is it possible for 4 year old to have ear infection and feel no pain?

Question

We went to ER yesturday with high fever and vimoting. The doc. said it's ear infection but my son doesn't feel any pain in his ears. How come? I know it can be very painfull. He had that before and it was different story ,but than again he had not much fever.

Now after forsing him to take tilenol his temp. get down to 100 F (from 102.3 , yesturday was even 104.1) but there is no way I can make him to take antibitics the doc. prescribed and than again should I if the ear doesn't bother him?
The fever will not go away from antibiotics right?
Could this be something else?
Well what do You think people?

Answer 1

It is quite possible for anyone, but especially a young child to have a ear infection and not feel pain in the ear. In fact, sometimes the first clue you have there is a problem is the fever. Some children have pain in the jawline under the infected ear, and if it is being caused by an eustachian tube blockage it will hurt to swallow, but otherwise not bother them.
You really do need to force him to take the antibiotics and the Tylenol. Being ill he is not likely to be cooperative, and it may just flat hurt to swallow which is why he is fighting it. Yes, it is important to manage the fever and the infection, so yes, you should make him do it. That said, medication can be given in lots of ways that don't have to involve holding him down and forcing it down his throat.
At his age I expect the medications are all in liquid form. You can mix both with another liquid that he is willing to take, and that will taste better. Try soda, chocolate milk, even juice- in a small amount that can be taken in a few swallows. Try coating his tongue with a bit of sugar, or even put the medication on a sugar cube for him to chew.
Although the fever will go away when the infection is under control and the antibiotics have kicked in, a high fever has problems all it's own. His little brain is baking, to put it bluntly, and he can have seizures from the high temperature. The fever is the evidence that his system is currently being overwhelmed by the infection, and although the antibiotics will help with that, it takes 3-5 days for it to work completely. You just can't leave him to bake until then.
In spite of all you try, it may be you have to simply hold him down and administer the medications. He's old enough to explain this too, that he is sick and needs the medicine. He can take it willingly or the hard way- and you can offer him the choice As the mother, you have only one choice, and that is to give him the medicine. If you have to hold him down to give the medicine, obviously you will need some help. Use a medication syringe, and fill it with both medicines. To force him to open his mouth, hold his nose. When he opens, put the syringe in the cheek pocket near the jaw joint, and slowly push in the plunger. It will trickle down past his gag relflex and tongue, so he will have to swallow it. Go slowly as you can, to avoid chocking him. Immediately afterwards, offer him his favorite drink to wash it down with, hold him and comfort him. Tell him that it was necessary, and not your favorite way to do things. Also tell him that next time, you'd rather do it the easy way, but he will have to help do his part. Then the next time, remind him- the easy way or the hard way. Chances are he'll choose the easy way.
It's tough being the mom in this situation. You have my sympathies. I am a nurse, and a mother of 6. I have had to face this same trouble with each of mine at some point, and it's always hard to do. You feel like you are torturing your baby, and feel like a monster for doing it. But you know he needs it to get better, and I promise he won't hate you forever for doing it. In your favor, he's only 4 and won't even remember it. So you aren't going to be damaging his little psychie permanently by doing what needs to be done,and you won't end up on Oprah in 20 years for being a cruel mom. Just grit your teeth and do what needs to be done to get your baby well.

Answer 2

Please read my story, as it can help you to make an informed decision. My son is now close to 30 years old. When he was 4 years old, he got an ear infection, which didn't seem so bad and wasn't very painful. We put him on antibiotics, and it didn't cure the infection, neither did the 2nd or 3rd course, because the antibiotics the doctor gave him were not strong enough. After a few months of this he had a febrile seizure, then developed one of the most severe forms of epilepsy you can get, called Lennox-Gastault Syndrome. He was having up to 20+ seizures a day and was on 2 strong anti-seizure medications during the worst part of it, and he was one of the lucky ones. Some kids have more than 200 seizures a day. It literally fries out their brains. They have to be strapped into wheelchairs. Thanks be to God, medicine, fresh sea air, his diet and my persistance, he got control of it, was seizure free within a year and a half, and has long since been weaned off of the drugs. There were no side effects (except a bit of dysgraphia) and he leads a completely normal life, is married and has a daughter. His pediatric neurologist considered him to be one of his "miracle patients". Sometimes these kids just get worse and die.
So you can bet that whenever my granddaughter comes down with an ear infection, they pay attention to it. She has had tubes in her ears once, but it's a minor thing, when you consider the alternatives - not just epilepsy but possible permanent hearing damage or loss.
I would recommend that you give him the antibiotics, but follow this visit up to the ER quickly with a visit to your pediatrician, who might recommend a different antibiotic or different tests.
I'm not exaggerating anything or being glib, but your child's future is at stake here.
I hope all goes well.

Answer 3

Yes it is possible to not have the pain. Antibiotics don't make the fever go away but they can make the infection go away, which ultimately will make the fever go away. The Tylenol helps with the fever and any pain. It could be something else, but since he has seen the doctor I would go with what the doc is saying.

Answer 4

OK
Most ER doctores can NOT give you the EXACT diagnosis of a sick child, so when they find nothing on general exam, they go ahead & check the child's ear (& I am sure they dont know what they are looking for) & then said (O he has ear infection).
Back to your child, high fever & vomiting is to be taken seriously.
WHY? becuase vomiting could be a sign of 2 things( either stomach infection which should cause NO fever)
OR a raised pressure inside the brain (due to meningitis: which causes fever).
ear infection MAY cause vomiting but usually fever is not so high & vomiting is kinda infrequent.
ask any illeterate medical doctor & he will tell you:
vomiting+fever=meningitis
Tylenol will treat the fever only but not its cause.
it could be viral meningitis or a bacterial meningitis (in either case the cause must be addressed clearly).
if the child can NOT take the medication, it means he is REALLY sick & need to be seen by a better physician.
please take care of this matter quickly to be on the safe side
I wish your kid good health.

Answer 5

You can have ear infection without pain. He will still need antibiotics or it could lead to hearing loss or sepsis if infection is bad. Remember, you're near the brain! You will have to sneak it into foods or drink or get a syring and squirt it towards back of the throat. Good luck!

Answer 6

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