Otorrhea: How to Care for Your Child

Otorrhea is when fluid drains from the ear. It's usually caused by an infection, a hole in the eardrum, or something stuck in the ear canal. Sometimes otorrhea happens when someone has a lot of earwax.

• If your health care provider prescribed medicines, give them as directed.

• Do not try to clean the inside of your child's ear.

• If there is drainage on the outside of your child's ear, you can wipe it clean with a damp washcloth.

• Don't put any drops in your child's ears unless instructed to do so by your health care provider. Depending on the cause of your child's ear drainage, drops may be harmful.

• Follow up as instructed by your health care provider. 

Your child:

• has ear pain

• develops a fever or other new symptoms

• has ear drainage that smells bad or has blood or pus in it

• has ear drainage that gets worse or doesn't go away in a few days

• seems to have trouble hearing

Does otorrhea cause any other symptoms? Otorrhea can cause vertigo (a spinning feeling), ear discomfort or itching, ringing in the ear, or hearing loss. Once the otorrhea stops, these other problems usually go away too. 

What if a child with ear tubes has otorrhea? Ear tubes are tiny tubes placed in the eardrum to equalize pressure on both sides of the eardrum. This prevents ear infections. But sometimes an infection does happen. This leads to thick, smelly, or bloody drainage that comes through the tubes. Health care providers prescribe antibiotic drops or antibiotics to be taken by mouth to treat the infection.

Is a hole in the eardrum (a perforation) from an infection serious? Although a hole in the eardrum sounds like it would be serious, it's usually not. Typically, the eardrum heals very quickly. Most kids have no problems once the eardrum heals.