You have learned as a parent that your kids sometimes come down with inconvenient and worrisome infections. However, while you can competently treat many of your kids’ colds, coughs, and other illnesses with home remedies, you may wonder if or when to take your child to the doctor for an ear infection. With as often as children can suffer from ear infections, it can be confusing for parents to know the proper way to treat this condition. You can help minimize your children’s pain and shorten the time of the infection by knowing when to get medical help for ear infections.

Pain That Lasts for More than 2 Days

If your kids’ pain does not go away after trying home remedies for two days, it may be time to take your children to a doctor. Some of the more popular home remedies for ear pain and mild ear infections include:

• Warm compresses
• Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen
• Sweet oil
• Ear numbing drops

However, if your children are still in pain after two days of home treatment, you should take them to see a doctor promptly. The lingering pain could indicate that the infection is worsening and needs to be treated with antibiotics.

High Fevers

Children who have ear infections accompanied by fevers of 102.2 Fahrenheit or higher need to be seen by a doctor immediately. A high fever indicates that the infection is growing and that the body is not successfully keeping it at bay. Your children’s doctor can prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria that is causing the pain and infection, as well as help lower your kids’ fever.

Age and Overall Health

Babies six months old and younger, as well as children who have underlying health conditions like suppressed immune systems or cancer, should get treatment for their ear infections promptly. Babies lack the immune support to fight off an ear infection and require medical intervention to help them overcome the illness. Likewise, if any of your children are being treated for leukemia, cancer, organ transplant, or other serious conditions, you should seek immediate medical care for their ear infections.

Around-the-Clock Medical Care

As a parent, you know that your kids can require medical help anytime throughout the day or night. When your children require emergency services for their ear pain and ear infection, you can get immediate assistance by taking them to SignatureCare Emergency Center. The doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have equipment and medicines on hand to diagnose their ear infections quickly and to provide them with the proper medications to minimize their pain and discomfort. Your children can also receive prompt blood work, x-rays and other diagnostics if needed. Sometimes it is not possible to make an appointment with your pediatrician and wait to get medical help at a doctor’s office. When you need fast and professional care for your children, you can get it anytime day or night at SignatureCare Emergency Center in Mission Bend.

Childhood and ear infections often go hand-in-hand. Even so, you can help your kids overcome their infections by knowing when to seek medical treatment and by choosing a facility like SignatureCare Emergency Center that can help you and your children around the clock and any day of the week.