Sometimes telling the difference between signs of teething vs ear infection symptoms in babies can be complicated.Signs and symptoms of ear infection vs teething can often overlap, and it can be confusing trying to work out whether ear pulling or a low-grade fever are caused by one or the other. We’ve put together a guide to the symptoms to help you understand what’s going on, and some helpful treatment tips that should help your child feel better in no time.For more, take a look at our guide to a 9-month-old baby not crawling or check out some ideas on how to navigate [12 month sleep regression] too.Symptoms That Teething And Ear Infections ShareThere are a lot of symptoms of teething and ear infections that are pretty similar, so it can be hard to tell them apart when your child is feeling unwell.If your little one is waking more frequently in the night, then they might be teething, or have an ear infection. Fussiness during the day or at night can be a sure sign something is wrong with your baby, with many different causes.Flushed red cheeks are another symptom that could point to either teething or an ear infection.If your little one is restless, irritable, and has a reduced appetite, then it’s most likely that something is wrong. Check with the symptoms below to try to identify if this is an ear infection or if your child is teething. Cheek rubbing is often something your child will do when they have ear pain or sore gums, so this could point to either cause. If your baby is ear pulling or hitting their ears, this could be because of pain in their ears, but it also could actually be caused by teething pains. Often babies can’t detect the exact place their pain is coming from, so they think that ear pulling will help. If they haven’t got a fever or any cold symptoms, then this is probably a symptom of their teething pain.If your baby is refusing to lie flat on their back, it could be because they have an ear infection or because of teething pains.Symptoms Of Ear InfectionsA middle ear infection can happen to any child and is caused by bacteria or viruses getting into the space behind your baby’s eardrum. This causes their ear to fill with puss, which presses on the eardrum and means your baby will most likely be in a lot of pain. Often the ear infection will be caused by a cold or throat infection, or an increase in allergies in your child.Earaches and pains can often develop into ear infections in your child when fluid becomes trapped because of the pain. Trouble hearing and fluid from their ears usually point to an ear infection and not just an earache, but it is best to get it checked out. Most of the symptoms of earache and infection are the same, so it is useful for a doctor to identify which one your child is dealing with.There are some symptoms of ear infections that are not the same as the signs your child is teething. Here are a few ways you can try to identify what is wrong with children when they behave out of the ordinary and seem distressed.Almost always, ear infections are brought on by a cold. If your child has recently been experiencing some of the symptoms of a common cold, then this is a sure sign that they might be suffering from an ear infection. When a child starts teething they will drool a lot more than usual, but a runny nose isn’t caused by teething, so you can identify a cold in that way. Infants who have a runny nose may have yellow or green fluid coming from their nose, and that means it is likely they have an infection.In children, a low fever of 101–102 F could be a symptom of an inner ear infection, but this isn’t always present.Older babies might use their words to complain about sore ears or struggling with their hearing, which will point you in the direction of what is wrong.Blood or pus draining from your little one’s ear is probably an infection that has ruptured their eardrum. Try not to worry too much, these might sound scary but they almost always heal fine, and your baby will probably actually be in a lot less pain once their eardrum has ruptured.Treatments And Tips For Ear InfectionsTo help your little one feel better and recover quickly from ear infections there are a few things you can do. Whether they are teething or not, these are the best ways to soothe an earache.Make sure that your child gets lots of rest and sleep, it will be easier for them to fight an infection when they aren’t overtired, and keep giving fluid regularly to your child if they are suffering from an ear infection. This should help improve itchy ears and eardrum pain in the middle ear.If your baby is over three months of age, you might be able to use baby Paracetamol or Ibuprofen Suspension to help ease the pain and reduce fever in your little one. Make sure to check the packet carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist how much to give your child.In some cases, a doctor might prescribe antibiotics for ear infection treatment. Antibiotics will help children heal fluid in the ear caused by the bacteria, and reduce their fever, but it is important to speak to a doctor to know what they recommend. Often with viral ear infections, the antibiotics won’t actually help your child feel less ear pain, so the doctor might not recommend them for all children.Symptoms Of TeethingIf your baby is between four months and two years old, they are going to be experiencing teething pain at some point. These are some of the symptoms you might want to look out for.One of the main signs of teething is when your baby is chewing on objects more often than usual.Red, swollen gums are a telltale sign of teething, and not an ear infection, in your child.Excessive drooling and dribbling are common while your baby is teething, especially if they are chewing on things. This can cause a red, painful area around their mouth and nose from frequent rubbing.Your baby might have a low-grade fever of less than 100.4 F while they are teething.Treatments And Tips For TeethingTeething is a natural part of your little one growing up, and unfortunately, all infants experience pain and discomfort while they grow their new teeth. We’ve got some tips to help deal with teething fever and the other symptoms of teething, to help make the process as easy as possible for you and your child.Earache and ear infections can be commonly mixed up with teething symptoms, but it is not common for teething to cause ear infections for babies. If your baby is suffering from earache that seems to be caused by teething, you might be able to move them onto the side that isn’t as painful, and relieve a little bit of the pain, but most likely the pain is being caused by their teeth and gums and just feels like ear pain.Keep your child hydrated with lots of little sips of water, as they will be losing a lot of fluid and probably won’t want to drink as often because it may hurt. Little sips as often as you can will make sure they stay hydrated.Make sure you have a cloth handy to dry your baby’s drool, as it could cause skin irritation which might add an extra level of pain for your baby.Children’s Paracetamol might be a good option to help with pain, just make sure you read the bottle carefully to get the correct dosage.A teething ring is a good, safe treatment for your baby while teething because it can distract from the pain and provide a bit of pressure and comfort. Chill one in the refrigerator to provide extra soothing, but make sure not to put teething rings in the freezer, as it could hurt your baby if it’s too cold.If you don’t have a teething ring for your baby, then you can rub your baby’s gums with a moist finger to ease the pain with a little pressure. When your baby is older than six months, you may want to feed them cold foods like chilled yogurt or pureed fruit to soothe the symptoms of teething, or put some refrigerated fruit into a muslin for your baby to suck on.If you found this article helpful, then why not take a look at all the [14-month-old] milestones or 16-month-old milestones you can expect to see in your toddler?
Sometimes telling the difference between signs of teething vs ear infection symptoms in babies can be complicated.
