What should you know about croup and ear infection?

Croup commonly causes a barking cough, hoarseness, and a raspy sound when breathing in. An ear infection may cause ear pain, irritability, disturbed sleep, reduced hearing, or fluid from the ear. Young children may pull at an ear, but that action alone does not establish an infection. A [Common Cold](/conditions/common-cold/) can precede both problems. See [Croup](/conditions/croup/) for the airway symptoms and keep separate track of ear pain, fever, and changes in hearing.

Keep the child calm and upright if coughing or breathing sounds harsh. Offer fluids and use age-appropriate pain or fever relief only as directed by a healthcare professional or product instructions. Do not put oil, drops, cotton buds, or other objects into the ear unless prescribed. Note the timing of ear pain, any discharge, and whether the child responds to quiet sounds. A [Child Health Consultation](/treatments/consultations-and-assessment/child-health-consultation/) can assess the ears and breathing together.

Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, pauses in breathing, drooling with trouble swallowing, or a child who is hard to wake. Seek prompt medical review for severe ear pain, swelling or redness behind the ear, new ear discharge, marked hearing change, or a child who cannot drink. Fever with a worsening overall condition also needs assessment.

Ask whether the ear drum shows infection or fluid, whether pain relief is enough, how to monitor the croup symptoms, and which changes should prompt urgent care. Ask whether [Nebuliser Treatment](/treatments/acute-and-urgent-care/nebuliser-treatment/) is relevant to the breathing symptoms.