7 ear infection myths every parent should know

1. All ear pain is an ear infection.

Ear pain can be caused by many different factors. Often kids just play with or point to their ears. If the child is otherwise cranky, sick or not sleeping well, parents will assume there is an ear infection. However, a study from 1998 showed that parents only identified 70 percent of their children with ear infections and when they suspected an ear infection, it was only present 50 percent of the time. (Translation-they could have just flipped a coin rather than trying to guess.)

This is why getting an antibiotic called in when your child has ear pain is a bad idea - whether it is from your doctor or from one of the new insurance nurse lines that many people are using. Every exposure to antibiotics is a potential risk for allergy or side effects. Unnecessary exposure is not worth it.

2. All ear infections have fever.

Studies are all over the place about what percentage of ear infections have fever. They generally fall between 1-2 out of 3. Regardless, that means a lot of kids with ear infections won’t have fever.

3. Having your child in the wind or under water causes ear infections.

The location of an ear infection is behind the ear drum way back in the inner ear. External exposure like wind and water don’t affect that area. Grandma will have to come up with another reason for their grandbaby to put on a hat when it is cold outside.

What are risk factors?

• Age (6 months-2 years)
• Family history
• Day care
• Not breastfeeding
• Smoke exposure
• Pacifier use (small effect)

4. You can’t go swimming if you have an ear infection.

Related to the previous myth, there is no reason to avoid swimming if you have an ear infection. Unless the ear drum has ruptured the space where the ear infection is located is walled off from the water. Don’t skip the swim party! If the child feels discomfort or pain while swimming, they can play in the shallow end or just have a snow-cone.

5. All ear infections need antibiotics.

Many children with ear infections will get better without antibiotic treatment. The latest treatment guidelines give the following advice for treating ear infections:

• Children of any age with severe pain, fever or ear drainage should receive antibiotics.
• Children 6 months-2 years with both ears infected should receive treatment.
• Children 6 months and up with 1 ear infected and with mild symptoms can be watched for 2-3 days to see if symptoms improve or worsen prior to starting antibiotics.

6. Amoxicillin is not strong enough for ear infections.

Many studies have looked to compare different antibiotic treatments for ear infections. The bottom line is this, there is nothing better at getting rid of infections than amoxicillin. Other antibiotics may work as well, but they are typically more broad spectrum - meaning they cover more different types of infections that those that typically cause ear infections. Because of this, we should reserve those antibiotics for those situations in which they are necessary. Amoxcillin is cheap, well tolerated by most kids and effective. Therefore, except in penicillin allergic patients, it should be used unless the child has been on the medication in the last 30 days.

7. If your child gets tubes, their ear infections are guaranteed to stop.

After a few ear infections, some parents are eager to move forward with placement of tubes. Tubes can be a life saver with kids who have had multiple ear infections and can prevent recurrence of ear infections, but they aren’t perfect. They are a surgical procedure and the inherent risk associated with anesthesia need to be fully explained to a parent. Continued ear infections occur in about 20 percent of children even after they have had tubes placed.