When to go to Urgent Care for Ear Infection
If your child is uncomfortable or has severe ear pain, a trip to urgent care might be in order. In other words, if you notice anything different about their usual behavior (more fussiness than usual), a fever (over 100.4 F) and painful ears, it’s time to take action. These symptoms can all be signs of an ear infection. An otolaryngologist can help diagnose your child’s condition and start treatment right away. At least six out of 10 children will get at least one ear infection before they turn 3 years old, so it’s very common for parents to recognize these symptoms during doctor visits.
Many common symptoms of ear infection, such as pain and fever, are also common with allergic reactions. Therefore, it is important to tell your physician about any allergies you have when being treated for an ear infection. If you have severe allergies that can cause severe reactions and complications, especially if they are airborne (allergies), then it may be a good idea to visit urgent care instead of your primary care physician’s office or a hospital emergency room. Allergies, while not an emergency in general situations, can cause severe reactions that could require treatment at urgent care facilities since they deal with more common illnesses/injuries than doctors offices or hospitals.
Ear infection can be a real pain, especially when they don’t clear up on their own after a week or so. The tips below help point you in right direction to find out if it’s time to head for urgent care for an ear infection. As with most conditions, there isn’t one set test that can tell you whether or not your earache is dangerous enough to go see your doctor. There are several signs that give doctors clues about how bad things are inside your ear canal.
If you have symptoms of an ear infection, it’s best to get checked out by a doctor. Antibiotics can prevent further damage from occurring, but they will not fix any that has already occurred. If you suspect your child may have an ear infection, contact your doctor right away or visit a walk-in urgent care clinic if possible. Your child should be seen if he/she is crying and irritable constantly (24 hours per day), if he/she has discharge coming from his/her ears, or if he/she is tugging at one or both ears with pain.
