Over 80% of children will experience at least one ear infection before the age of three. Ear infections and earaches are especially common in young children for a wide variety of reasons. Usually, they can be routinely treated without any ill effects. However, chronic ear infections can negatively impact your child’s linguistic and speech development. If left untreated, this could have consequences as your child grows up.

That’s why it’s important to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor if your child is experiencing chronic ear infections. There are also ways to prevent ear problems from occurring (or reoccurring) in the first place. Some of the following tips can help ensure your child’s earaches don’t hinder their hearing, linguistic, and speech development.

Four Tips to Help Parents of Children with Chronic Earaches

Tip #1: Don’t Wait to Seek Treatment

Parents are busy. And ear infections might seem routine. Unfortunately, doctors at urgent care or minute clinics might not fully understand your child’s history–and it’s easy for chronic ear infections to be missed. However, it’s important for parents (and your child’s pediatrician) to be aware of repeat infections or ear problems.

Addressing issues early mean that your child’s pediatrician or ENT will have more options. Early treatment also lowers your child’s risk of developing serious speech problems.

Tip #2: Make Sure Your Child is Up to Date on Vaccines

Ear infections are usually caused by an initial bacterial or viral infection. So making sure your child is up to date on vaccinations–including influenza vaccinations–can help prevent the development of these viruses and bacteria in the first place. This can help keep your child–and their ears–healthier.

Talk to your child’s pediatrician about their vaccine schedule and when you should start flu and covid vaccines.

Tip #3: Let the Earwax Be

Many parents are tempted to clean out their child’s ear. But earwax serves an important function and helps to keep the ears healthy. Which means that parents should, for the most part, take a hands-off approach to earwax. 

Tip #4: See an ENT When Problems Persist

Meeting with an ENT can help you get a handle on your child’s ear infection symptoms and the root causes behind them. An ENT will also be able to provide a wider variety of treatment options. This includes surgical procedures to place small tubes in the ear. These ear tubes guarantee your child will be able to hear even if they continue to experience ear infections.

Learn how an ENT specialist at ICASC can help you identify the root cause and develop a personalized treatment plan to break the cycle.

Schedule an appointment today and breathe easy!