How Do I Know If My Baby Has An Ear Infection? – Being Parents

A baby with an ear infection may start screaming suddenly and for no apparent reason,  have difficulty sleeping, be more irritable than usual, and most importantly, he absolutely dislikes – and complains – every time you touch the ear and  hearing area. He may also occasionally have a fever and refuse to eat. Ear infections are quite common in babies so there are a few things you need to take into account.

Is it really an ear infection?

One of the most difficult things is knowing if your baby really has an ear infection because many of the symptoms are similar to when your baby starts  teething. It is important to differentiate because an ear infection needs to be treated quickly. To distinguish an ear infection from anything else, you will need to keep the following symptoms in mind:

• The baby is irritated, agitated or worried
• He has a fever
• He is vomiting
• He has  diarrhea
• He frequently touches his ear

It is also essential to take into account the circumstances surrounding your baby,  for example whether he has been ill recently, whether he has had symptoms for a few days, whether there are other children with the same symptoms ( vomiting in particular can be caused by gastritis or gastroenteritis if he vomits and has diarrhea, etc.).

In many cases,  ear infections  can be caused by viruses that heal on their own, but if your child has recently had a cold or the flu,  they may be more prone to developing an ear infection. more usual. It is likely that the phlegm has remained in the ear because he does not yet know how to blow his nose properly and this may put him at an even higher risk of infection.

In case of ear infection, see a doctor

First of all, if you think your baby has an ear infection and is less than 6 months old, you should take her to the pediatrician quickly. When faced with a medical doubt, it is always better to take control and go home knowing that everything is fine than to wait too long at home and regret it later.

During the visit to the pediatrician, you should tell him about all the signs and symptoms that you have seen in your baby,  including whether you have given any medicines. If the doctor wants to prescribe  antibiotics,  make sure they are really needed as this is not always the case. If used unnecessarily, they can cause more harm.

You may want to have your baby’s hearing fluid level checked, which may give you more clues as to whether or not he has an ear infection. The test is simple and sometimes just involves bouncing a few sound waves through the ear canal. If there is any type of infection or fluid, the sound wave will be flat while if it is normal it will be bent.

While treating the ear infection, consider taking certain precautions such as not touching your child’s ear or doing it gently, trying to make him eat in the most upright position possible and using a cool mist humidifier to relieve the pain. congestion.