My 2-year-old daughter has been complaining about her ear hurting. Is it OK for me to give her ear drops?
The quick answer to your question is yes, ear drops are safe as long as your daughter's ear drum is intact and not ruptured. However, there are several things you should think about before using the ear drops. First, why is your daughter having ear pain? Do you think she has an ear infection? There are different types of ear infection. An infection in the middle ear is an infection behind the ear drum. This is the classic type of ear infection that produces pain and often fever. The other type of ear infection is an infection in the canal of the ear. This often occurs after a person has been swimming. Occasionally children stick something in their ear — like a piece of paper, or a bead — and it remains there, which can cause pain. Rarely, ear wax can build up enough to cause discomfort. There are also other less common causes of ear pain related to skin issues or infections that are not actually in the ear.
The second thing to think about is the type of ear drop you're using, as there are many different varieties. Some ear drops are actual antibiotics and treat infections in the ear canal. Antibiotic ear drops require a prescription from a doctor. There are ear drops that just help relieve ear pain topically. Such ear drops may be helpful, although scientific studies have not proven that such drops are very effective. Pain medications that are taken by mouth, like ibuprofen or Tylenol, work just as well if not better. Although ear wax is usually not a problem (unless a doctor is having difficulty seeing the ear drum) there are also ear drops that help dissolve ear wax. In general, do not try to clean out your child's ear wax with a cotton swab! The ear canal is small and you could accidentally rupture your child's ear drum. There are several different "ear wax dissolving drops" that you can try instead; a mixture of hydrogen peroxide with water is also a fine method for removing ear wax.
Overall, I would recommend that even before you try the ear drops you take your daughter to her pediatrician. Usually, a doctor can quickly look inside the ear to determine the cause of pain.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Kids' Health Center.
Last Updated: 7/9/2007