Different Symptoms Of An Ear Infection

Ear infection is one of the most common forms of infections faced by us in our day to day lives. Both children and adult can get infected by it. The treatment is easy once diagnosed and the cause identified. If you do not know what causes ear infections, let me tell you. Well usually, the infections are caused by bacterias or viruses. However sometimes it can result from common cold too. Here are some of the symptoms of ear infection that can help you identify the problem and get it treated.

The signs and symptoms vary in adults and kids, especially infants. An adult with an ear infection would experience a blockage in the ear and may suffer from a hear loss temporarily. They may also experience pain in the ear. This pain is so strong that it may cause a fever. Also the infected adult may experience dizziness due to the pain.

In case of a child or infant suffering from an ear infection, he/she will show some easily visible symptoms. He/she may show an unusual irritability and will start crying more than often. Usually this increased irritability is coupled with other symptoms.

The child may experience some difficulty in speaking due to the irritation caused by the infection. Also the child may tug or pull one or both of his/her ear(s). The child usually pulls his/her ear to try and stop the pain.

Another symptom can be a loss of balance in infants. The infant may seem to fall over while crawling or sitting up, more than normal. Also the infant may not be able to respond to quieter sounds. In case of a child, he/she may start sitting close to the television because of the inability to listen to the sounds.

Sometimes the infection may also cause an infant younger than 6 months to experience a fever higher than 100.5 and in a child over 6 months old the fever can be 102 degrees or even higher. Sometimes you may also notice a thick yellowy fluid draining out from the ears. It is an obvious result of an ear infection. At this point you should contact the baby's pediatrician.

There can be different types of ear infections with different symptoms. The first one is the inner ear infection or Otitis Interna. Its symptoms are a loss of balance, nausea and difficulty in hearing. Then there is the middle air infection, which is the most common of all. Its symptoms include mild or severe ear aches, draining of fluid, fever along with difficulty in hearing. The last one is the outer ear infection which can be identified by a swollen ear that is both itchy and painful to touch.

If you or your children experience any of these symptoms of an ear infection, you should contact the doctor to get relief from this problem.