Ear pain in a child – causes, symptoms, tests. Treatment of earache in a child

A child’s earache is a very unpleasant condition that can be caused by various medical conditions. With earache, the baby becomes irritable and weepy. What is the most common cause of earache in a child and how to recognize this ailment in young children? What diagnosis is indicated for a child’s earache?

Ear pain in a child – characteristics

Ear pain is a condition that very often affects children, especially the youngest. This common symptom of childhood is difficult to accurately diagnose, because the determination of pain sensation and its location is possible only around the age of 4. If the earache is caused by a hearing condition, the pain sensation is a consequence of the stimulation of pain receptors located in the outer and middle ear.

A child’s earache may be caused by an underlying condition in another organ, such as the mouth, throat or trachea. All these organs are connected by nerve fibers to the ear, therefore any diseases can cause earache in a child. A child’s earache is usually acute and progressive. As the parent disease subsides, the child’s earache also subsides.

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Ear pain in a child – causes

A child’s earache is most often caused by a developing medical condition. The diseases of the outer and middle ear are among the most frequently mentioned diseases that cause earache in a child.

Diseases of the outer ear:

1. any ear injuries, including mechanical and chemical injuries, burns or frostbite;
2. traumatic hematomas of the auricle;
3. inflammation of the auricle;
4. injuries of the external auditory canal;
5. insect bites;
6. wedging of a foreign body in the outer ear;
7. ear plugs are clogged with wax plugs;
8. bacterial inflammation;
9. changes in the ear canal caused by, for example, smallpox or rubella;
10. advanced ear cancers;
11. a boil or abscess in the ear. 

Middle ear diseases:

1. acute otitis media;
2. acute ear bullous hemorrhagic inflammation;
3. chronic ear inflammation;
4. barotrauma of the ear;
5. complications after acute otitis;
6. complications after operations on the hearing organ;
7. advanced stage of neoplastic disease.

Other causes of earache are also:

1. teething (especially eruption of molars);
2. caries (in older children);
3. tonsil hypertrophy.

Also read: Chronic otitis media – symptoms and treatment

Ear pain in a child – symptoms

An older child is usually able to identify the type and location of the earache. Unfortunately, younger children cannot tell and point out exactly where and how the ear hurts. In infants, earache manifests itself in the irritability of the baby. The little one grabs the sore ear with a hand, covers it with his hand and does not let anyone touch it. A common symptom of ear pain is fever. Additionally, the baby becomes tearful and irritable and may also be scared and reluctant to suckle.

Older children with earache also indicate impaired hearing. Such signals should not be underestimated and a pediatrician should be consulted as soon as possible.

Child’s ear pain – what tests should be performed?

In the case of ear pain, otoscopy is the primary examination. The examination allows to determine the pathological changes in the child’s ear. Diagnostic doubts influence the decision to perform an ENT examination. In case of earache in a child, the doctor may also perform a hearing test, i.e. an audiometric test.

It is advisable to conduct an ear function test called a tympanometric test. In exceptional circumstances, you will need morphology, CRP or imaging tests, such as an X-ray or computed tomography.

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Ear pain in a child – treatment

In the case of ear pain in a child, the doctor most often recommends antibiotic therapy (the drug of first choice is amoxycycline), especially when the child is less than six months old. Antibiotics are also recommended for children with high fever, ear leakage, or for infants under 2 years of age for bilateral acute otitis media. The antibiotic is then given for seven to ten days.

The doctor, if necessary, also treats the earwax that remains in the child’s ear and causes pain. The specialist may also give your child medication to improve the patency of the nose and throat, which will constrict their mucous membranes. Sometimes children’s ear drops are also recommended.

Also read: Diseases of older children – colds, flu, ear infections

Home remedies for a child’s earache

First of all, if your child has ear pain, the pain level should be assessed by touching the area around the child’s ear. In addition, check for any foreign body or excess earwax in the ear and for any effusion from the ear. It is also a good idea to check nasal obstruction and measure the baby’s body temperature.

It’s very important because home remedies for earache can only be used when no serious infections have occurred. Otherwise, i.e. when you suspect e.g. otitis media, a foreign body in the ear or other disturbing symptoms, you should immediately contact your doctor.

However, if there is no more serious cause of earache in a child, and the doctor does not see any contraindications, one of the home remedies can be used, which is mainly based on warming up the sore spot, which in turn relieves the pain. In addition to administering painkillers (ibuprofen or paracetamol), the home remedies for your child’s earache include the following.

1. Olive oil – slightly warm it to keep it warm, but not hot, and apply a small amount directly to the ear;
2. Camphor oil – rub 1 to 2 drops on the back of the auricle (maximum 3 times a day);
3. Onion wrap – wrap raw onion slices with a clean cloth and put them to the child’s ear (you can also use the juice from previously squeezed onion). The onion does not have to be raw, it can also be cooked until tender;
4. Garlic – squeeze the juice of fresh garlic and then gently smear the inside of the ear with it. It should be added that garlic has antiseptic properties;
5. Warming the ear with warm water compresses or using a hot water bottle;
6. Gently massaging the ear – massage improves blood circulation and does not lead to additional pain.
7. Ear pain may worsen when lying down; so try to make your baby sit or sleep with his head held high.
8. Drinking plenty of fluids or chewing gum – This makes it easier to swallow and can unblock a clogged Eustachian tube by draining excess fluid if it is in the middle ear.
9. Tea tree oil – as ear drops. Tea tree oil has powerful antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties that may prove beneficial in relieving ear pain. Before application, it is a good idea to mix a few drops of olive oil with tea tree oil.
10. Occasionally the earache can be caused by some pressure in the ear canal. Rotary neck exercises can significantly reduce pressure and reduce pain.

However, you should bear in mind that home remedies only relieve pain, but do not cure the source of the problem, so it is so important that a doctor inspects the sore ear.

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Ear pain in a child – pain recurrence

It is very common for a child’s earaches to come back. This is especially true in the case of otitis, and it should be added that some babies get the infection even several times a year.

If we are talking about ear pain resulting from otitis, relapses are favored by, for example: gastroesophageal reflux, smoking in front of a child, allergies. In older children, relapses may be due to an enlarged adenoid caused by frequent infections.

Counteracting frequent recurrences of ear pain resulting from otitis is elimination of the above factors. However, it is worth adding at this point that the doctor, as a prophylaxis, may recommend antibiotic therapy, which consists in giving the child small doses of an antibiotic during periods of intense infection. If fluid builds up in your ears, your specialist may also recommend a drain that drains the fluid out.

In the case of otitis, the chances of its occurrence are also reduced thanks to the use of probiotics from the Streptococcus salivarius K12 strain. This is due to the secretion of the so-called a lantibiotic that protects the oral cavity against microorganisms that cause laryngological infections (it is also used in the prophylaxis and during infections of the nose and throat, as well as after angina).

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