Should i take my three-year-old to the doctor for ear pain?

[BrianXG]

My three-year-old has been complaining that his ear hurts for two days now, and he’s been tugging at it a lot. I’m trying to figure out if this is something that needs a doctor visit right away or if I should wait and see if it clears up on its own.

[JerryLH]

That sounds worrisome. With a three-year-old and two days of ear pain and him tugging at it, I’d call the pediatrician today or head to urgent care if he’s feverish or won’t stay hydrated. In kids that age, a middle ear infection can follow a cold and sometimes improves on its own, but a clinician needs to check.

[AvaJ]

I had something like that last winter. We waited a bit to see if it got better, and the pain eased after a day, but we still ended up at the clinic because the fever climbed. The doctor said to watch for 48 hours and come in if it’s not better.

[PaulGJ]

Maybe it isn’t the problem you’re expecting. Sometimes tugging happens with a sore throat, or even from just being uncomfortable from a bad night’s sleep. It’s easy to fixate on the pain in the head when the signal could be coming from elsewhere.

[MadisonW]

Not sure I’d trust a quick home fix unless he’s drinking normally and not zapping all energy. If you’re unsure, I’d call your pediatrician for a quick triage over the phone.