What Does An Ear Infection Feel Like?

Signs And Symptoms Of An Ear Infection

What does an ear infection feel like? Signs and symptoms of an ear infection include inflammation, fluid in the ear and sometimes even pus. Besides ear pain, an ear infection can also cause swelling and tenderness near the ear, redness, fever, dizziness and reduced hearing capability.

How to tell if your baby has an ear infection Adults get severe ear infections too, but ear infections are more common among infants and toddlers. There's actually an anatomical reason for this.

The Eustachian tubes inside the ears of very young children are smaller and shorter han an adult's. The Eustachian tubes, which connect the inner ear to the nose, are more horizontal, so germs and moisture collect more easily there when the child is horizontal during sleep. This is one of the reasons young children wake up crying in the middle of the night so often.

Your baby probably has an ear infection if he or she exhibits the following signs and symptoms:

• nausea, vomiting and fever
• unusual irritability and crankiness
• trouble sleeping
• failure to respond to sounds
• fluid that drains from the ears
• headaches
• irritability
• diarrhea
• frequently tugging or pulling the ears  

Also see our article on swimmers ear.