What causes earache?

The most common cause of earache is infection, like a middle ear infection or an outer ear infection.

Children will sometimes put foreign objects in their ears, which can cause ear pain.

A build-up of ear wax can block the ear canal and also give your child a sore ear.

Less commonly, the cause of the earache might be a burst eardrum because of an accident or because a cotton bud or something similar has been pushed too far into your child’s ear.

Your child might also have ear pain because there’s an injury, infection or strain somewhere near their ear, and they feel the pain in their ear. This can happen with sinusitis, tonsillitis and teeth-grinding or other dental issues. This can put strain on the joint that attaches the jaw to the head.

What are the signs and symptoms of ear pain in children?

Earache usually happens only on one side. The pain can range from mild to severe.

Your child might also have a runny nose, fever or vomiting.

A baby or young child with an earache might pull or tug the affected ear. They might also seem generally irritable and have trouble sleeping.

Does your child need to see a doctor?

If your child has a sore ear that doesn’t get better with pain relief medicine, you should take them to see your GP. They should also see a GP if there’s swelling or redness behind the ear. The redness might look purple or grey on darker skin.

Your GP will look carefully inside your child’s ear using an instrument called an otoscope.

If there’s discharge in the ear, your GP might take a swab for testing. This can help the GP work out what kind of germ is causing the soreness.

Some GPs might also test the pressure behind the ear drum using a special probe. This test can help the GP work out whether there’s any fluid behind the ear drum.

What is the best earache treatment?

Earache treatment depends on the cause of the earache.

Ear infection

If an ear infection is causing your child’s ear pain, your GP will consider what’s causing the infection before deciding on treatment. For example, your GP might prescribe antibiotics if your child has an ear infection caused by bacteria.

You can give your child paracetamol or ibuprofen at the recommended doses to help with a sore ear caused by an ear infection. Drinking water can relieve pressure in the ear.

If your child is aged over 2 years, sleeping with their head on a pillow might also help with the pain.

Something stuck in your child’s ear

In this situation, the treatment will usually depend on what the object is.

If it’s something soft like a corn kernel, the doctor might use fine forceps or a special spoon to get it out. If it’s hard – for example, a plastic bead from a necklace – the doctor might use a special syringe to flush out the object.

Burst eardrum

The eardrum will usually fix itself. It’s still important that your GP checks your child.

Nearby infection

If tonsillitis, sinusitis or another nearby infection is making your child’s ear sore, your GP will tell you what to do about these conditions.

If your child has put a button battery in their ear, immediately call 000 for an ambulance. Don’t try remove the battery yourself because this could cause further injury.