Question about ear infections

mags01

So, my 2 year old is on antibiotics for an ear infection.  She also had a cold with high fever, cough and congestion.  Now, my 3 month old is really irritable and I'm wondering if it could be her ears.  She doesn't have a fever, cough or congestion.  She does pull at her ears a bit and seems to just scream for no apparent reason every now and then for a minute or so. Could she have gotten an ear infection from her big sis and just not be presenting the same cold symptoms?  This whole ear infection thing is so confusing to me.  I'm planning on calling the doc in the morning, but just wondering if there's anything to worry about at all since she didn't have a fever or any other symptoms.  Thanks!

MrsSledge

DD has had a couple of ear infections and has never had cold type symptoms.  Once she didn't even have a fever.

Heidisean

She wouldn't have got the ear infection from her sibling but the viral infection or bacterial infection that her sister had she probably got and it is rearing itself by settling in her ears as an infection. I would have her seen tomorrow!

Temp159135562506975

ear infections are not contagious- but colds often cause ear infections, and they are. My DS gets ear infections often when he's getting a cold.

he never pulls at his ears (from what i read that is generally not what happens b/c pulling at them hurts) - just a high fever and irritability are his symptoms that land him in the doc to check his ears.  My pedi does not recommend antibiotics unless the fever is really bad or it hasn't gone away aftera a few days -since many ear infections are viral and not bacterial  and overuse of antibiotics makes people resistent to them.