How can you tell you have a inner ear infection?

How do you tell if you a ear infection? Can i mix it up with Ruptured eardrum?!?

• Just to let you know before anything - I am a teenager.And everything i have searched forever and a lot of things i got were information for 3 years old (Literally) so if you could please not answer with things for anyone or anything over or under the age of 15.Thank you. Anywho , I have this cold and i think i may have an ear infection too..because in my right ear i can not ear very well and it sorta hurts every now and then.My parents already know about my symptoms, and they're giving meds because they think it is a ear infection.But just to be on the safe side HOW DO YOU TELL IF ITS A EAR INFECTION?! And is it common to mix it up with Ruptured eardrum ?!

• Answer:

  a ruptured ear drum often happens as a result of an ear infection and is not necessarily serious but it can be. My daughters ear drum ruptures almost every time she gets an ear infection and has since she was small. She will suddenly feel liquid draining from her ear while she has the infection and it can happen even after she is being treated. Her doctor told her those heal closed. And hers do. She does have some residual scarring though and will probably have some hearing loss as she gets older but heck, she's darn near 40 now... FYI, it doesn't really matter if you are 3 years old or 30, an ear infection is an ear infection. My daughter is 38 and the treatment is still the same, antibiotics and sometimes ear drops depending on the severity. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ruptured-eardrum/DS00499 Read the link I provided.