Will it really clear up on its own?

[pacific407]

My 20mo DS has had an ear infection for a week...last Friday night he was up most of the night in discomfort and with atemperature then on Sat morning woke with goop coming out of both ears.
We took him to OOH doctor who prescribed Flucloxacillin. 3 days later no improvement in the gunk but he was fine in himself.
Back to doctor because of gunk - looked in ear and said there was still a lot of gunk in there. Said flucloxacillin (and oral antibiotics generally) probably wouldn't work as they struggle to 'get to the ear'. He prescribed eye drops for the ears (ciloxin).
He seemed to have a bad reaction to the drops so I took him back to dr yet again, who said there was still a lot of stuff in his ear but that the drum was not red. She said she could prescribe some amoxicillin but that the infection would get better on its own. She confirmed when i asked that this should be the case whether the infection was bacterial or viral.
i'm really reluctant to put him on any more unnecessary antibiotics, and he's on really good form, but I can't help but think the gunk should have cleared up after a week.
Any thoughts would be very gratefully received. Anyone have experience of leaving an ear infection and it just clearing up? If so, how long does it take?

thanks!

Personally I would want to know if the gunk was in the middle ear or just the outer ear, because that makes a lot of difference.

Did the doctor say if the ear drum was intact?

As flucloxacillin was prescribed, it sounds as if the infection was in the skin of the outer ear, because flucloxacillin is prescribed for skin infections, not middle ear infections.

If it is a skin infection, some different drops might be the way to go.

Make sure his nails are short and clean, and try to stop him scratching his ears.

Keep a close eye on him and if he develops a temperature or seems worse, take him back.

Thanks frogs. I was confused because I thought flucloxacillin was for skin but the doc insisted it was also used for outer ear infections (which she thought it was). I think the last two docs thought it was middle ear and that the drum had burst (or whatever it is that happens with a middle ear infection) and the goop was just the drainage from that. But there just seems like SO MUCH drainage!

Yes - it is confusing, but TBH, if I thought it was a middle ear infection that was not clearing up, I would take the amoxycillin.

Sorry - that doesn't really help you.

Do you think his hearing is ok?

Very difficult to say. Being a toddler, sometimes he responds, sometimes he doesn't!! But on balance I would say he's hearing ok.

When you say it makes a lot of difference if it's middle ear, what do you mean frogs?

The middle ear is the bit behind the eardrum, inside the head IYSWIM. (otitis media)

Usually an infection in this part is due to spread from the nose, is very painful and the pain is increased by lying flat. It is common in babies and small children because the tube that runs from the ear to the nose is narrow and more horizontal than in adults. The bacteria multiply and the gunk can't drain away. Sometimes the eardrum bursts. This kind of infection needs something like amoxycillin if it doesn't get better on its own. The eardrum usually looks inflamed/dull and may bulge. This is what the GP is looking for when they look inside the ear.

External ear infection is usually in the skin inside the outer part of the ear, and inside the ear canal (otitis externa). Usually responds well to drops and flucloxacillin.

Hence the treatment is different depending on which type of infection is present.

HTH

Sorry, otitis media is what a middle ear infection is called.

Thanks v much frogs. Extremely helpful.