Ear Infections

Ear Infection Symptoms

Common ear infection symptoms in children can include:

• Ear pain
• Fever
• Difficulty hearing
• Irritability (rubbing or tugging at ear)
• Difficulty sleeping

When to Seek Care for Ear Infections

Ear infections caused by viruses may resolve on their own, but those caused by bacteria may require antibiotics to prevent serious complications such as hearing loss or behavior and speech problems.

Seek medical attention if your child experiences any symptoms, as untreated infections can lead to severe complications. In such cases, the insertion of an ear tube by an ear, nose and throat specialist may be considered.

Types of Ear Infections

There are different types of ear infections.

Middle ear infection
A middle ear infection is an infection in the middle ear.

Chronic serous otitis media
Another condition that affects the middle ear is chronic otitis media, which occurs when fluid builds up in the middle ear without causing an infection. 

Outer ear infections

An outer ear infection is also sometimes called "Swimmer's ear", as it can often be preceded by water exposure in the ear canal. It occurs in the ear canal and is often accompanied by drainage and pain.

Ear Infection Treatment at Cape Fear Valley Health

Ear tubes

Chronic ear infections and fluid buildup can cause hearing and communication problems. An otolaryngologist may recommend ear tube placement to help.

Ear tubes are small cylinders that help air flow into the middle ear. They're also known as Pressure Equalizer (PE) tubes.

Ear tubes come in different materials and may have a coating to prevent infection. There are two types:

• Short-term tubes are smaller and typically remain in place for around six months to a year before they naturally dislodge.
• Long-term tubes are larger and have flanges to ensure they stay in place for an extended period. Although they may dislodge on their own, a doctor may need to extract them.

Ear drops

These will often be used to treat swimmer's ear infections or a middle ear infection that has ruptured the eardrum.

Ear debridement

Sometimes the ENT provider will need to remove the infection with tools or suction to help speed the healing of an ear infection.