Ear Infection
An ear infection occurs when one or both of your Eustachian tubes (small tubes that run from each ear directly to the back of the throat), becomes swollen or blocked and fluid begins to build up in the inner ear. Symptoms of an ear infection often include pain or discomfort inside the ear, a persistent feeling of pressure, hearing loss, ringing in the ear and discharge.
Urgent Care:
-Ear pain that persists longer than 1-3 days can often be treated with an antibiotic. In addition to an antibiotic, the provider may also prescribe a decongestant, (dependent upon symptoms), to help relieve the pressure in the middle ear.
In most cases- ear infections being treated with an antibiotic should start feeling better within 2-3 days. It is important to finish the course of antibiotics
In some cases, you may need to take a different antibiotic if the ear doesn’t start feeling better, or seems to be getting worse.
Emergency Room:
A trip to the emergency room is in order if you or your child are experiencing the following symptoms with an ear ache:
-Stiff neck causing you/ your child to be unable to touch your/their chin to their neck
-Confusion associated with ear complaints