What to do if…
you have sudden severe ear pain with fever and swelling behind the ear

What to do now

1. Contact urgent medical help now. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or use the urgent NHS advice route for where you are. In England, use NHS 111 online or call 111; in Wales, use NHS 111 Wales or call 111; in Scotland, call NHS 24 on 111; in Northern Ireland, use GP out of hours or Phone First if available in your area.
2. Say clearly: “severe ear pain, fever, and swelling or tenderness behind the ear.” Also say if the ear looks pushed forward, there is discharge, hearing has changed, or the pain is getting worse quickly.
3. Call 999 if symptoms seem life-threatening, such as collapse, being unconscious or very hard to wake, a seizure, or serious difficulty breathing.
4. If it is a child, seek urgent help now rather than watching and waiting. Tell the clinician if the child is unusually sleepy, floppy, not drinking, vomiting repeatedly, or the ear looks pushed forward by swelling.
5. Use pain and fever relief while arranging care, if it is safe for you. Paracetamol or ibuprofen may help; follow the packet instructions and keep a note of what was taken and when.
6. Keep the ear simple and protected. If there is discharge, wipe only the outside of the ear with clean tissue or gauze; do not push anything into the ear canal. Avoid swimming and try not to get water or shampoo into the ear.
7. Gather the details a clinician will ask for. Note when the pain, fever, swelling, discharge, dizziness, vomiting, hearing change, or headache started, and list allergies, regular medicines, diabetes, immune problems, recent chemotherapy, or steroid treatment.