Ear infection advice please

[BabySpider]

Would a child always be running a temperature if they had an ear infection?

DS is 2.4 and has been holding his ears and telling us they hurt. No temperature, eating well, not crying in pain etc; in other words, no other sign of illness. He's recently started saying "ears" so I don't know if it's just him telling me his new word. And since DD arrived, he's started telling us things hurt to get attention! He's never been an ill child so I don't really have any experience! Is it worth taking him to the doctors? Any advice gratefully received!

Not necessarily. My experience is that they tend to run a temperature when little, but less so when older. Ds last year had his ear drum burst without a temperature.
Check there's no discharge from them. If they have then they may have burst, in which case you need seeing sooner.

Ears are easy to check, so it's worth taking him to the doctors. If they are clear it may be worth telling him that you won't be able to tell if he's really hurt if he tells you he is when he's not, but he's probably too young for that.

Not sure. If he doesn't seem bothered by it, not getting up in the night etc then I would leave it for now.

If he seems to get worse then take him.

They don't always have a temperature. My daughter has had a series of ear infections with burst eardrums, and we usually only know because of how unsettled she is, pulling at her ear and so on- then later on there is some discharge. I'd get it checked out just to be sure.

I wouldn't do anything about it unless he seems ill in other ways, or if his behaviour has taken a turn for the worse- it can be at the level of a cold if mild. Just keep an eye on him.