Earache and ear pain is common, particularly in young children. It can be painful, but is not usually a sign of anything serious.
Most earaches in children are caused by an ear infection, which usually start to improve after a few days. Most children will feel better within eight days, without the need for antibiotics.
Treat at home and visit your community pharmacy
You should treat pain with age-appropriate painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. You can place a warm or cold wet cloth on their ear.
Your local pharmacy will be able to offer more advice. They can tell you:
- what you can do to treat earache yourself
- if you can buy anything to help (for example, eardrops)
- if you need to see a GP
They can also provide treatment if you need it, without you seeing a GP. This is called Pharmacy First.
When to visit your GP:
You should make an appointment with your child’s GP:
- if they keep getting earache
- they have earache for more than three days
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if your child:
- is under 2 and has earache in both ears
- becomes generally unwell
- has a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery
- has swelling around the ear
- has fluid coming from the ear
- has hearing loss or a change in hearing
- has something stuck in the ear