Ear infection symptoms?

Question

My eight month old has some yellow discharge from her ear. How do I know if she has an ear infection?

Answer 1

Sometimes its a fever, sometimes they tug at their ear, sometimes they cry with pain, and sometimes there are no symptoms.

Any chance what you describe as "yellow discharge" is that (disgusting as this sounds) dark, orange-ish ear wax that some babies get? Some babies and children have more ear wax than others.

Answer 2

There are many different symptoms for an ear infection and each child will react differently.

For my daughter the only symptom she gave me was when I went to put her to bed she would wake up and scream. She was fine sleeping on my chest in an upright position but as soon as I laid her flat...look out. She never had any other symptoms which could include tugging the ear, fever, not eating as much etc.

My daughter was a breastfeed baby but she ended up with 2 ear infections before she was 6 mths old. After treating each infection with antiobotics, I seen a Naturopath. I also bought a foam wedge to place under the crib matress to lift it up a bit and that worked well.

Here is what the Naturopath told me. We removed her from milk based formual (which she got on occasion) and switched her to a soy based formual. Also while breastfeeding I ensured my intake of dairy products was limited. The doctors don't tell you this but milk based products is one of the leading causes of ear infections. With these minor changes to date my daughter has not had another ear infection. She is now 13 1/2 mths and is just being introduced to dairy products, very slowly. Did you know that each time you treat with antiobotics your child will be six times more likely to need antiobotics the next time. So for my daughter after having both ear infections treated by the recommened antiobotics from the doctor, then if she got a third ear infection she would be 12 times more likely to need antiobotics.

I would suggest that you take your daughter to the doctors and have her ear checked. You are concerned enough to write this question, best to be checked by the doctor and know everything is o.k. than to be sorry later on. It's your daughter's well being we are talking about. If it is an ear infection try limited milk based products, it won't hurt her. It was successful for me and could be successful for you as well.

Good Luck

Answer 3

symptoms include partial deafness, throbbing pains, having your ears pop often, and so on. If its an earwax blockage, leave your ear alone, the wax will actually form into a ball and roll out (I know, very weird). But you should go see a doctor if its bugging you. Most infections last less than a week

Answer 4

Ear infections are one of the most common reasons parents take their children to the doctor. While there are different types of ear infections, the most common is called otitis media, which means an inflammation and infection of the middle ear. The middle ear is located just behind the eardrum.

The term "acute" refers to a short and painful episode. An ear infection that lasts a long time or comes and goes is called chronic otitis media.

For links to other types of ear infections, see otitis.


Alternative Names
Otitis media - acute; Infection - inner ear; Middle ear infection - acute


Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Ear infections are common in infants and children in part because their eustachian tubes become clogged easily. For each ear, a eustachian tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. Its purpose is to drain fluid and bacteria that normally occurs in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid can build up and become infected.

Anything that causes the eustachian tubes and upper airways to become inflamed or irritated, or cause more fluids to be produced, can lead to a blocked eustachian tube. These include:

Colds and sinus infections
Allergies
Tobacco smoke or other irritants
Infected or overgrown adenoids
Excess mucus and saliva produced during teething
Ear infections are also more likely if a child spends a lot of time drinking from a sippy cup or bottle while lying on his or her back. Contrary to popular opinion, getting water in the ears will not cause an acute ear infection, unless the eardrum has a hole from a previous episode.

Ear infections occur most frequently in the winter. An ear infection is not itself contagious, but a cold may spread among children and cause some of them to get ear infections.

Risk factors include the following:

Not being breast-fed
Recent ear infection
Recent illness of any type (lowers resistance of the body to infection)
Day care (especially with more than 6 children)
Pacifier use
Genetic factors (susceptibility to infection may run in families)
Changes in altitude or climate
Cold climate

Symptoms
An acute ear infection causes pain (earache). In infants, the clearest sign is often irritability and inconsolable crying. Many infants and children develop a fever or have trouble sleeping. Parents often think that tugging on the ear is a symptom of an ear infection, but studies have shown that the same number of children going to the doctor tug on the ear whether or not the ear is infected.

Other possible symptoms include:

Fullness in the ear
Feeling of general illness
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Hearing loss in the affected ear
The child may have symptoms of a cold, or the ear infection may start shortly after having a cold.

All acute ear infections include fluid behind the eardrum. You can use an electronic ear monitor, such as Earcheck, to detect this fluid at home. The device is available at pharmacies.


Signs and tests
The doctor will ask questions about whether your child (or you) have had ear infections in the past and will want you to describe the current symptoms, including whether your child has had any symptoms of a cold or allergies recently. Your doctor will examine your child's throat, sinuses, head, neck, and lungs.

Using an instrument called an otoscope, the doctor will look inside your child's ears.

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Answer 5

T oknow for sure you've got to take her to the doctor... My son and daughter both had ear infections constantly when they were younger and my daughter who's 1 still gets them. I typically notice crankiness and a change in sleep patterns first then a fever possibly also discharge. But to be sure take her to the doctor so you can get her on medicine and get it cleared up. Good Luck ;)

Answer 6

i have never seen yellow discharge out of a childs ear and both of my sons have had their shares of ear infections but does ear infection comes with a fever, loss of appetite, crying and the most recognized sign is if they grab onto their ear so i wish you the best of luck with your baby hope it turns out ok

Answer 7

my twins had ear infection few days ago.it combines with fever and ear pain. the baby will not be able to eat as usual and he will cry alot..if u saw yellowish discharge him that means he has bad ear infection plz take him immediately to the dc.

Answer 8

Does she have a fever too? is she cranky and rubbing her ear?These are also signs of an ear infection.You should call a doctor asap.

Answer 9

Take her to a doctor and get him to send her to a ear nose and throat specialist she may need to have gromets this is a simple operation and they last up to 18 months my son had to have gromets and once he got them his behaver improved cause he could finally hear what i was saying
best of luck with this

Answer 10

pulling at her ear, crying more when she sucks her bottle or lays down flat, discharge from the ears. Fever