Internally Peer Reviewed Next to the common cold, an ear infection is the most common childhood illness. Ear infection symptoms include ear pain, difficulty sleeping, fever, fussiness, decreased appetite, ear drainage, and difficulty hearing.
Ear infections occur most often in children between three months and three years of age.
Younger children most often have otitis media infections, which occur in the middle ear or behind the ear drum. Older children are more prone to swimmer's ear or otitis externa, which occurs in the canal in front of the ear drum. A tiny passage, called the eustachian tube, connects the middle ear to the back of the throat and nose. When a child has a cold, nose or throat infection or allergy, the eustachian tube can become blocked, causing a buildup of fluid in the middle ear. If this fluid becomes infected by bacteria or virus, it can cause swelling of the eardrum and ear pain.