Earaches & Ear Infection Treatment at AFC Urgent Care in the Philadelphia Metro Area

One of the most common reasons a parent brings a child to their doctor, or an emergency room is ear infections or aches. Nearly all children, before they reach the age of three, experience an ear infection. Earaches and ear infections are not exclusive to children, as adults can also suffer from them. However, there is no need to wait for a day for your primary care physician or go to an expensive emergency room. The experienced staff and providers at local AFC Urgent Care centers in the Philadelphia metro area are available to help diagnose and treat any earaches or ear infections. These include inner ear infections, middle ear infections, and external ear infections, also known as Swimmer's Ear.

What are Inner Ear Infections?

The symptoms of an inner ear infection include:

• Reduced hearing
• Fever
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Ringing in the ear(Tinnitus)
• Vertigo

More often than not, the primary cause of an inner ear infection is a virus. Generally, one of our providers should evaluate an ear and provide a patient with a diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, most viral inner ear infections clear up in a few days. However, our providers may prescribe some medication, like anti-nausea medication, to help lessen the symptoms.

What are middle ear infections?

As you may have learned in biology class, the middle ear is behind the eardrum. It is connected to a person's throat by a small tube called the eustachian tube. This tube drains fluid from the ear to help prevent infections, but this tube can become blocked due to a cold. When the tube is blocked, fluid cannot drain, and an infection can occur. A middle ear infection is more common in young children and infants since it is easier for that tube to become blocked.

Symptoms of a middle ear infection include:

• Fever
• Trouble sleeping
• Plugged feeling in ears
• Thick, yellow discharge
• Mild to severe earaches
• Trouble sleeping
• In children, pulling or tugging at ears
• In infants and children, fussiness, crying, or irritability

Like inner ear infections, middle ear infections should go away on their own. However, if symptoms are not improving, if they are severe, or if a child or infant has symptoms, a medical provider may need to evaluate the patient. Our providers may prescribe ear drops or antibiotics to help clear up the infection.

What is an external ear infection or Swimmer's Ear?

Medically known as Otitis externa or Swimmer's ear, an external ear infection occurs when the outer ear canal becomes infected. This is most likely to occur when the ear canal is exposed to large amounts of water, such as an ocean, lake, or swimming pool. Bacteria and fungi can grow in the ear canal if the ear is exposed to water for an extended period of time.

Symptoms of Swimmer's ear include:

• Inner ear itchiness
• Fluid is draining from the ear
• Difficulty hearing
• Redness and swelling of the ear
• Pain when pressure is applied to the ear or tugging

Depending on the severity of the infection, our providers may prescribe ear drops or antibiotics to clear it up. Generally, this condition should be cured within 10 days of treatment.

When should I come to a local AFC Urgent Care Center to treat an earache or infection?

While generally, minor ear infections clear up independently, it may be challenging to determine when medical treatment from a provider at our urgent care center is needed. Come to AFC Urgent Care if your ear infection includes:

• Worsening symptoms
• Pain in the ear
• Yellow, thick, bloody, or foul-smelling pus or discharge
• Loss or difficulty hearing in one or both ears
• Symptoms lasting more than three days
• A fever of 102 or higher.
• Continued itchiness of the ear or ear canal

AFC Urgent Care centers are open 7 days a week and accept most major insurances. No appointment is needed to see one of our experienced medical providers, and we look forward to serving you!