• double ear infection

Double Ear Infection: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatments

Reading Time: 4 minutes

While children are more likely to get ear infections than adults, you can still have ear trouble at any age. Severe ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss and a serious infection that spreads to the bone.

Understanding the symptoms of a double ear infection and how it occurs will help you identify key symptoms early on, and get the treatment you need to prevent complications.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about double ear infections, including symptoms, causes, and where to find the most effective treatments.

What Is a Double Ear Infection?

A double ear infection occurs when you develop an infection in both ears, typically due to a virus or bacteria. In most cases, double ear infections involve the middle ear, which is known as otitis media.

The middle ear is located between your eardrum and inner ear, providing a home to the bones that help to send sound vibrations, allowing you to hear. You also have eustachian tubes that connect your middle ear to the back of the throat. These tubes primarily control air pressure in your ears, preventing fluid from accumulating in the middle ear.

You can also get outer ear infections, known as otitis externa, which result in redness and inflammation of the outer ear and ear drum. Swimmer’s ear is a common type of infection that impacts the outer ear canal, usually due to water staying in the outer ear for too long.

Double ear infections are not contagious and don’t spread to other people. Ear infections in adults and children can occur frequently and become chronic. Chronic ear infections usually occur in the middle ear and can be a sign the eustachian tube isn’t working as well as it should. 

Double Ear Infection Symptoms

Double ear infection symptoms are similar to a unilateral ear infection, but they can become severe once both ears are involved. The most common symptoms include:

• Ear pain
• Trouble sleeping
• Ear drainage
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty hearing
• Fever over 100.4 Fahrenheit
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite

It can be more difficult to detect an infection in infants and young children since they can’t always communicate their symptoms. You’ll need to watch out for symptoms like a lack of interest in feeding, tugging at the ears, and general fussiness.

You may also notice increased crying and fussiness while nursing as well as unsteadiness and clumsiness. Some children may also experience trouble hearing and not be quick to respond to quieter sounds.

Double Ear Infection Causes

Remember, most double ear infections occur in the middle ear area, which contains the eustachian tube and hearing bones. Upper respiratory tract infections like the flu or cold can trigger swelling and cause this tube to clog. Since children have smaller and softer tubes and ear structures, it’s much easier for these tubes to block.

Frequent sinus infections and allergies can also cause double ear infections in both adults and children. 

In addition, environmental toxins like fumes and smoke can contribute to ear infections. This is because bacteria and viruses can infect ears that are already inflamed due to other factors.

Swimmer’s ear happens to people of all ages and is mainly due to swimming in unclean water that sits in your ear for too long. Other causes of outer ear infections like swimmer’s ear include extra ear wax, dry ear canal skin, and inserting objects into the ear canal.

Having a family history of ear infections and being male gender at birth can increase the risk of chronic ear infections.

Double Ear Infection Treatments

While mild ear infections can sometimes resolve on their own without treatment, double ear infections usually require a treatment plan due to the severity of symptoms.

Treating a double ear infection involves a multi-step approach. You or your child will need to see a doctor for an assessment. Your doctor will discuss the symptoms you’re experiencing and do a physical exam, looking for things like redness, swelling, or ear wax buildup. After the physical exam, your doctor will form a treatment plan that includes:

Medications

If your doctor determines the infection is due to a virus, you likely won’t need an antibiotic. However, bacterial-related ear infections will need to be treated with an antibiotic like amoxicillin, which is effective against various types of bacteria.

You’ll also need medication to control the pain. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Advil can help decrease pain and inflammation. Antihistamines are useful for clearing up mucus and reducing the swelling of the Eustachian tubes, which decreases pain.

Using earache relief drops helps dry out any mucus and relieves ongoing pain for both adults and children.

Finally, if you’re experiencing issues with dizziness, your doctor may prescribe anti-nausea medication or prescription medication to ease these symptoms.

Home Treatments

Home treatments are essential for ear infection relief, so you’ll need to take time to care for your ears each day.

First, placing a warm compress over both ears can help ease ear pain in both children and adults. The easiest way to accomplish this is by soaking a washcloth in warm water, ensuring it’s not too hot. Ring out any excess moisture, then apply it to your ears.

Gargling with saltwater is effective for adults and older children, and also relieves throat pain. All you need to do is mix one cup of water with one teaspoon of salt and gargle for a few minutes at a time.

Ear Tubes

Your doctor might recommend ear tubes for chronic, long-lasting ear infections. Ear tubes are tiny tubes that are placed directly into the ear drums. The tubes are left in place for as long as possible and will fall out on their own.

Ear tubes are more common in children and help prevent complications like hearing loss and speech delays.

Find Affordable Double Ear Infection Medications Today

Knowing more about a double ear infection will allow you to take the next steps quickly and effectively. 

For affordable, high-quality medications and health products, you don’t have to look any further than Kiwi. We’ve been in business for over 40 years and are happy to be able to offer you the products you need at everyday low prices.

We offer a wide range of products such as treatments for diabetes, arthritis, pain, smoking cessation, weight loss, supplements, vitamins, and more.

Make sure to visit us online today to check out our latest products and sales!