Medical Certificate for Ear Infection and Earache
Ear pain, muffled hearing or feeling off balance? A GP can assess how it affects your job and, if clinically appropriate, issue a medical certificate for an ear infection.
Book a real-time consult with an AHPRA-registered GP today. If the GP determines that a certificate is clinically appropriate, it's issued and emailed the same day
Full refund if not clinically appropriate • Your diagnosis stays confidential
Why Ear Pain Affects Concentration and Balance at Work
Healthdirect lists pain, fluid leaking from the ear, difficulty hearing, and balance problems among the symptoms of an ear infection. Fever or headache can come with them.
Constant pain makes it hard to focus, and muffled hearing makes calls and meetings tiring. A GP weighs these effects against your duties before deciding whether to issue a sick leave certificate.
- Pain or fluid leaking from the ear
- Muffled or reduced hearing
- Balance problems
- Fever or headache alongside the earache
What a GP Can Assess Without an Otoscope
In a clinic, a doctor usually looks inside the ear with an otoscope, a small magnifier with a light. Healthdirect notes that further tests aren't usually needed after that exam. A remote consult can't include this step.
So the GP relies on your history: when the pain started, any discharge, changes in hearing and whether you've had ear infections before. The call is usually by phone, and the GP decides if video would help. If you're under 18, the consult is by phone or video, as the GP decides, with a parent or guardian beside you. If the GP needs to look in your ear, they'll recommend an in-person visit.
When the Pain Isn't Coming From the Ear
Earache has other sources. Healthdirect says earache with pain on swallowing is most often a throat problem such as tonsillitis. A tooth abscess or teething in young children can also be felt in the ear. So can glue ear, or an object stuck in the canal. That's why the questions about chewing, swallowing and recent dental trouble aren't off topic. The answers tell the GP whether the ear is the real problem.
Middle Ear or Outer Ear
Healthdirect names two main types. Otitis media is an infection in the middle ear. Otitis externa is an infection of the outer ear. Both can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or sometimes fungi.
Middle Ear
Common triggers are a cold or air pressure changes. Expect pain, muffled hearing and sometimes fever. Healthdirect says the pain is likely to get better on its own within 7 days.
Outer Ear
Water that stays in the canal, or cotton buds, can trigger it. Itching, pain in the outer ear and muffled hearing are typical. Healthdirect says symptoms start to improve after 3 days of treatment.
Possible Complications
Complications of an ear infection include mastoiditis, facial nerve paralysis and sepsis.
Discharge, High Fever and Urgent Referral Signs
Go to an emergency department, Healthdirect says, if there's redness, pain or swelling of the bone behind the ear, or the ear is pushed forward.
Emergency care is also needed
With vomiting, sudden hearing loss, fever or symptoms affecting the muscles in the face.
Book an urgent appointment
Healthdirect's earache page suggests an urgent doctor's appointment for ear discharge, swelling around the ear, or worsening hearing. It also lists a child under 2 with sore ears.
Call 000 in an emergency. OMC Health does not provide emergency care.
How to Get Started
We operate as a platform that connects you with trusted Australian medical practices.
Book Your Certificate
Select the sick leave medical certificate type on the OMC Health booking page, and tell us a bit about your situation.
Consult with an AHPRA-Registered GP
Receive Your Certificate If Approved
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Book a real-time consult with an AHPRA-registered GP. From $9.99.
Roles Where Hearing Loss Creates a Safety Risk
Some jobs depend on hearing warnings or keeping your balance. Examples include working at heights, operating machinery, driving and working near moving vehicles.
Reduced hearing or unsteadiness in these roles can put you and others at risk.
Tell the GP Your Exact Job
Tell the GP exactly what your job involves. A certificate for a desk worker with earache may look different from one for a scaffolder with balance problems.
Dizziness Is a Separate Matter
Healthdirect lists inner ear conditions, such as labyrinthitis, as causes of dizziness. If spinning is the main problem, vertigo has its own page on this site.
Driving and Machinery
Healthdirect advises avoiding driving or operating dangerous equipment or machinery while you feel dizzy, to protect yourself and others.
What to Have Ready Before the Consult
A few facts speed things up. The GP can only weigh what you tell them, so a vague "my job is busy" gets you a vague assessment.
The Symptoms
When did the pain start? Has anything leaked from the ear? Has your hearing changed, and did it happen suddenly or slowly?
The History
Did you have a cold first, or have you been in the water? Is this a repeat of an old problem?
The Job
Also think about the job. Which tasks need clear hearing, steady balance or a headset? Those details, not the ear itself, drive the certificate.
Looking After the Ear in the Meantime
Healthdirect suggests holding a warm cloth or heat pack against the ear and sleeping with your head on two or more pillows. It says to keep water out: a shower cap or soft earplugs can help. Don't poke anything into the canal, including cotton buds.
Swimming
For an outer ear infection, it advises checking with your doctor before swimming.
An Ear Infection and a Working Week
Say a delivery driver wakes with throbbing pain and muffled hearing on one side. They can't judge traffic noise properly, and the pain is wearing. The GP asks about the symptoms, the road work and any discharge.
On the Road
If the assessment supports it, a certificate may cover the days when hearing or concentration is a risk. It may not cover the days after, once the pain has settled.
In the Office
The same driver with an office-based role might get a different answer.
The certificate speaks to capacity for work. It doesn't state which ear is infected or what an eardrum looks like, because the GP hasn't seen it.
General information only, not a substitute for personalised advice; speak with a qualified practitioner.
What Your OMC Health Certificate Includes
If a certificate is clinically appropriate, the issued document includes the key information needed to identify the consultation, certified period and issuing practitioner.
Assessment date
Date of the GP consultation.
Certified period
Dates covered by the certificate.
Practitioner details
Issuing GP's name and professional details.
Practice details
Details of the issuing partner practice.
Signature
Digital or written practitioner signature.
Verification
QR code or unique verification details.
Focused on the Evidence Needed
The certificate's purpose is to document the GP's assessment and the relevant period or work capacity. Clinical details are included only where appropriate to the consultation and document purpose.
Why Book With OMC Health
AHPRA-registered GPs, available 7 days a week
Phone consult, no need to leave home while unwell
Certificate emailed the same day if approved
Full refund if the GP determines a certificate is not clinically appropriate
Your diagnosis stays confidential, the certificate does not disclose it to your employer
Simple, transparent pricing
- Reviewed by AHPRA registered GP
- Delivered on the same day if approved
- Secure and confidential
- Full refund if GP declines
- No hidden fees
Issued through our partner practice network
Your consultation is conducted by an AHPRA-registered GP from one of 20+ partner practices across Australia. The certificate is issued under that GP's own registration.
Frequently asked questions
View all FAQsYes, through a carer's leave certificate, which covers time off to care for a family member. Carer's consults happen by phone or video, as the GP decides. If your child is vomiting, loses hearing suddenly or has weakness in the face, get emergency care before thinking about a certificate.
It can. Healthdirect describes swimmer's ear as an outer ear infection with muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness, and pain that worsens when you chew. It's a different type from a middle ear infection. Tell your GP if your symptoms started after swimming, as it helps them determine which type you have.
Tell the GP if your job involves a headset, earbuds or hearing protection. Pressure on a sore or discharging ear can make things worse, and some roles can't be done without a headset. The GP can suggest time off or a short-term restriction, where the assessment supports it.
Repeated ear infections are worth raising with your regular GP, who can examine your ears and arrange follow-up if needed. A telehealth certificate covers a current episode, not ongoing management. Mention any past infections during the consult, because the history helps the GP judge the current one.
That's a question for the GP during your consult, based on your symptoms. Let them know if your job involves flying, especially if you have pain, a blocked feeling or discharge. If you need a document confirming you're fit to fly, that's a separate fitness to fly certificate.
Browse Conditions
Browse all conditionsSee the other conditions a GP can assess for a sick leave certificate.
An ear infection can cause pain, muffled hearing and problems with balance, which can make some jobs unsafe. A GP can assess whether you're fit for your duties and, if appropriate, issue a certificate. Swelling or pain behind the ear, sudden hearing loss, or facial weakness needs emergency care.