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Ear Infection

Rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment.

Acute & Sick Care

Understanding Ear Infections

Ear infections (otitis media) occur when fluid builds up behind the eardrum and becomes infected. They're extremely common in children — about 75% of kids will have at least one ear infection by age 3.

Signs to Watch For

Ear pulling or tugging, fussiness or irritability (especially in infants), trouble sleeping, fever, fluid draining from the ear, difficulty hearing, and loss of balance. In older children, they may verbalize ear pain directly.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Our providers use pneumatic otoscopy for accurate diagnosis — examining the eardrum's appearance and movement. Treatment depends on the child's age and severity: watchful waiting with pain management for mild cases in children over 2, or amoxicillin for more severe infections or younger children.

Recurrent Infections

If your child has 3 or more ear infections in 6 months, or 4 in 12 months, we may discuss referral to a pediatric ENT specialist for evaluation of ear tube placement.

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Same-day and same-week appointments available at all 9 locations.

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