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Watchful Waiting

• Mild AOM often will get better on its own without antibiotic treatment, so your healthcare professional may recommend watchful waiting before prescribing antibiotics to you or your loved one. This means that your provider may wait a few days before deciding whether to prescribe antibiotics, while treating the symptoms of AOM. Watchful waiting gives your or your child’s own immune system time to fight off the infection first before starting antibiotics. If you or your child don’t get better in 2–3 days or get worse, your healthcare professional can recommend starting antibiotics.

• Another form of watchful waiting is delayed prescribing. This means that your healthcare professional may give you an antibiotic prescription, but ask you to wait 2–3 days to see if you or your child are still sick with fever, ear pain, or other symptoms before filling the prescription.

Symptom Relief

There are ways to relieve symptoms associated with ear infections – like ear pain – whether or not antibiotics are needed. Consider using acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve pain or fever. Ask your healthcare professional or pharmacist what medications are safe for you or your loved one to take.

Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, are used to treat severe ear infections or ear infections that last longer than 2–3 days.

If your child has a fever of 102.2°F (39°C) or higher, discharge or fluid coming from the ear, symptoms are much worse, or symptoms last for more than two or three days for AOM, you should contact your healthcare professional. If your child has symptoms of OME for more than one month or hearing loss, contact your healthcare professional.