If a child experiences ear pain that awakens them at night, what condition may they have?

The presence of ear pain that awakens a child at night is indicative of an acute ear infection, also known as acute otitis media. This condition is commonly associated with inflammation and infection in the middle ear, often resulting from a preceding upper respiratory infection. During the night, the position of the child may lead to increased pressure in the ear, exacerbating the pain and causing discomfort strong enough to disrupt sleep.

Children frequently exhibit symptoms such as earache, irritability, and sometimes fever, which further supports the diagnosis of an acute ear infection. The nocturnal nature of the pain is particularly telling, as it suggests that the issue is significant enough to manifest disturbingly when the child is resting.

In contrast, conditions like sinus infections may present with facial pain or nasal symptoms rather than isolated ear pain, allergies typically result in nasal congestion or itching rather than acute pain, and bronchitis is characterized by cough and respiratory symptoms rather than direct ear discomfort. Therefore, the specific symptom of ear pain that disrupts sleep points clearly towards an acute ear infection as the most likely condition affecting the child.