Reviewed by medical experts • For informational purposes only
Symptoms of otitis media in babies, children and adults, and urgent warning signs.
Symptoms depend on age and the type of otitis media. Young children cannot always say where it hurts.
In babies and young children
In older children and adults
Fluid without infection (effusion)
Often painless. It may cause muffled hearing, a child not responding, speech delay or school difficulty.
Chronic otitis media
Repeated or persistent ear discharge, reduced hearing and sometimes a smell. Pain may be mild.
Ayurvedic view
Traditional texts list Karnashula (ear pain), Karnasrava (discharge) and Badhirya (hearing loss). This is an interpretive description, not a diagnosis.
Urgent signs
Swelling, redness or tenderness behind the ear, a stiff neck, severe headache, confusion, facial weakness, high fever, or fever in a baby under 6 months need urgent medical care.
See a doctor if ear pain lasts more than a day or two, or there is any discharge or hearing change.
When to get help
See a doctor or ENT clinic if ear pain, discharge or hearing change does not settle in a couple of days, if infections keep coming back, or if you are unsure about any medicine or drop. Early assessment protects hearing and helps avoid unnecessary treatment.
Remember
A doctor looks at the eardrum with an otoscope. Home guessing is not a safe way to tell the types apart.
Written By
Dr. Daksh
BDS
Reviewed By
Dr. Varun Gupta
MD Pharmacology, MBBS
Last updated on
27 Sep 2022 • 06:23 PM (IST)
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