My lil miss came down with a fever last night, and I thought nothing of it. Assumed it was teething. I've noticed her playing with her right ear today. Although that doesn't mean much, since she's been learning "ears" this week. When i gently tug and prod her ears, she jerks away from her right ear. Again, I could just be "annoying" her. She is taking a paci and drinking ok, though not eating much. Unless she takes a turn for the worse, I have no intention of even calling her doctor unless the fever lasts into tomorrow.
What are some ways you detect an ear infection in your LO?
Re: Ear Infection??
My girls never played/tugged on their ears with ear infections, but they do a lot when they're teething.
Their ear infection symptoms were:
fever (not even a high one, usually around 100-101)
fussing at bottles/nuks/sippy cups (because the sucking motion bothered their ears)
screaming like they were being tortured when we laid them on their back for diaper changes
extreme crankiness, far beyond normal for them
waking up more often than usual during the night but not wanting to be fed
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
I have wondered off and on for a while now if DS has an ear infection. A while ago he started playing with his ears and he hates when anyone touches them. He has seen the pedi a few times since he started playing with his ears (regular visit and immunizations) and I had her check his ears both times. No ear infection. I know that their molars can cause ear discomfort and he is cutting all of his molars right now but every time he does it I still worry a little.
DD had an ear infection when she was around DS's age and she didn't have any signs. She never touched her ears, never had a fever, wasn't fussy, etc. I had no idea that there was anything wrong until the doctor caught it at her well baby check up.
DD had one and the only reason I knew was that she got really clumsy and kept falling down. She had no fever or other signs, but had been dealing with a cold for a long time. She had one other one when she was older but that was easier because by then she was screaming "my ear hurts!"
DS has had a few and typically does not have a fever but he does the jerking away thing you describe, is extra fussy, and cries when I lay him down flat for sleep. If I find myself unable to get him to settle at night I typically whisk him off to Urgent Care. 3 out of 4 times that has been an ear infection.
So my DS is suffering through his first ear infection, and it's actually a double.
We had no idea he had it until the doctor told us. We took him in b/c he had a bad cold, and that's when we found out that in addition to the cold he had the double ear infection.
He wasn't grabbing his ears, didn't have a fever, and (even for having a cold) seemed quite cheerful.
All that to say, I have NO CLUE how to detect an ear infection.
DS has had multiple ear infections. His symptoms were tugging on his ears, fever, loss of appetite and waking up at night crying/screaming.
I'd have your pedi check it out, if you're not sure. GL.
My DD had the same thing earlier this month!! Goopy eyes and double ear infection
Indeed they are tricky!!! And I don't have the money to go running in everytime she gets a fever or a sniffle. I just try to trust my gut. At bedtime last night, her fever was back up to 102. She went to sleep without incident, but did wake up several times. Never cried....just babbled and talked. Hubby and I just "ignored" it, since she wasn't upset.