Many Americans are experiencing a handful of changes right now, and with life always throwing curveballs as usual, it can seem impossible to get ahead. With the school year soon ending, children will be spending even more time at home. With summer activities coming up, it is detrimental to be aware of signs and symptoms of ear infections.
Commonality of ear infections:
Ear infections are not anything new to our readers. Anyone that has or is around children know ear infections happen when children are younger due to their anatomy. As we get older, our middle ear composition changes and makes us more resistant to ear infections.
However, ear infections still happen as adults. When a person gets an ear infection, it is extremely important to seek medical attention for it. Failing to do so can cause long-term hearing loss.
Ear infection symptoms:
Due to obvious behavior differences, children and adults can show different signs and symptoms of ear infections. In a child, you may see them tugging at their ear. They may try to avoid laying down as the fluid in the ear has more pressure when laying down, especially on the side of the infection.
They may have a loss of appetite and fussiness. A child may have trouble hearing. They may not be at the cognitive level to ask the other person to repeat, so this may look like them ignoring the person speaking.
Not responding to sounds is also a sign of hearing loss. There are much more obvious signs of infection such as the following:
- fever
- headache
- drainage of fluid from the ear
- crying
Loss of balance is another subtle symptom of hearing loss, but it can be hard to tell when a child is below a certain age as balance is their forte.
Adult ear infection symptoms:
Adults have many of the same symptoms when they have an ear infection, but we may just not cry as much. Crying is just a way for children to communicate to parents and caretakers they are experiencing pain. However, some ear infections may be so painful and intense that adults may want to cry.
The ear pain can be very intense and cause intense headaches and even jaw pain. Trouble hearing and draining of fluid from the ear are signs you must get to an ENT or primary care doctor as soon as possible. Ignoring such ear infections will surely cause long-term hearing damage.
Usually, as an adult, a doctor will do a quick look inside the ear and mouth. An antibiotic will most likely clear up symptoms within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, so seek medical attention quickly for rapid relief.
Make an appointment today if you believe you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms. If you have had ear infections recently or this past year, you can never been too careful. Catching early signs of hearing loss is vital for preventing further hearing damage, so make an appointment for a hearing test at Orlando ENT Hearing Center.
Staff Writer
