Symptom Definition

• A child repeatedly pulls, tugs, pokes or itches the outer ear or ear canal.
  
• Most younger children (under age 2 or 3) who pull or poke at the ear are unable to confirm or deny the presence of an earache.  In a recent study, only 5% of these children had an underlying ear infection.
  

Causes

• Main Cause (infants): normal touching and pulling with discovery of ears.
  
• This behavior is usually not seen before 4 months of age
  
• Main Cause (older children): mild swimmer's ear from: (1) water accumulation during swimming or showers, (2) soap or shampoo retention, or (3) canal irritation from cotton-tipped swabs.
  

See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one) If

• Child is mainly crying and not pulling at ears, see CRYING CHILD OLDER THAN 3 MONTHS OLD.
  (To go directly to this topic, click on the link following this document.)
  

WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR FOR EARS, PULLING AT OR ITCHY

Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If

• Your child looks or acts very sick.
  
• Fever above 104°F (40°C).
  
• Age less than 12 weeks with fever greater than 100.4 F (38.0 C) rectally
  

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9am and 4pm) If

• You think your child needs to be seen.
  
• Seems to be in pain or crying without an obvious reason.
  
• Starts awakening from sleep.
  
• Fever or symptoms of a cold are present.
  
• Drainage from the ear canal.
  
• Constant digging inside 1 ear canal.
  

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If

• You have other questions or concerns.
  

Parent Care at Home

If

• Normal ear touching or pulling.
  
• Itchy ear canal.
  

HOME CARE ADVICE FOR EAR PULLING HABIT OR ITCHY EAR CANAL

1.  Habit:  If touching the ear is a new habit, ignore it (prevent doing it for attention).

2.  White Vinegar Eardrops:  Use ½ strength white vinegar by diluting it with equal parts water.  Place 2 drops in each ear canal daily for three days (reason: restore the normal acid pH).  (Exception: ear drainage, ear tubes or hole in eardrum.)

3.  Avoid Soap:  Keep soap and shampoo out of the ear canal.

4.  Avoid Cotton Swabs:  Cotton swabs remove the earwax that normally protects the lining of the ear canal, and this leads to itching and irritation.

5.  Expected Course:  With this treatment, most itching is gone in 2 or 3 days.

6.  Call Your Doctor If:

• Pulling at the ear continues for more than 3 days.
  
• Itching continues for more than 1 week.
  
• Your child becomes worse or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.
  

See Other Topics:

• Crying Child Older Than 3 Months Old (Irritability, Fussiness)
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