Teething and Ear Infections–Very Similar Symptoms!!

After a tiring weekend and no signs of anything but teething, I started to wonder if maybe something else was going on with my baby. Since his last visit to the doctor about a month ago, he has had an on and off clear runny nose. His doctor assured me it was allergies and that he had no congestion. His nurse also told me that with the teething sometime it can make their nose run due to the crying.

Sunday night the fever began so I took him to the ER. He was basically given a shot and I was assured that he only had a sinus infection and he would be fine and sent home. I wasn’t told to follow up with his pediatrician or anything.

I went ahead and called first thing Monday morning and got an appointment for the following day to see his doctor. Mid-morning I noticed some drainage in his ear and immediately called back the doctor and told them he needed to be seen today; ASAP.

I took him in and he was thoroughly checked over. His doctor said he had a inner ear infection and that with teething the symptoms are usually quite similar and with a 7 month old, they usually haven’t learned to pull on their ears yet.

I felt horrible that for the last few days he has had this and I just can’t believe the ER nurses didn’t notice the drainage in his throat from the ear infection and didn’t even look in his ears.

My oldest son only recently had his first cold so I was oblivious to the fact that these two different problems can have so many of the same symptoms. I’ve never had a child with an ear infection and I pray that this won’t be an ongoing problem he has. It’s so tuff when they are still too little to tell you what’s wrong and where they hurt!