Children's Ear Infections in London

A middle ear infection (acute otitis media) develops when the space behind the eardrum becomes infected, often after a cold, causing ear pain, a raised temperature, irritability and reduced hearing. It is very common in early childhood because the Eustachian tube, which drains and ventilates the middle ear, is shorter and more horizontal in young children. Most acute ear infections clear within about three days without antibiotics, and NHS guidance supports managing symptoms and safety-netting rather than rushing to treatment. That acute care sits with your GP, pharmacist or NHS 111, and you should seek urgent medical advice if your child is very unwell, if symptoms last more than three days, if there is fluid draining from the ear, or if a baby under six months is affected. Where audiology comes in is the hearing consequence. Repeated infections often leave sticky fluid in the middle ear (glue ear), which muffles hearing for weeks or months and can affect speech, attention and behaviour at a critical age. If your child has had frequent ear infections, or you have noticed they mishear, turn things up or seem not to listen, a hearing assessment measures exactly how much hearing is affected. We use video otoscopy to examine the eardrum, tympanometry to detect middle ear fluid, and age-appropriate testing such as play audiometry and Visual Reinforcement Audiometry, with parents in the room throughout. We then explain the results, advise on monitoring, and refer to ENT where hearing loss persists or a child's development is affected.