I have never had one. DH has never had one. Our son (who was a bottle baby and is now 10) has never had one.

My right ear hurts. It is tender when I swallow. But I also have a canker sore on the side of my tongue (right hand side), so I wonder if that is making my ear hurt.

It doesn't hurt bad, but it is uncomfortable. If it turns out that it could be an ear infection, I would want to get into the doctor tomorrow, before I have to possibly suffer all weekend.

I also have some sinus drainage, so I wonder if that would be the cause of it (allergies or a possible sinus infection??).

My main question is : What does an ear infection feel like? In the beginning stages?

You feel pain and as time goes on the pain will get worse, not trying to scare you. I would get dizzy, sometimes and feel like I had fluid or air stuck in my ear. Sometimes if you touch behind you ear lobe it will hurt. Do you have a temperature? If you have a lot of sinus drainage that can cause them too. If you are uncomfortable go to the doctor. Is your ear stopped up?

Some doctors do not give antibiotics for ear infections anymore they just let them run their course. Thank goodness my doctor doesn't do this or my son would have been miserable. Your throat can also tend to hurt with ear infections and your throat can make your ears hurt.

I hope you feel better.

I put some tooth-numbing stuff (I can't think of the name of it) on the canker sore, and the pain went away. It doesn't hurt to swallow or anything now.

So I believe this stupid canker sore (and the location of it) was causing all of my pain. It must be on or close to a nerve on that side of my head, to cause ear pain.

Crazy!!