Has your child developed sudden, complete hearing loss?

Does your child have severe pain?

Does your child seem to act dizzy or has a loss of balance?

Does your child seem to have some hearing loss?

Does your child have drainage or bleeding from the ear?

Does your child have mild to moderate pain?

Does your child seem to have mild dizziness?

Has your child had gradual and persistent symptoms for longer than 24 hours?

Have your child's mild symptoms continued with no improvement for longer than 1 week?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Does your baby younger than age 3 months have any drainage from the ear?

Does your child age 3 months or older have unexplained bleeding from the ear?

Does your child age 3 months or older have drainage from the ear that looks like pus or fluid that is white, yellow, or bloody?

Has your child had minimal bleeding for 24 hours or longer from a scratch or from cleaning the ear?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Does your baby younger than 3 months old have a temperature of or higher?

Do you think your baby younger than 3 months old has a fever, but you are unable to measure his or her temperature?

Does your child older than age 3 months have a temperature of or higher?

Do you think your child older than age 3 months has a high fever, but you are unable to measure his or her temperature?

Does your child have a disease or take medicine that causes problems with his or her immune system?

Does your child older than age 3 months have a temperature of or higher?

Do you think your child older than age 3 months has a moderate fever but you are unable to measure his or her temperature?

Does your child older than age 3 months have a temperature of or higher that has not come down after 24 hours of home treatment and medicine?

Do you think your child has a fever that has not come down after 24 hours of home treatment and medicine but you are unable to measure his or her temperature?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you think your child has severe ear pain?

Do you think your child still has moderate ear pain after more than 12 hours of home treatment?

Do you think your child has had continuous mild ear pain for 24 to 48 hours?

Do you think your child has had mild ear pain that comes and goes for 1 week or longer?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Does your child have a disease or take medicine that causes problems with his or her immune system?

Does your child have redness, swelling, or pain around or behind the ear?

Is most of the outside of your child's ear (external ear) red or swollen?

Has your child had some redness or mild swelling on part of the outside of his or her ear (external ear) for 24 hours or longer?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Are your child's symptoms worse after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment?

Have your child's symptoms not improved after 72 hours of treatment?

Does your child have new drainage from his or her ear?

Has your child developed a rash while taking antibiotics for an ear infection?

Does your child have severe diarrhea?

Have your child's symptoms returned within 10 days of completing treatment with antibiotics?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Do you think your child may have a hearing problem (especially after an ear infection)?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may need immediate care. Call your health professional now to discuss your symptoms and arrange for your care.

• Symptoms are likely to worsen without medical care.
• If you do not have a health professional, seek emergency care.
• Emergency transportation is not needed. However, if you are not able to travel safely either by driving yourself or having someone else drive you, call an ambulance.

You do not need to answer any of the other questions.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you need to call your health professional to discuss your symptoms and arrange for care.

• An appointment today is usually needed.
• Symptoms are unlikely to improve without medical care.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.

You have answered "Yes" to a question that indicates you may wait to see if your symptoms improve over the next 24 hours (or the specified time period). If symptoms improve, no appointment is needed.

• If symptoms do not improve after 24 hours (or the specified time period), an appointment within the next 24 hours is usually needed.
• If appropriate, try home treatment to relieve your symptoms.
• Check your symptoms in 24 hours, or sooner if there is any change.
• Call your health professional if symptoms get worse.

Return to the Check Your Symptoms section and answer the questions. You may need to see a health professional sooner if you have other more serious symptoms.