From the Guidelines
Otitis media symptoms include ear pain, hearing difficulty, and sometimes fever, with the most common sign being ear pain, which can range from mild to severe and may worsen when lying down, as reported in the most recent and highest quality study 1. The symptoms of otitis media can vary depending on the type of infection, but common symptoms include:
- Ear pain, which can range from mild to severe and may worsen when lying down
- Hearing difficulty or loss, which can occur as fluid builds up behind the eardrum
- Fever, which typically ranges from 100-104°F
- Feeling of fullness in the ear or popping sensations
- Drainage from the ear, which can indicate a perforated eardrum and appear as yellow or bloody fluid
- Young children may show less specific symptoms, such as decreased appetite, vomiting, or balance problems These symptoms develop because infection causes inflammation and fluid accumulation in the middle ear space, putting pressure on the eardrum and affecting hearing, as explained in 1. It is essential to note that symptoms usually appear rapidly in acute otitis media but may develop gradually with chronic or serous otitis media, and if these symptoms occur, especially in children, medical evaluation is recommended as some cases require antibiotic treatment, as suggested in 1. The diagnosis of otitis media depends on typical signs and symptoms, such as acute ear pain and bulging of the tympanic membrane for acute otitis media and hearing loss for otitis media with effusion, and diagnostic modalities include pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, and audiometry, as discussed in 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Otitis Media
The symptoms of otitis media (middle ear infection) can vary, but common signs include:
- Ear pain, which may be indicated by rubbing, tugging, or holding the ear 2, 3, 4, 5
- Fever 2, 3, 6, 4, 5
- Irritability 2, 3, 6, 4, 5
- Otorrhea (discharge from the ear) 3, 5
- Anorexia (loss of appetite) 3
- Vomiting or lethargy 3
- Hearing loss 4
- Short duration of symptoms for acute otitis media (AOM) 6