like to know more of our procedures in this area, why not call us for an appointment to pop down for a visit? We’d welcome the opportunity to explain earache in children in more depth.
