Babies can be pretty fussy when they’re teething. Unfortunately, during the first couple of years of their lives, they’re almost constantly teething. This makes it difficult to tell whether your child has a new tooth coming in or whether something else is wrong. Here are few things to look for to help you figure out if a tooth is getting ready to show itself.
Teething and colds have a lot of the same symptoms, so keep a close eye on the situation. As the teeth are pushing their way up, they can cause pressure on the ear canals and sinuses. This can cause cold symptoms to occur. These symptoms can be as mild as a runny nose or as extreme as a full blown ear infection.
You might be surprised to realize that ear infections are a sign of baby teething. Sometimes a baby will develop this painful condition because the emerging teeth are placing pressure on the ear canal. Then fluid backs up and gets infected. You’ll need to deal with an ear infection immediately in order to avoid damage to the baby’s hearing.
As well, your baby might experience fever when the teeth are coming in. However, you should be aware that normal teething will not result in a high fever. Never ignore a high fever in an infant. There could be a chance that either an ear infection or sinus infection has developed. You’ll have to pay a visit to the pediatrician, who will likely prescribe an antibiotic medication.
There are quite a few other signs that your child might be teething as well. For example, red cheeks usually accompany this process. You might notice that one cheek is red and the other is normal; chances are the new tooth will emerge on the side that’s red.
Excessive drooling is one more symptom of teething. Of course, babies always drool, but during teething it will increase dramatically. You might even find that you have to change your baby’s clothes frequently because of the excessive drooling.
Teething can also be the explanation for unexplained, sustained periods of crying and misery. One of the worst symptoms of teething is excessive crying. And this will typically lead to sleep problems as well. These behaviors can be very hard on both of you.
Most people who offer you baby advice will suggest that you give your child some pain reliever to ease the symptoms. However, discuss the situation with your doctor before administering any medications, even over the counter ones.