Ear infections

Ear infection symptoms usually involve discomfort inside the ear or ear canal or on the skin of the ear. Someone with an ear infection may also have a fever or feel dizzy.

Symptoms of an ear infection include:

• Ear pain.
• Swelling, heat, or tenderness around or behind the ear.
• Redness of the ear, ear canal, or skin around or behind the ear.
• Itching and a feeling of fullness in the ear.
• Drainage from the ear that does not look like earwax.
• Fever.
• Severe dizziness (vertigo).
• New hearing loss.

A doctor will diagnose a middle ear infection by doing a physical exam and an ear exam and by asking questions about past health.

The doctor uses a tool called a pneumatic otoscope to look at the eardrum for signs of an ear infection or fluid buildup. For example, the doctor can see if the eardrum moves freely when the otoscope pushes air into the ear.

Other tests may include:

• Hearing tests. These tests are recommended for children who have had fluid in one or both ears for 3 months or if hearing loss is suspected.
• Tympanometry. It measures how the eardrum responds to a change of air pressure inside the ear.
• Tympanocentesis. This test can remove fluid if it has stayed behind the eardrum (chronic otitis media with effusion) or if infection continues even with antibiotics.
• Blood tests. These are done if there are signs of immune problems and a severe infection.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have new or increasing ear pain.
• You have new or increasing pus or blood draining from your ear.
• You have a fever with a stiff neck or a severe headache.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You have new or worse symptoms.
• You are not getting better after taking an antibiotic for 2 days.