Important - The surgery will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday 28th August 2023. We will reopen as normal the following day but if you have a health concern that cannot wait please visit 111 Online or call 111.
57 Woodland Road, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2HZ
Telephone: 0121 475 1065
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Earache and ear pain is common, particularly in young children. It can be painful but isn’t usually a sign of anything serious.
It depends on what’s causing it. Most earaches in children are caused by an ear infection, which usually start to improve after a few days.
A young child might have earache if they:
Earache and ear pain can affect one or both ears.
There are some things you can do to help relieve earache and ear pain.
A pharmacist might be able to tell you:
If you can’t get an appointment, contact 111 or go to a local walk-in centre.
Earache and pain can be caused by many things, but sometimes it isn’t known what. Here are some of the most common causes:
Symptoms | Possible condition |
---|---|
Ear pain with toothache | children teething, dental abscess |
Ear pain with change in hearing | glue ear, earwax build-up, an object stuck in the ear (do not try to remove it yourself – see your GP), perforated eardrum – particularly after a loud noise or accident |
Ear pain with pain when swallowing | sore throat, tonsillitis, quinsy – a complication of tonsillitis |
Ear pain with a fever | ear infection, flu, cold |