joannfromworth,
Hmm, a Google search turned up this:
The red light near the earpiece speaker on an iPhone is caused when the iPhone's water detection sticker is activated. This is a small sticker on the inside of the phone that turns red when it is exposed to moisture or water. The sticker stays red until it dries out, at which point the light should disappear.Mar 23, 2017
You should have your phone checked for possible water damage:
Let us know how it turns out.