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Types of Ear Infection
- Middle ear infection (otitis media): Occurs behind the eardrum, often after a cold or sore throat. It is the most common type in children.
- Outer ear infection (otitis externa): Often called swimmer’s ear, it affects the canal leading to the eardrum and is common after swimming or when water stays in the ear.
- Fluid behind the eardrum (otitis media with effusion): Can cause muffled hearing without pain.
- Inner ear infection: Less common and may cause dizziness and hearing loss.
Causes and Risk Factors
Middle ear infections occur when the Eustachian tube, which connects the ear to the back of the nose, becomes blocked by swelling or mucus. Children are more prone because their tubes are shorter and more horizontal.
Other risk factors include colds, allergies, enlarged adenoids, cigarette smoke and shisha exposure, daycare attendance, and bottle-feeding while lying flat. In Qatar, frequent swimming, beach days, and moving between hot outdoor temperatures and cold air conditioning may also contribute to ear discomfort and infection risk.
Symptoms
In adults and older children, symptoms may include ear pain, muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness, fluid or pus from the ear, fever, and sometimes dizziness.
In babies and toddlers, symptoms may include:
- Tugging at the ear
- Irritability and trouble sleeping
- Poor feeding
- Fever
- Not reacting to quiet sounds
Pain when the outer ear is touched or pulled may suggest an outer ear infection.
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When to See a Doctor
Book a medical appointment if ear pain lasts more than a day or two, a baby under six months has a fever or ear pain, there is fluid or blood coming from the ear, hearing seems reduced, or infections keep returning.
Seek urgent medical care for severe pain with swelling or redness behind the ear, a stiff neck, facial weakness, or severe dizziness.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Your ENT doctor looks into the ear with an otoscope to check the eardrum for redness, bulging, or fluid. Hearing tests may be advised if hearing is affected or fluid persists.
Many middle ear infections improve on their own within two to three days, so doctors may recommend pain relief and watchful waiting, especially in older children. Antibiotics may be prescribed for severe cases, young babies, or infections that do not improve.
Outer ear infections are usually treated with prescription ear drops and careful cleaning. Never put drops in the ear if the eardrum may be perforated unless a doctor has advised it.
For children with repeated infections or long-lasting fluid, a minor procedure to insert small ventilation tubes, sometimes combined with removal of enlarged adenoids, may help restore hearing and reduce recurrences.
Prevention Tips
- Keep childhood vaccinations up to date, including pneumococcal and flu vaccines.
- Wash hands often to reduce the spread of colds.
- Keep children away from smoke, including shisha and vaping.
- Hold babies upright when feeding.
- Dry the ears gently after swimming.
- Do not use cotton buds or sharp objects in the ear canal. Read our post on earwax and at-home ear cleaning.
- Treat allergies and nasal congestion early.
