Acute symptoms · Berlin
Acute earache
Acute earache is an acute medical condition that RAB Arztbesuche treats with a licensed physician on a home visit anywhere in Berlin — daily from 6 am to midnight, usually within 60 to 90 minutes.
Acute earache wakes adults from sleep and reliably ruins a child's night. Stabbing, throbbing pain, often with fever, sometimes with reduced hearing or discharge — parents know at once: this is not just another runny nose. Our specialist physicians come daily from 6 am to midnight, perform careful otoscopy and treat in a targeted way.
Medically reviewed by Susanne Reiche · Last reviewed
Acute earache in Berlin — the house call as a child-friendly option
Acute otitis media is one of the most common reasons Berlin families dial our number at night. The child is crying, holds the ear, the fever climbs, painkillers are no longer enough. In Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg and Pankow we look after numerous families every week through cold season — usually children aged one to six, occasionally adults with eustachian catarrh after a cold or a flight.
Getting to a paediatric out-of-hours clinic at 2 am with a feverish toddler is a misery in itself. The house call solves that: we come to the child's room, examine where they feel safe, take time with the otoscope and decide on therapy together with you. Typical arrival in Berlin: 60 to 90 minutes, often quicker at night.
What otoscopy shows — and how it shapes therapy
With the otoscope we assess shape, colour and mobility of the tympanic membrane. A bulging, red, dull and immobile drum points to bacterial otitis media; a bluish, cystic appearance with a fluid level suggests middle-ear effusion; a red, painful canal with a normal drum fits otitis externa. In children under two with bilateral findings and marked symptoms we start antibiotics early; in older children with mild disease, symptomatic therapy with ibuprofen or paracetamol is often enough, with a 48-hour review. For otitis externa we use ear drops combining antibiotic and steroid.
When the house call really matters
Call us when pain does not settle on age-appropriate analgesics, when there is discharge, when fever exceeds 39 °C, when your child stops drinking or sleeping, when there is one-sided hearing loss or when symptoms have not improved after three days. In adults the house call helps when pain prevents concentration and sleep, when there is suspected otitis externa after water exposure or when eustachian catarrh persists after a flight.
How the house call works
On first contact we clarify age, onset, accompanying symptoms (fever, vomiting, fluid intake), comorbidities and allergies. With signs of serious complications (mastoid tenderness, neck stiffness, impaired consciousness) we direct you straight to the nearest paediatric or ENT hospital. Otherwise we dispatch the next available specialist — within 60 to 90 minutes, often quicker at night.
On site we otoscope both ears, examine throat and lymph nodes, measure temperature and oxygen saturation. Where indicated we run a streptococcus rapid test, give or prescribe analgesics and antibiotics and name an open pharmacy. Parents leave with written escalation criteria: when to call us back, when to go straight to hospital.
Billing and insurance
We bill according to the German private medical fee schedule (GOÄ) via our Privatärztliche Verrechnungsstelle. House call, otoscopy, streptococcus rapid test and any administered medication are itemised separately. German private health insurance and Beihilfe schemes typically reimburse these positions in full.
For international families we issue the invoice in English on request; most travel health insurers accept GOÄ-compliant billing. We remain reachable by phone for billing questions after the visit.
Emergency? Dial the emergency number
If unconscious, with severe chest pain, breathlessness or heavy bleeding, dial 112 immediately. Our service complements the emergency services — it does not replace them.
Case profiles
Typical scenarios
Toddler with nocturnal otitis media
A three-year-old in Prenzlauer Berg wakes crying, holds the right ear, fever rises to 39.2 °C. We come to the child's room, otoscope calmly and decide with the parents between antibiotic and symptomatic care.
Adult with eustachian catarrh after a flight
A business traveller in a Mitte hotel has had a dull pressure and pain in the left ear since landing. We assess tube function and prescribe decongestant therapy and a nasal spray.
Otitis externa after the swimming pool
A patient in Charlottenburg has pain and itching in the ear canal after several pool visits. We carefully clean the canal, prescribe ear drops and advise on prevention.
School-age child with discharge
An eight-year-old in Pankow develops sudden discharge after three days of earache. We assess the tympanic membrane perforation, start antibiotics and arrange ENT follow-up.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need antibiotics right away?
Not necessarily. In children over two with mild unilateral disease, a 48-hour watch with consistent analgesia is often appropriate. In infants, bilateral disease or severe presentation we start antibiotics sooner.
Can you come at night when my child is crying and I do not know what to do?
Yes. We work daily from 6 am to midnight, typically arriving within 60 to 90 minutes, often quicker at night. For life-threatening features (impaired consciousness, neck stiffness) 112 is the right call.
My eardrum has perforated — is that bad?
A spontaneous perforation in otitis media releases pressure and eases pain. It heals without consequence in most cases. ENT follow-up after four to six weeks is sensible.
What helps the pain right now?
Age-appropriate ibuprofen or paracetamol is first line. Warmth from outside is often soothing. We only use ear drops after inspection, since some agents can harm a perforated drum.
Book now or call
Get in touch — we will arrange a doctor for your house call regarding Acute earache.