Earache
When toget medical advice
It's not always necessary to see your GP if you or your child have earache. The pain will often improve in a few days and there are things you can do to help in the meantime (see below).
You should contact your GP or local out-of-hours service , or call NHS 111 if:
- you or your child also has other symptoms, such asa high temperature (fever), vomiting, a severe sore throat , swelling around the ear, or discharge from the ear
- there's something stuck in your or your child's ear
- the earache doesn't improve withina few days
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Find out about earache, which is a common problem in children, including when to seek medical advice, how to treat earache at home, plus the common causes.
When toget medical advice
It's not always necessary to see your GP if you or your child have earache. The pain will often improve in a few days and there are things you can do to help in the meantime (see below). You should c
What you can do at home
To treat the pain, you can use painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen , which you can buy over the counter.Children under the age of16shouldn't take aspirin. Placing a warm flannel against th
Common causes of earache
Ear infections If an ear infection is causing your earache, there may be a watery or pus-like fluid coming out of your ear. Outer ear infections (infectionsof the tube connecting the outer ear and
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