Suspected ear infection in my 2 yo...when to go in?

[micah_mae_]

He started crying last night around 5 and didn't stop until he fell asleep at 7. When I went to bed at 8:30 he was burning up with fever. 102-103 and crying. He woke up around 7 am and was still burning with fever. He was acting like he was in pain so I gave him a motrin. 4-5 hours later he started crying ow and saying his head hurt. I tried to take his temperature with the ear thermometer and he cried and said ow when I tried to put it in. I looked with an otoscope (for the first time, I need more practice) and saw that it looked pink and might have a small perforation. So pain and fever are his only symptoms. He's eating and drinking fine.

I'm putting garlic oil in his ears, how long should I try that before going in? Anything else I should try?

[blessedwithboys]

I wouldn't introduce anything liquid into the ear with a perforation.  Nothing to back that up but my gut; maybe someone else might know more...

Otherwise, what I always did for an ear ache was to use Similisan and a warm pack.  We don't use antipyretics.  I feel they do more harm than good.  If it had ever gotten to where my kiddo was really in serious pain, I would have asked for the Rx numbing drops, but it never got that bad.  I always encouraged fevers by means of bundling.

Eating and rinking normally is a great sign!  I wouldn't even think of going in for what you describe, except for a whole in the drum, but llike I said, maybe that's not really the big deal it seems to me, having never experienced it with my own kids.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!  :)

[micah_mae_]

Thanks! He fell asleep when I was rubbing the garlic oil in his ear (I put the drops in, then rub down behind his jaw and in front of his ear), then woke up and I did the other ear and he fell asleep again. I've done it 3 times today and his fever is already down around 99 and he's not complaining of pain as often. Hopefully a by Thursday he'll be himself again!