The pain is worse at night. Most ear infections, however, occur in children under age two. They often have no pain the following morning. Older children often mention a feeling of fullness or decreased hearing in the affected ear. This is difficult to detect in an infant, but you might notice shaking of the head.
Fevers are more common in infants and toddlers than in older children.
Ear infections are sometimes accompanied by systemic symptoms. This job cannot be pulled off alone. Something must plug the eustachian tube for an ear infection to occur. Most commonly an upper respiratory infection is the culprit. Their incidence is particularly low from July to September.