My Practical Advice on Ear Infections (Contain Your Excitement)

I'm a blood hound when it comes to sniffing out an ear infection . . . I don't mean literally sniffing . . .  I'm speaking in metaphors here. What I can do is recognize the symptoms and almost always determine that my child has yet another ear infection.

Maybe it's because I had a number of ear infections as a child and have never forgotten the intense pressure and pain that accompanies an ear ache.

Maybe it's because Andrew's had countless ear infections and three sets of tubes since he was a baby.

Or maybe I'm just that awesome. ;)

Just call me Dr. Davis. 

Anyway, last night when Andrew started complaining of a headache I was almost certain he had an ear infection, and I wasn't too far off. He had a double ear infection.

But in all honesty, there are some things I've learned about ear infections over the past five years. And for those parents who haven't been blessed to have a child get one infection on top of another for months on end, I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned.

1. Ear tugging does not equal ear infection. Babies tug their ears for a myriad of reasons. But if your baby seems off, fussy and grouchy, and has had a lot of drainage or a bad cold, you may be seeing the start of an ear infection.

2. Ear infections are not always accompanied by fever. With all the infections and visits to the ENT and burst eardrums, Andrew has only had fever a handful of times. Every kid is different.

3. Check your child's eyes. For some reason, ear infections can cause a child's eyes to be red and bloodshot and in some cases, gunky.

4. Ear infections can come on rapidly. As in the ears look fine today and awful tomorrow. They can also begin slowly, but for the most part, the onset, at least with Andrew, is rapid.

5. In the beginning the pain can be generalized (as in a headache), but will eventually move toward the ear.

6. When in doubt. Call the doctor. I don't agree with the whole "wait and see" school of thought on ear infections. I swear that the people that came up with that swell idea have never felt like the side of their head was about to blow off.

So all joking aside, I'm clearly not a doctor, and you can take this with a grain of salt, but sometimes a little practical advice from a mother that's been there is nice to have.