Medications
Antibiotics can treat
ear infections. However, most children with ear
infections get better without them. If the care you give at home relieves pain,
and a child's symptoms are getting better after a few days, you may not need
antibiotics.
In the United States, many doctors use antibiotics for middle ear
infections in children age 2 and younger. This is often because children this
young are at higher risk for
complications. For children age 2 and older, many
doctors wait for a few days to see if the ear infection will get better on its
own. When doctors do prescribe antibiotics, they most often use amoxicillin
(Amoxil) because it works well and is less expensive than other brands.11
Should I give my child antibiotics for an ear
infection?
Experts suggest a hearing test if a child has had fluid behind his
or her eardrum longer than 3 months. Normal hearing is critical during the
first 2 years when your child is learning to talk. Your doctor may prescribe
antibiotics to clear the fluid. But that usually doesn't help. The doctor may
also suggest placing tubes in the ears to drain fluid and improve hearing.
Should I have my child treated for chronic
fluid behind the eardrum?
Other medications that can treat symptoms of ear infection
include:
- Acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol and Tempra)
and
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (for
example, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve), for pain and fever. Do not give
aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of its link to
Reye's syndrome, a serious illness that needs
emergency care.
- Pain medications such as codeine and some
eardrops, which help with severe earache. But, do not use eardrops if the
eardrum is
ruptured. For more information, see
the
safest way to insert eardrops
. - Sometimes corticosteroids,
known as steroids, are given with antibiotics to get rid of fluid behind the
eardrum (otitis media with effusion). Steroids are not a
good choice for treating otitis media. Do not use steroids if a child has been
around someone with chickenpox within the last 3 weeks.
Decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, and other
nonprescription cold remedies usually do not work well for treating or
preventing ear infections. Antihistamines that may make your child sleepy can
thicken fluids and may actually make your child feel worse.
Medication Choices
- Antibiotics may help cure ear
infections caused by bacteria.
What To Think About
Some doctors prefer to treat all ear infections with antibiotics.
Some things to consider before your child takes antibiotics include:
- Risk for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The
greatest problem with using antibiotics to treat ear infections is the
possibility of creating bacteria that can't be killed by the usual antibiotics
(antibiotic-resistant bacteria). Using antibiotics only
when they're needed can slow down this process.
- Side effects of
antibiotics. Mild side effects, such as diarrhea and rash, from taking
antibiotics are common. Severe side effects are rare.
- Expense.
Most antibiotics are expensive. You may want to weigh the expense against the
fact that most ear infections clear up without treatment.
If your child still has symptoms (fever and earache) longer than
48 hours after starting an antibiotic, a different antibiotic may work better.
Call your doctor if your child isn't feeling better within 48 hours after
starting treatment.
Ear infections are often successfully treated with a 5-day course
of antibiotics.1 But if your child is younger than 2,
he or she may need a longer course of antibiotics.