Can ear infections hurt for more than a few days?

[honkinghaddock]

ENT are insisting they cannot. Ds's ear has been discharging pus and blood for a month and he seems in a great deal of pain. He has asd and is non verbal but it is obvious from his behaviour, he hurts. They are trying to treat the infection but are telling us any pain he is in, is not due to the infection or to do with ENT generally. This is the 4th infection since March and he has appeared in a lot of pain with each of them for 3-4 weeks. Has had grommets previously but none at the moment.

As an adult, I had an ear infection that lasted over a week and it hurt that entire time. It also had a discharge. I went to the doctor's twice, eventually when it started to affect my hearing, they did a swab to identify the infection, prescribed drops accordingly and it cleared up. Actually, thinking back, that was the second infection I had in about four months.

When my discharge cleared, the pain went so, as a lay person, it definitely seemed as though it was the infection causing the pain.

Your poor DS, I hope they make some progress soon.