Patient information from BMJ

Ear infection in children: questions to ask your doctor

Last published:Jun 12, 2024

If your child has been diagnosed with an ear infection, you may want to talk to your doctor to find out more.

Here are some questions that you might want to ask.

How do you know that my child has an ear infection?
What kind of ear infection does my child have?
What causes ear infections?
Will antibiotics help? Will my child get better without them?
What are the treatment options for my child?
What can I do to relieve my child’s ear pain? What should I do if my child has a high temperature?
Can I do anything to stop my child getting more ear infections? What if my child gets ear infections often?
Will getting the flu and pneumonia vaccines help prevent ear infections?

The patient information from BMJ Best Practice is regularly updated. The most recent version of Best Practice can be found at bestpractice.bmj.com. This information is intended for use by health professionals. It is not a substitute for medical advice. It is strongly recommended that you independently verify any interpretation of this material and, if you have a medical problem, see your doctor.

Please see BMJ's full terms of use at: bmj.com/company/legal-information. BMJ does not make any representations, conditions, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that this material is accurate, complete, up-to-date or fit for any particular purposes.

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