Symptoms of acute otitis media usually develop suddenly and can
include: - Pain or discomfort in the ear. However, it is
difficult to determine if an infant or child who hasn't yet
learned to speak has an ear infection. Some children may
indicate pain if they have trouble swallowing food. Some parents
believe that tugging on the ear indicates an infection, but this
gesture is more likely to indicate pain from teething. - Nasal
congestion - Loss of appetite If the ear infection is severe,
the tympanic membrane may rupture, causing the parent to notice
pus draining from the ear. (This usually brings relief from
pain.) Pus in the ear may cause hearing loss in some children.
Fevers and colds often make children irritable and fussy, so it
is difficult to determine if acute otitis media is present as
well. Symptoms are not apparent in about a third of children
with acute middle ear infection. Symptoms of Otitis Media with
Effusion OME may have no symptoms at all. Some hearing loss may
occur, but it is often fluctua