Earache is a common condition that affects both children and adults alike. It is more common in children than children. It can be very painful and uncomfortable. However in most cases it is not serious.
Symptoms of earache include:
• Pain or discomfort inside the ear
• Discharge
• Feeling of pressure building in the ear
• Difficulty hearing
It is often more difficult to identify earache in very young children, when they are unable to communicate the pain. However common signs include tugging the ears, being irritable or not feeding as usual.
Earaches can have many causes – the two main ones are build-up of earwax and inflammation, or infection of the ear preceded by a cold or sinus/respiratory infection. Otitis media is the inflammation of the middle ear which can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, which results in the build up of fluid behind the ear drum.
When your child comes into the pharmacy with earache the pharmacist will initially ask if they have any previous medical history relating to the ear. Our pharmacist is trained to examine the ear with the aid of an otoscope to see if there are any signs of fluid build up or inflammation. The pharmacist may then prescribe the child with ear drops to help reduce the inflammation or antibiotics if they feel they are required.
If the pharmacist concludes that the cause of earache is due to excessive earwax, they may recommend OTC remedies to help or recommend our ear wax removal service.
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