My 3 year old has a bad ear ache, probably an ear infection. it's late in the evening. what can i give him besides ibuprofen?

Comfort measures: A heating pad on a low setting can be held by the child on the side of his head that hurts. Often the brain senses the heat & it lessens the intensity of their pain.

Acetaminophen: First make sure you're giving him the proper dose of ibuprofen (check the bottle). The dose should be weight based. You can also give acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 4 hrs. It does not interact with ibuprofen so you can give it right away and alternate with the ibuprofen which you can give every 6 hrs.