Five common Earache and Ear Infection questions
Ear infections are common, in fact five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. If you’re experiencing an earache or ear infection, or have a child with one, you probably have some questions!
There are two classifications of ear infections: acute and chronic. An ear infection is generally considered acute when it occurs with a sudden onset and normally resolves within a timely manner( around 3 weeks).
When a person experiences repeat infections, or an infection that does not go away, it is considered chronic.
Sometimes a person can have an earache without an ear infection. For example, this could be due to a cold that causes ear pressure/ discomfort. In other cases, a cold or other condition may cause an ear infection as a secondary infection.
Absolutely not. Some ear infections are viral. That said, antibiotics used for a viral condition would have no effect on treating the infection.