Signs of ear infection?

Mrs.Donkey · January 2009

I'm waiting for a call back form the nurse line, but was wondering if, in your experience, the following are signs of an ear infection:

1. Shrugging his shoulder on that side a lot, trying to rub his ear with his shoulder almost.

2. Rubbing right behind that ear a lot

3. Increased night wakings and not going back to sleep as easily

kirbabe · January 2009

I would say with all the unusual attention he's paying to that ear, it sounds like an infection. Sorry!

Of course, sometimes teething can irritate their ears. No fever?

RobynandJason050706 · January 2009

Mrs.Donkey:

I'm waiting for a call back form the nurse line, but was wondering if, in your experience, the following are signs of an ear infection:

1. Shrugging his shoulder on that side a lot, trying to rub his ear with his shoulder almost.

2. Rubbing right behind that ear a lot

3. Increased night wakings and not going back to sleep as easily

sounds like it could be when Justin had his ear infection he started running a low grade fever completely out of nowhere, the started screaming at night from a dead sleep, he was waking ALOT, he was hard to console at night. He wound up having a "bulging" ear infection. Pedi couldnt believe how he wasnt screaming 24/7. He was given amoxycillin literally within 24 hours he was back to himself and STTN. (then the teething started) LOL

Mrs.Donkey · January 2009

If there is a fever, it's really low grade. So much so that I haven't thought to check it since he doesn't feel warm at all to the touch.

mamamoos · January 2009

i'm curious about what kind of answers you get. DS seems to be uncomfortable and starts crying if he's lying on one side, but not the other...i *think* that might be another sign, no?

SarahFin · January 2009

I recently read that babies cannot pinpoint their pain by pointing to it (or grabbing it), but I've also heard that pulling on the ears can releive pressure, so who knows!! But really, do you ever see a baby grab their belly when they have tummy troubles?

All that said, DS has had MANY ear infections and the first time he had one, there were no signs and both ears were infected.

How does he do on the changing table? DS was always really uncomfortable on there and I think it was the movement of the fluid causing pressure. He never grabbed his ears on the changer. Also, we just had tubes put it and now he's totally fine on the changer.

So, my long response is that Yes, I think #3 could be the reason. But he could also be waking/fussing because he doesn't know how to get back to sleep? Probably worth a trip to the doc! GL!!

kirbabe · January 2009

Yeah, mamamoos, that's another indicator.

mamamoos · January 2009

kirbabe:
Yeah, mamamoos, that's another indicator.

FARK! off to call the pedi.....

RobynandJason050706 · January 2009

Mrs.Donkey:
If there is a fever, it's really low grade. So much so that I haven't thought to check it since he doesn't feel warm at all to the touch.

Justin felt really hot to the touch it was really obvious. The highest he got was 100. The rubbing on the ears isnt always a sign because they play with their ears etc. But if hes seeming like hes in pain especially when your lying him down or if he just got over a cold or something it could drain into his ear then its possibly an infection. Thats what happened with us. Its worth a trip to the pedi.

Temp700366562504480 · January 2009

I would think so...but DS has also had an ear infection with NO signs. If you think it might, then get him in to have them checked.

kelly&marty · January 2009

Ear pulling can be a sign, but isn't always a sign. Sometimes it just means they are tired or trying to figure out what that thing is on the side of their heads. Being hard to put down is a sign, because the change in position alters the pressure in their ears, which can hurt.

Oliver just got over ear infection #3 since November. He never had a fever. His only signs were increased fussiness/whining, being hard to put down to go to sleep, and then a few days later, refusing bottles. That's when we called the ped and found out it was an ear infection. Same with all 3.

Luckystar2 · January 2009

DD had been pulling on her ears with a cold around 6 months. She had her 6 month check up and I thought for sure she had an ear infection...but no. Same thing happened recently. She had been pulling on her ears with a recent cold and she had her flu shot booster appt. Looked in her ears and no infection.

As another poster said maybe they just can't pinpoint the pain. Or maybe just being tired which can happen more with a cold.

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