Infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria, and can be acute or chronic. You should be careful in loud places like concerts, and to keep objects out of the ear canal, including cotton swabs or ear plugs. When babies feel ear pain, they cry for more than half an hour, continuously.
This crying increases when they are being put to sleep or are lying down. However, other symptoms like fever and discharge do need medical intervention. Sometimes a ear pain is a symptom of underlying sinister causes like a cancer of the tongue, cancer of the tonsil or voice box.