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Ear Infections
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/earinfections.html

Ear Infections

Also called: Otitis media
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Related Issues
  • Specifics

See, Play and Learn

  • Test Your Knowledge

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Reference Desk
  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Children
  • Teenagers
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

Ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their child to a doctor. Three out of four children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. Adults can also get ear infections, but they are less common.

The infection usually affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

If your child isn't old enough to say "My ear hurts," here are a few things to look for:

  • Tugging at ears
  • Crying more than usual
  • Fluid draining from the ear
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Balance difficulties
  • Hearing problems

Your health care provider will diagnose an ear infection by looking inside the ear with an instrument called an otoscope.

Often, ear infections go away on their own. Your health care provider may recommend pain relievers. Severe infections and infections in young babies may require antibiotics.

Children who get infections often may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears. The tubes relieve pressure in the ears so that the child can hear again.

NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Start Here

  • Ear Infection (Middle Ear) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Ear Infection Symptoms and Treatment (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Ear Infections in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) Also in Spanish
  • Middle Ear Infections (Otitis Media) Video (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Ear Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Can I Prevent Ear Infections When My Child Swims? (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Ear Infection Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Ear Infections in Children: Information for Parents (American Academy of Pediatrics)
  • Ear tube insertion - series -- Normal anatomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear Tubes (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
  • Eardrum repair - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • How to Use Ear Drops (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)

Related Issues

  • Cholesteatoma (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
  • Ototoxicity (Ear Poisoning) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Ruptured Eardrum (Perforated Eardrum) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Specifics

  • Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis (Vestibular Disorders Association)
  • Swimmer's Ear (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

  • Ear Infection Myths & Facts Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • Statistics about Hearing, Balance, Ear Infections and Deafness From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Otitis Media From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: The Impact of Epithelial Inflammation in Membrane Remnants on the Outcome...
  • Article: Effect of Whole-Brain Radiotherapy Dose on the Occurrence of Otitis Media...
  • Article: Bacterial Acute Otitis Media Complicated with Otorrhea in a Children's Hospital...
  • Ear Infections -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Glossary From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Find an Expert

  • American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
  • Find an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist) (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Ear Tube Surgery (For Parents) Video (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Ear Tube Surgery (Myringotomy) (For Parents) Video (Nemours Foundation)
  • Swimmer's Ear (Nemours Foundation)
  • Tympanoplasty (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • What Is an Ear Infection? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Your Ears Video (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Swimmer's Ear (External Otitis) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Cholesteatoma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear examination (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear infection - acute (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear infection - chronic (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ear tube insertion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Earache (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Otitis media with effusion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Swimmer's ear (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Ear Infections

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Cholesteatoma
  • Ear discharge
  • Ear drainage culture
  • Ear examination
  • Ear infection - acute
  • Ear infection - chronic
  • Ear tube insertion
  • Ear tube insertion - series -- Normal anatomy
  • Ear tube surgery - what to ask your doctor
  • Earache
  • Eardrum repair
  • Eardrum repair - series
  • Infectious myringitis
  • Labyrinthitis
  • Labyrinthitis - aftercare
  • Malignant otitis externa
  • Mastoidectomy
  • Mastoiditis
  • Otitis
  • Otitis media with effusion
  • Perichondritis
  • Petrositis
  • Ruptured eardrum
  • Swimmer's ear

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Ear Infections is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Ear Infections

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  • Help Your Child through Winter Ear Infections

Disclaimers

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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