{"id":1648,"date":"2025-04-18T15:13:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T22:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/?p=1648"},"modified":"2025-03-13T15:18:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T22:18:38","slug":"how-ents-diagnose-ear-infections-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/how-ents-diagnose-ear-infections-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"How ENTs Diagnose Ear Infections in Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Few things are more distressing for parents than seeing their little one in pain, and ear infections are one of the most common culprits. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidcd.nih.gov\/health\/ear-infections-children#:~:text=Anyone%20can%20get%20an%20ear,is%20otitis%20media%20(OM).\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">five out of six children<\/a> will experience at least one before their third birthday.<\/p>\n<p>These infections occur when bacteria or viruses invade the middle ear, causing painful inflammation and fluid buildup behind the eardrum. If you\u2019ve ever comforted a child through <a href=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/ent\/ear\/ear-infections\/\">the discomfort of an ear infection<\/a>, you know how tough it can be\u2014but understanding the causes, symptoms and treatments can make all the difference.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Are Ear Infections More Common in Children?<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ENT doctor otolaryngologist looks through otoscope the ears of a little girl. Otoscopy. Treatment child ear pain.\" src=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ENT-examining-a-young-girls-ear-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"ENT examining a young girl's ear\" width=\"429\" height=\"286\" class=\"wp-image-1651 alignright\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ENT-examining-a-young-girls-ear-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ENT-examining-a-young-girls-ear.jpg 1254w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ear infections are more common in children than adults because their immune systems have not fully developed, and their Eustachian tubes are smaller, which makes it more difficult for fluid to drain. This can lead to uncomfortable symptoms for your child, but our compassionate team at <span class=\"company-name \">Mt. Hood ENT &amp; Allergy<\/span> is here to provide treatment to get them back on the path to full health so they can enjoy their favorite activities again.<\/p>\n<h2>Symptoms of Pediatric Ear Infections<\/h2>\n<p>Children with ear infections may display symptoms including but not limited to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Complaining about ear pain or pressure<\/li>\n<li>Fever<\/li>\n<li>Not responding to sounds<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty sleeping<\/li>\n<li>Loss of appetite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For infants and toddlers who may not yet be able to communicate their discomfort, watch for signs like fussiness, increased crying or tugging at their ears. If your child displays any of these symptoms, one of our ENT specialists can conduct an exam and help alleviate their discomfort.<\/p>\n<h2>What To Expect During an ENT Appointment<\/h2>\n<p>Your ENT will ask about your child\u2019s health history, recent illnesses and when their symptoms first started. The next step is a detailed exam of their ears, nose and throat. They may also measure the flexibility of the eardrum, determine if there is a bacterial or viral infection through blood tests or perform a culture of fluid from the ear.<\/p>\n<p>After we determine what\u2019s causing your child\u2019s symptoms, we will suggest the best treatment path forward. Common treatments include <a href=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/ent\/ear\/ear-tubes\/\">ear tubes<\/a> and antibiotics.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no fun to watch your child in pain. With prompt treatment and the gentle care of our team, your little one can get back to their happy, bouncy self in no time. Contact <span class=\"company-name \">Mt. Hood ENT &amp; Allergy<\/span> today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"related-posts\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/why-does-my-nose-burn\/\" class=\"related-post\">Why Does My Nose Burn?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/understanding-chronic-throat-pain-and-how-to-manage-it\/\" class=\"related-post\">Understanding Chronic Throat Pain and How to Manage It<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/how-do-snot-and-earwax-protect-your-health\/\" class=\"related-post\">How Do Snot and Earwax Protect Your Health?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Few things are more distressing for parents than seeing their little one in pain, and ear infections are one of the most common culprits. In fact, five out of six children will experience at least one before their third birthday. These infections occur when bacteria or viruses invade the middle ear, causing painful inflammation and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","locid":"","rating":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1648"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1653,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1648\/revisions\/1653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}