Tooth Pain Symptoms
What are the Symptoms of Teething in Your New Baby?
A teething baby isn’t usually a happy baby. The bad news is that they seem to be perpetually teething in the first two years or so. This can make it hard to figure out whether there’s a new tooth emerging or if there’s another problem altogether. Here are few things to look for to help you figure out if a tooth is getting ready to show itself.
If your baby seems like he or she is getting a cold, it might in fact be teething. When the teeth come in, they sometimes put pressure on the baby’s sinuses or ear canals. This can cause cold symptoms to occur. You might only notice some minor sinus congestion or it could be as severe as a painful ear infection.
Some people aren’t aware that baby teething can lead to ear infections. Ear infections can be a result of the new teeth causing pressure to the baby’s ear canal. This causes fluid to back up and become infected. You’ll need to deal with an ear infection immediately in order to avoid damage to the baby’s hearing.
Likewise, your child may develop a fever during the teething process. But keep in mind that normal teething doesn’t cause 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 need to take your baby to its pediatrician to be examined and see if a prescription is in order.
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.
Another sure sign is an overabundance of drool. Babies are always drooling anyway, but when they’re teething it becomes extreme. The drooling might be so excessive that you have to change your baby’s outfits all the time due to dampness.
Teething can also be the explanation for unexplained, sustained periods of crying and misery. Excessive crying is one of the hardest teething symptoms to deal with. This is usually accompanied by difficulty sleeping. These behaviors can be very hard on both of you.
Most sources of baby advice recommend giving your child a carefully measured dose of infant pain reliever to provide some relief. However, discuss the situation with your doctor before administering any medications, even over the counter ones.
When a toothache is not a tooth ache
