Earache?

[sadkoala]

Posting for traffic.
I feel like a numpty as I'm not sure what to do.

DS (3.5yo) has called me into his room and has been in tears saying his ear hurts. He's had a cough and a sniffly nose for a couple of days so I'm assuming it might be an ear infection?. He's never had it before.

I don't know how to help him. I have given him some Calpol and put a plaster on the offending ear as DS thinks they make everything instantaneously better. He's just dosing off but I need advice and tips on what I can do if it wakes him up again and how to help us both get through the night as ok as possible.

Anyone?

Ibuprofen works much better for ear infections if you have that. Also anything that helps to clear the sinuses will help relieve pressure on the ear, so a saline nasal spray would be worth a try. But really it just takes time and rest and vitamin c. I’m quite prone to ear infections and I’ve never needed antibiotics but they do just take time.

Heat helps. Have you got a hot water bottle?

I've scoured the house and unfortunately I haven't replaced my hot water bottle that broke a few months back so dont have anything like that.

He has some olbas oil on his pillow which I've put on before he went to bed as he was sniffly will that help at all?

I would second heat, I had a middle ear infection and burst eardrum which was, no lie, more painful than labour. Heat was the only thing that really helped. (Couldn’t take painkillers but would agree ibuprofen likely to be more effective)

Fill a sock with uncooked rice, microwave for a minute ish, wrap in a towel and use that. Or a warm flannel.

Oh dear, you might be in for a long night. Heat and ibuprofen as others have said. Even a towel on a radiator for a few minutes will help. It is the most horrible pain.

Put a small damp towel in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Careful because at first it might be VERY hot, but let it cool down a bit and then he can hold it to his ear.

I'm digging through my drawers because I think I have a lavender scented teddy bear you can heat in the microwave as a hot water bottle alternative - would that be ok?

Yes that should work if he lays the aching ear on it, my sympathies ear ache/infections are bloody painful.

something warm but a well ventilated room. Ibuprofen and plenty of plasters.

Sitting upright may relieve the pressure too.

See a pharmacist tomorrow morning.

Thankyou for all the advice.
Thankfully he didn't wake up again until 7am so Calpol seems to have helped (or maybe the magical plaster did).

When I convinced him to let me take the plaster off this morning there was some yellow stuff on the absorbent bit. Is that sort of discharge normal?