Home Treatments & Remedies for Earaches

Can Home Remedies Help Your Ear Pain?

You may think of ear infections as something only kids get. Ear infections are less common in grown children and adults, but they can still happen.

Ear infections often go away on their own and don’t need medical attention. There are things you can try to ease ear pain at home.

Home Care to Relieve Ear Pain

If you have ear pain, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about it.

There’s little research to say whether or not home care works, but most doctors agree these treatments are safe to try yourself:

A cool or warm compress. Soak a washcloth in either cool or warm water, wring it out, and then put it over the ear that’s bothering you. Try both temperatures to see if one helps you more than the other.

A heating pad: Lay your painful ear on a warm, not hot, heating pad.

Over-the-counter ear drops with pain relievers. If they help at all, it’s only briefly. You shouldn’t use these drops if your eardrum has a tear or hole, so check with your doctor first.

Pain reliever. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can often relieve the pain of an earache. Ask your doctor which is right for you.

Chew gum. If you’re on an airplane or driving at high altitudes and your ear pain is from the change in air pressure, chew some gum. It can help lower that pressure and ease your symptoms.

Sleep upright. While it may sound strange, resting or sleeping sitting up rather than lying down can encourage fluid in your ear to drain. This could ease pressure and pain in your middle ear. Prop yourself up in bed with a stack of pillows, or sleep in an armchair that’s a bit reclined.

When to Call a Doctor

Ear pain often gets better in 2 or 3 days on its own or with home care. Often all you need to do is take a pain reliever and be alert for symptoms that get worse. That said, it’s important to know when your discomfort might be a sign of something more serious.

Call your doctor if:

• You notice fluid (such as pus or blood) oozing out of your ear.
• You have a high fever, headache, or are dizzy.
• You believe an object is stuck in your ear.
• You see swelling behind your ear, especially if that side of your face feels weak or you can’t move the muscles there.
• You’ve had severe ear pain and it suddenly stops (which could mean a ruptured eardrum).
• Your symptoms don’t get better (or get worse) in 24 to 48 hours.

UF Health, University of Florida Health

Definition

An earache is a sharp, dull, or burning pain in one or both ears. The pain may last a short time or be ongoing. Related conditions include:

Medical findings based on ear anatomy

Ear anatomy

Alternative Names

Otalgia; Pain – ear; Ear pain

Considerations

The symptoms of an ear infection may include:

• Ear pain
• Fever
• Fussiness
• Increased crying
• Irritability

Many children will have minor hearing loss during or right after an ear infection. Most of the time, the problem goes away. Lasting hearing loss is rare, but the risk increases with the number of infections.

Video: Earache

Causes

The eustachian tube runs from the middle part of each ear to the back of the throat. This tube drains fluid that is made in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid can build up. This may lead to pressure behind the eardrum or an ear infection.

Ear pain in adults is less likely to be from an ear infection. Pain that you feel in the ear may be coming from another place, such as your teeth, the joint in your jaw (temporomandibular joint), or your throat. This is called “referred” pain.

Causes of ear pain may include:

Ear pain in a child or infant may be due to infection. Other causes may include:

• Ear canal irritation from cotton-tipped swabs
• Soap or shampoo staying in the ear

Home Care

The following steps may help an earache:

• Place a cold pack or cold wet washcloth on the outer ear for 20 minutes to reduce pain.
• Chewing may help relieve the pain and pressure of an ear infection. (Gum can be a choking hazard for young children.)
• Resting in an upright position instead of lying down can reduce pressure in the middle ear.
• Over-the-counter ear drops can be used to relieve pain, as long as the eardrum has not ruptured.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can provide relief for children and adults with an earache. (DO NOT give aspirin to children.)

For ear pain caused by a change of altitude, such as on an airplane:

• Swallow or chew gum as the plane descends.
• Allow infants to suck on a bottle or breastfeed.

The following steps can help prevent earaches:

• Avoid smoking near children. Secondhand smoke is a major cause of ear infections in children.
• Prevent outer ear infections by not putting objects in the ear.
• Dry the ears well after bathing or swimming.
• Take steps to control allergies. Try to avoid allergy triggers.
• Try a steroid nasal spray to help reduce ear infections. (However, over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants DO NOT prevent ear infections.)

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if:

• Your child has a high fever, severe pain, or seems sicker than is usual for an ear infection.
• Your child has new symptoms such as dizziness, headache, swelling around the ear, or weakness in the face muscles.
• Severe pain suddenly stops (this may be a sign of a ruptured eardrum).
• Symptoms (pain, fever, or irritability) get worse or do not improve within 24 to 48 hours.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

The provider will do a physical exam and look at the ear, nose, and throat areas.

Pain, tenderness, or redness of the mastoid bone behind the ear on the skull is often a sign of a serious infection.

Images

References

Earwood JS, Rogers TS, Rathjen NA. Ear pain: diagnosing common and uncommon causes. Am Fam Physician. 2018;97(1):20-27. PMID: 29365233 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29365233/.

Haddad J, Dodhia SN. General considerations in evaluation of the ear. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 654.

Pelton SI. Otitis externa, otitis media, and mastoiditis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 61.

Middle Ear Infection (Otitis Media) in Adults

Not what you’re looking for?

What is a middle ear infection?

A middle ear infection occurs
behind the eardrum. It is most often caused by a virus or bacteria. Most kids have at
least one middle ear infection by the time they are 3 years old. But adults can also get
them.

What causes middle ear infections?

Inflammation in the middle ear most often starts after you’ve had a sore throat, cold, or other upper respiratory problem. The infection spreads to the middle ear and causes fluid buildup behind the eardrum. 

What are the symptoms of a middle ear infection?

These are the most common symptoms
of middle ear infections in adults:

• Ear pain
• Feeling of fullness in the hear
• Fluid draining from the ear
• Fever
• Hearing loss

These symptoms may look like other conditions or health problems. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How is a middle ear infection diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will
review your health history and do a physical exam. He or she will check the outer ear
and the eardrum using an otoscope. The otoscope is a lighted tool that lets the
healthcare provider see inside the ear. A pneumatic otoscope blows a puff of air into
the ear to test eardrum movement. When there is fluid or infection in the middle ear,
movement is decreased.

Your provider may also do a tympanometry. This is a test that directs air and sound to the middle ear.

If you have ear infections often, your healthcare provider may suggest having a hearing test.

How is a middle ear infection treated?

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It
will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Treatment may include:

• Antibiotics
• Pain relievers
• Placing small tubes in the eardrum for
  chronic ear infections 

What are possible complications of a middle ear
infection?

Untreated ear infections can lead to:

• Infection in other parts of the head
• Lasting (permanent) hearing loss
• Speech and language problems

Can middle ear infections be prevented?

Cold and allergy medicines don’t
seem to prevent ear infections. And currently there is no vaccine that can prevent the
disease. But check with your healthcare provider and make sure your vaccines are
up-to-date. Living in a home where cigarettes are smoked can increase the chances of ear
infections.

Key points about middle ear infections

• Middle ear infections can affect both
  children and adults.
• Pain and fever can be the most common symptoms.
• Without treatment, permanent hearing loss may happen.
• Take antibiotics as prescribed and
  finish all of the prescription. This can help prevent antibiotic-resistant infections
  or incomplete treatment with the infection returning.

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:

• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. Also know what the side effects are.
• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.
• Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.
• If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
• Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.

Not what you’re looking for?

Ear Infection Pain Management | TYLENOL® Professional

Ear Infection Pain Management | TYLENOL® Professional
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Otitis media is the most common illness seen by pediatricians.

¹  By age 3, 80% of all children will have had at least one ear infection, and more than 40% of all children will have had 3 or more infections.¹

Healthy ear

Infected ear

Advise parents to look for common symptoms²:

• Pulling or tugging on the ear
• Fussiness or increased crying
• Fluid coming out of the ear
• Fever

“Watchful waiting” recommended for otitis media in children^3,4 

In March 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an update to clinical practice guidelines for managing acute otitis media. The update extends the recommended approach of watchful waiting for patients as young as 6 months.

Encourage parents to keep an eye on their child’s ears to see if the infection resolves without an antibiotic. Let them know that: 

• 70% of ear infections get better within a few days
• Limiting antibiotic use helps ensure medicine works when it’s needed most
• When antibiotics are used too often, the bacteria they’ve been designed to kill in your body can adapt and grow stronger over time, which makes it harder for the antibiotic to fight
• Antibiotics can have side effects

Pain from ear infections can be treated with an OTC pain reliever³

To treat the pain associated with ear infections, the AAP and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend use of an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever—like TYLENOL^® or MOTRIN^®—as stand-alone treatment or in combination with antibiotics.

With the 2 OTC analgesic brands pediatricians recommend most.*

Tool to teach daily limits and active ingredients.

*Among over-the-counter analgesics/fever reducers in the US, TYLENOL^® is the #1 pediatrician-recommended brand of pain reliever/fever reducer, and MOTRIN^® is the #1 pediatrician-recommended brand of ibuprofen.

REFERENCES: 1. Marom T, Tan A, Wilkinson GS, Pierson KS, Freeman JL, Chonmaitree T. Trends in otitis media-related health care utilization in the United States, 2001-2011. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(1):68-75. 2. HealthyChildren.org. Ear infection information: when is it an ear infection? https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/Pages/Ear-Infection-Information.aspx. Accessed January 17, 2017. 3. Lieberthal AS, Carroll AE, Chonmaitree T, et al. The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):e964-e999. 4. American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Management of Acute Otitis Media. Diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. Pediatrics. 2004;113:1451-1465.

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Earache Remedies That Really Work

Earaches. Most kids suffer from them at least one. They’re painful, but can often be treated at home. Here are some natural earache remedies for you to try.

Earaches. One of the most common childhood ailments. Like a fever, every kid has probably suffered from an earache at least once, if not multiple times. They’re painful, and hard to explain to a little one who is yelping in pain. Thankfully, many of this discomfort can be treated with many effective natural earache remedies.

Why Do We Get Earaches?

Earaches can happen for a number of reasons:

Earaches Usually Go Away on Their Own

When it comes to ear infections, many will clear up on their own within a 2-10 days.

Earaches are often not even caused by bacteria, so antibiotics aren’t the best treatment. This is why it breaks my heart when children get placed on antibiotics over and over again for reoccurring ear infections. This practice is usually not effective and can set up a lifetime of digestive and health issues.

That’s why it’s a good idea to treat an earache with natural remedies at home first to avoid unnecessary antibiotics.

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What the American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends for Earaches

The AAP’s most recent guidelines recommend a wait and see approach for most earaches.

However, if your child has the following symptoms, the AAP recommends that they see a doctor:

• Fever over 102 F
• Symptoms persists or worsen after 48-72 hours
• You suspect the eardrum has ruptured
• A child under 6 months has a single ear infection
• A child less than 2 years old has a double ear infection

Want to try earache remedies at home? Read on for some natural earache remedies.

Acupressure for Earaches

For kids and adults, acupressure can help relieve earache pain and even prevent them in the first place.

Some kids may be nervous about letting anyone touch around their ears when they are hurting. Luckily there are a couple of acupressure points that are less invasive, like on the feet and the top of the head.

Warm oils for Earaches

Warm oils are a great place to start with earaches, but it’s important to make sure the eardrum hasn’t ruptured before putting anything, even warm oil, in it.

Signs of eardrum rupture include:

• Sudden sharp ear pain (sounds like a clap of lightning) or pain and pressure that goes away instantaneously
• Drainage from the ear
• Noise, buzzing or hearing loss

A doctor can tell you for sure whether the eardrum has ruptured.

How to use warm oils for earaches

Straight-up olive oil: Warm the olive oil to body temperature and put a few drops into the ear. It works by soothing the inflamed eardrum.

Homemade garlic oil: Crush a clove of garlic and heat in olive oil to infuse. Cool the mixture to body temperature and place a few drops into the ear. The addition of garlic adds an antimicrobial property which can help fight infection.

Garlic Mullien oil: This special and potent oil is A MUST for a child who is susceptible to ear infections! (there’s one for adults too!). Mullein oil is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, tranquilizer, anti-microbial, and a muscle relaxant. If you’re not convinced just read the reviews:

“My son had multiple ear infections at the end of 2014…..over and over, why we don’t know. The pediatrician kept prescribing antibiotics over and over. Antibiotics are fine when they are TRULY needed. One half dropper of this a day for three days makes my sons ear infections disappear! Customer for life!”

“I turned to Mullein/Garlic after learning the pharmacy holding my 3-year-old’s antibiotics had closed for the night. I put 2-3 drops in her hurting year while my husband held her and had her lie quietly on her side (we kept her preoccupied by watching Thomas on the iPad. ). About 10 minutes later she told me her ear didn’t hurt and then proved it by dragging out bedtime routine!”

“I first used Herb Pharm Mullein Garlic Compound when I got a middle ear infection a few years ago. The M.D. prescribed Cipro, which is what they use to treat Anthrax, for God’s sake! I wasn’t about to take something so powerful for a simple ear infection. As a retired chiropractor, I choose a non-toxic natural approach whenever possible. Garlic is called “the Russian penicillin” because the Russian Army used it in WWII when they ran out of penicillin. No germs can live in garlic. This stuff is soothing and it works — however, be aware that it will take considerably longer to work than antibiotics. There are, of course, absolutely no side effects, which is my main concern for any non-life-threatening situation. I will not be without this product for the rest of my life.”

Cold or Hot Compresses for Earaches

A warm compress can get the circulation going and alleviate pain associated with earaches. The cold compress can help lessen the throbbing by reducing inflammation.

Go with whichever earache remedy works for you:

• Washcloth soaked in warm or cool water
• Washcloth straight from a warm dryer or hung by a wood stove
• Rice pillow (heated in the microwave)
• Ice pack (or frozen peas) wrapped in a towel
• Half of an onion heated gently (adds some antiseptic properties)

Chiropractic Care for Earaches

There is some evidence that chiropractic care can help treat earaches. In one study, 93 percent of all earaches improved with chiropractic care—most kids felt better in 7-10 days and with only 1 to 2 treatments. Though more longterm studies are needed, proponents say chiropractic adjustments can improve middle ear drainage and decrease ear infections. (source)

Studies show pediatric chiropractic care is very safe, but it’s important to choose a provider that specializes in treating kids. (source)

“It’s a completely different process when you work with kids, and you have to know what you’re doing in order to treat them appropriately. You need to know the proper techniques, contacts and depth. The contacts need to be smaller and the thrust more shallow with less force.” — Jennifer Brocker, DC, DICCP

Find a pediatric chiropractor using this database.

Herbal Steam for Earaches

Herbal steam inhalation is a great earache remedy, because it can help reduce sinus congestion and swelling that may be causing the pressure in the ears.

Here’s how to try this earache remedy: 

• Boil some water and pour into a basin.
• Add herbs like sage, rosemary, calendula, or lemon balm.
• Drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam to clear your nasal passages and reduce inflammation and swelling.

Neti Pot for Earaches

Getting the nasal passages cleared out can ease the pressure and the pain of an earache. And there’s no better way to clear the nasal passages than with our friend the neti pot.

Here’s a video on how to use a neti pot.

Special Massage for Earaches

Earaches can be caused by things going on in the throat, jaw, or mouth. A congested lymphatic system (tonsils, lymph nodes, etc) can create swelling that causes the earache. Lymphatic drainage massage helps relieve congestion and pressure to alleviate ear pain.

Check out these videos on how to give yourself a lymphatic massage:

Homeopathic Earache Remedies

These homeopathic remedies are the most often used earache remedies.

Read through the symptoms and choose the one that most closely matches how you feel. Choose a low dose like 3x or 6x if you are less sure you’ve chosen the right earache remedy. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the dosage chosen (low doses can be given more often), you can give your earache remedy every 2-4 hours or as little as 4 times a day.

• Aconite: Sensitive to noise. Hot throbbing ear. Cold makes pain worse.
• Chamomilia: Extreme irritability. Anger and impatience. Cant be pleased.
• Mercurius: Chronic infections. Possible discharge. Thristy.
• Pulsatilla: Clingy and seeks sympathy. Pain worse at night and in warmth. Little thirst.

A lot of people like these homeopathic ear drops, which have a combination of various remedies.

You can use this book to get a better idea of the proper earache remedy and dose for you or your child.

Other Earache Remedies

• Avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar while sick, all of which can cause more inflammation, congestion, and suppressed immune function.
• Eat a healthy diet. Get enough Vitamin A, C, and D for immune function. Stick with homemade broths and soups if your child is not feeling well enough to eat.
• Stay hydrated!

What If Natural Earache Remedies Don’t Work?

Most earaches can be managed at home with these natural remedies, but if it’s been a few days and you’re not seeing any improvement, consult your doctor on next steps.

How to Prevent Earaches

Though most kids will experience earaches at some point, there is some evidence that kids (up to 12 years of age) who chew xylitol gum are less likely to get middle ear infections. In one analysis, kids who chewed xylitol gum twice per day were 25 percent less likely to develop earaches. Try Snowflake Xylitol or B Fresh.

How About You?

What natural earache remedies have you used with success?

Treatment Without Antibiotics — MGH Giving 

As a pediatrician, I have spent a lot of time diagnosing ear infections, one of the most common illnesses of early childhood. Ear infections can make toddlers extremely irritable and cause babies to cry all night, which is why parents turn to their pediatrician for help.

My approach to treat these infections is not to prescribe antibiotics for every case, based on updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. I ask parents to hold off on antibiotics if the child is older than age 2, is not seriously ill, and has no history of ear problems or medical complications.

Updated Recommendations

The recommendations are based on research that found antibiotics used to treat ear infections do not significantly reduce the number of days a child has the infection. The most common cause of ear infections is a respiratory virus (i.e., a cold), which is not treated with antibiotics.

It is important to remember that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, does not seem to be more likely to cause ear infections in young children. Today, with most ear infections, we typically advise letting it run its course and soothing the child’s pain with over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

What you can do to soothe a cold or ear infection:

• Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever and head pressure.
• Try a cool-mist humidifier or shower steam to loosen congestion.
• Try over-the-counter saline drops to clear the nose.
• Consider sinus rinses or devices to remove mucus from young children’s noses.
• For children older than age 1, honey in warm water can soothe a cough.
• For older children, an extra pillow under their head can help them sleep better.

What you should not do to soothe a cold or ear infection:

• Do not give over-the-counter cold medicines to children under age 2. Consider avoiding them if the child is older, too.
• Do not tilt an infant’s crib mattress. Children under age 1 should sleep on a flat mattress with no pillows or blankets.
• Do not allow a child to drink while lying down, as it can increase the chances of getting an ear infection.
• Do not smoke. Families and caregivers who smoke increase a child’s chance of getting colds and ear infections.

Because young children get more colds in the winter, they may also develop more ear infections. Five out of six children will experience at least one ear infection by the time they are 3 years old, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Ear Infections and Kids’ Anatomy

It’s their anatomy that makes them particularly susceptible.

Older children and adults have a more efficient system for clearing colds. The fluid that builds up in the ear during and after an upper respiratory illness drains down the Eustachian tube, the canal that links the ear to the nose and throat.

In children younger than age 7, the Eustachian tube is shorter and more horizontally positioned, so the fluid takes longer to drain. The build-up can press on the eardrum, causing pain that is especially noticeable to kids when they lay down, breastfeed or suck on a bottle.

Talking with Parents

I use an otoscope device to view the eardrum to determine if there are signs of an infection. I find out from the family whether the child has a history of multiple ear infections. Then, we talk about antibiotics.

Most parents are happy to avoid the struggle of getting a child to take antibiotics when they learn that over-the-counter pain relievers can provide their child relief. They are grateful to also avoid the possible short-term side effects of an upset stomach and diarrhea that antibiotics can cause, as well as the long-term concerns of making bacteria more resistant to antibiotics and more difficult to treat in the future.

In cases where a child is getting many ear infections or experiencing speech and language delays, I refer the family to a specialist, who may recommend ear tubes, which are tiny devices implanted during a surgical procedure. The tubes drain ear fluid to reduce pain, improve hearing and avoid frequent use of oral antibiotics.

The good news about ear infections is that within three days, the worst is usually over. And as a child grows, they should become less frequent.

Vandana Madhavan, MD, MPH, is the clinical director of pediatric infectious disease and also works as a pediatric hospitalist, and primary care pediatrician at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. She is also the director of the pediatric advanced clerkship. Her areas of interest include tuberculosis, vaccines, clinical quality and safety, telemedicine and medical education.

Earache

What causes an Earache?

There are many causes of earaches. While earaches can occur first with a cold virus, sometimes a secondary ear infection may occur. These ear infections are usually sudden in onset and extremely painful in the beginning.Two primary causes of ear pain are acute ear infection and swimmer’s ear, and an inflamed eardrum or tympanic membrane can cause Myringitis.

​

Where do Earaches occur?

Ear pain may occur at many points in the pathway from the outside of the ear to deep in the inner ear. An earache can affect one or both ears and can vary from a mild, dull ache to a throbbing or stabbing pain that is nearly incapacitating. A sense of fullness in the ear, as well as a burning sensation, may accompany an earache. An earache can occur suddenly or progress slowly.

The middle ear, the tympanic membrane and the external auditory canal are structures making up the ear. When those structures swell and become inflamed, pain results because any type of inflammation causes redness, swelling and pain.

In children the eustachian tube is very small and in some cases, not fully developed. This means that only mild inflammation is required to cause a blockage. The adenoid glands are also relatively large and can contribute to blocking of the tube. However, not all children get earache and not all children who have congested ears will complain of symptoms.

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Acute Ear Infection: Otitis Media

What is an Acute Ear Infection?

An acute ear infection is a severe infection in the eardrum and middle ear most common in young children and babies. Although not as common in adults and older children, those individuals may develop the infection as well.

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What causes an Acute Ear Infection?

A viral or bacterial infection located in the middle ear can cause an acute ear infection. The infection often occurs as an individual is recovering from an upper respiratory tract infection or a cold. If the cold or infection causes the Eustachian tube to be inflamed, natural drainage of fluid from the middle ear may not occur.

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• People who have had severe head congestion caused by flu, colds or sinus blockage may suffer from ear pain.

• Foreign objects or fluid trapped in the middle ear can cause a bacterial infection in the ear.

• A less common earache cause may be a change in atmospheric pressure or altitude like that experienced by scuba divers, swimmers and hikers.

Additional causes of Acute Ear Infection

• A malformed head or neck area

• Failing to elevate the head of an infant during bottle-feeding, allowing moisture to collect in the ear canals

• Prevalence of ear infections in family history

• Frequent exposure to secondhand smoke

• Allergies

Risk Factors for Acute Ear Infection

• Exposure of children to people with upper respiratory infections or colds

• Non-immunized children

• Secondhand smoke exposure

• Pacifier use when babies are older than six months

• Feeding babies by bottle while they are lying down

Breastfeeding babies during their first six months may decrease the risk of ear infections.

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Signs and Symptoms of Acute Ear Infection

The common symptoms of an acute ear infection include:

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• Fever

• Loss of hearing

• Sounds of buzzing or ringing in the ear

• Ear feels plugged or full

• Discharge from the ear caused by infected fluid draining out of the ear if the eardrum ruptures

• Itching in the ear or a throbbing pain that is either dull or sharp

• Ear pain

• Tooth pain

The most common symptom of acute ear infection is pain in the ear. Very young children may be unable to identify the source of their pain and simply display irritability and fussiness.

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Infants and Young Children May Have Other Symptoms

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Refusal to eat

• Poor sleeping

• Irritability

Diagnosis of Acute Ear Infection

Healthcare providers use otoscopes to view the eardrum because they cannot see directly into the middle ear without those instruments. Acute ear infection causes swelling and inflammation in the middle ear. At first, the middle ear fills with fluid, and the practitioner may see fluid bubbles behind the eardrum. Air may be present behind the drum as well. As the pressure increases, a tiny puff of air blown through the otoscope may not be able to move the eardrum. When the eardrum appears red and inflamed, the earache diagnosis is usually acute ear infection.

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Treatment for an Acute Ear Infection

• A healthcare practitioner may recommend that adults begin taking antibiotics immediately to treat acute ear infection, dependent on various circumstances.

• Children often recover in two or three days without taking antibiotics. It may be necessary to provide only comfort care and observe the child during that time. Using this approach depends on confidence in the diagnosis, gravity of the illness, the child’s age and the availability of follow-up care if it becomes necessary.

• The practitioner may recommend treating symptoms with prescription or over-the-counter pain medications, humidifiers and plenty of fluids.

When should I call a Doctor?

Treating the symptoms by controlling pain, drinking fluids and humidifying the air may be sufficient for resolving acute ear infection. However, if symptoms persist, consult with a healthcare practitioner.

If you have recurrent middle ear infections, you may need to consult a head and neck physician (otolarngologist) to help manage this. Children with speech delay or signs of hearing loss should similarly seek such evaluation.

Most ear infections heal quickly after treatment, and the pain should subside in several days. However, it may take longer for hearing loss, the sensation of fullness in the ear and other associated symptoms to heal. People who feel well and discontinue taking their medication after only a partial treatment without finishing the recommended course may experience a recurrence of symptoms and a return of the infection.

Individuals who suffer from continuing infections or have numerous, periodic infections may need referrals to an otolaryngologist.If complications occur from ear infections, like vertigo, nausea, hearing loss, fever or recurrent pain, patients should seek follow-up examinations with healthcare practitioners.

People who get recurrent ear infections or children with delayed speech development may need to have hearing tests.If an ear infection does not respond to ordinary treatment, the healthcare provider may send a specimen from the ear drainage to a laboratory to identify the bacteria responsible for the infection.

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Swimmer’s Ear: Otitis Externa

What is Swimmer’s Ear?

Often occurring after swimming, a skin infection commonly called swimmer’s ear takes place in the outer ear canal where wax forms.

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What causes Swimmer’s Ear?

Moisture caught in the ear canal or a slight injury in the ear canal can often cause pain in the outer ear.

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Who is at Risk for Swimmer’s Ear?

• You run a risk of developing swimmer’s ear if you fail to dry your ears thoroughly after showering, bathing or swimming. Shake water out of your ears after swimming.. Earplugs worn while swimming may help keep water out of your ears.

• Although rare, a fungus can cause an infection in the ear.

• The ear provides a moist, warm environment that is conducive to the growth and multiplication of infection-causing bacteria.

• Humid, hot weather as well as swimming, showering or bathing can contribute to trapping moisture in the ear canal.

• A scrape or slight injury in the skin of the ear canal can lead to swimmer’s ear. Using objects like paper clips, fingernails or cotton swabs to clean the ear can break the skin. Bacteria can easily enter the ear through the broken skin and allow an infection to begin. Most individuals’ ears clean themselves, but those who have a buildup of wax should see a healthcare provider who will use an otoscope and remove the excess wax under direct vision. Do not attempt to remove insects or other foreign objects from your ear canal. A healthcare practitioner should perform that task as well.

Signs and Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear

The symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

• Earache that develops gradually

• Itch in the ear

• Pulling on or touching the upper rim (helix) of the ear intensifies the pain

• Loss of hearing

• Sounds of buzzing or ringing in the ear

• A sensation of fullness or blockage in the ear

• Swelling in the ear

• Ear canal and helix producing a thick drainage

Diagnosis of Swimmer’s Ear

• Healthcare providers normally review the history of a patient and examine him or her to determine the cause of an earache. The diagnosis usually does not require X-rays or other tests.

• A practitioner often evaluates the ear canal and eardrum by looking into the ear with an otoscope. If a patient has swimmer’s ear, swelling and inflammation will be present in the ear canal. A thick drainage may be visible as well. Occasionally, extreme swelling and pain make it too difficult to insert the scope into the canal.

• When circumstances warrant further examining, the healthcare provider may evaluate other areas of the body. The practitioner may look in the throat for signs of tonsillitis or sore throat, check the lungs for indications of pneumonia and feel the neck to assess stiffness and check for swollen lymph nodes.

Treatment for Swimmer’s Ear

• Practitioners normally recommend treating swimmer’s ear with ear drops for a week to 10 days.

• The ear drops help combat infection with antibiotics in the drops, and when swelling is present, the drops may contain steroids as well.

• When administering the drops, the patient should lie on his or her side with the affected ear facing up and remain that way for at least five minutes to keep the drops in the ear.

• If necessary, place a small wick or piece of gauze in the ear canal to help the drops reach the proper location when the canal is swollen.

• Keep the ear canal dry while treating it. Coat a small cotton ball with petroleum jelly to plug the ear and keep water out while bathing, or use an earplug for the purpose.

• It may sometimes be necessary to get a prescription for an oral antibiotic in addition to the ear drops.

• You may also need to take pain medication for several days while waiting for the infection to heal.

• Treatment for infections and pain in the middle ear often consists of taking antibiotics and analgesics for ten days to two weeks.

If drainage builds up in the ear, your healthcare provider may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist) who can remove the drainage and allow the infection to heal.

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When should I call a Doctor?

You should usually consult a doctor for ear pain, especially if the pain is persistent. Determining which type of ear infection is causing the symptoms can be difficult without the help of a health care provider. However, a healthcare provider may recommend treating the ailment at home first. The advice may be for seven to ten days of antibiotic treatment with or without ear drops along with pain medication if needed. The condition may require more in-depth medical attention if the pain-causing drainage accumulates in the ear because that could lead to an infection. Concerning symptoms include:

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• Hearing loss, fever with no other known cause, lethargy or pain that continues for several hours or becomes more intense may be indications that you need medical care.

• Babies who develop fevers should receive medical care if they are less than two months old.

• Individuals who have diabetes or compromised immune systems should get medical care to rule out the presence of malignant Otitis Externa if they develop earache accompanied by redness around the ears along with fever. Those individuals should ask for follow-up examinations after recovering from infections.

• People with earache accompanied by headache, vomiting, fever, lethargy, stiffness in the neck or other encephalitis or meningitis symptoms should seek medical care promptly.

Most ear infections heal quickly after treatment, and the pain should subside in several days. However, it may take longer for hearing loss, the sensation of fullness in the ear and other associated symptoms to heal. People who feel well and discontinue taking their medication after only a partial treatment without finishing the recommended course may experience a recurrence of symptoms and a return of the infection.

Individuals who suffer from continuing infections or have numerous, periodic infections may need referrals to an otolaryngologist.

If complications occur from ear infections, like vertigo, nausea, hearing loss, fever or recurrent pain, patients should seek follow-up examinations with healthcare practitioners.

People who get recurrent ear infections or children with delayed speech development may need to have hearing tests.If an ear infection does not respond to ordinary treatment, the healthcare provider may send a specimen from the ear drainage to a laboratory to identify the bacteria responsible for the infection.

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Infectious Myringitis

What is Myringitis?

Myringitis is an inflammation of the eardrum or the tympanic membrane.

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What causes Myringitis?

Localized trauma to the eardrum or infection of the eardrum can cause myringitis.

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Who is at Risk for Myringitis?

• A foreign object can puncture the eardrum and cause the local trauma that precedes myringitis. Attempting to remove an insect or wax with a paperclip or cotton swab can damage the eardrum.

• A ruptured eardrum can cause barotrauma. Pressure changes because of flying, diving, extremely loud explosions or other noises can rupture the eardrum.

• Viral and bacterial infections of the eardrum may be the source of inflammation and blistering. The condition, called bullous myringitis, indicates the presence of a fluid-filled blister called a bulla.

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Signs and Symptoms of Myringitis

Pain in the ear can be a symptom of bullous myringitis. The pain may be intense but may disappear suddenly if the bulla ruptures spontaneously and reduces the pressure.

Other Symptoms:

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Diagnosis of Myringitis

A healthcare practitioner can use an otoscope to view the eardrum. Inflamed tissue and fluid blisters are indications of bullous myringitis.

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Treatment for Myringitis

Antibiotic ear drops, oral antibiotics and pain medications are common treatments for eardrum infections.

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When should I call a Doctor?

You should seek medical care if you suspect you may have bullous myringitis.

Most ear infections heal quickly after treatment, and the pain should subside in several days. However, it may take longer for hearing loss, the sensation of fullness in the ear and other associated symptoms to heal. People who feel well and discontinue taking their medication after only a partial treatment without finishing the recommended course may experience a recurrence of symptoms and a return of the infection.

Individuals who suffer from continuing infections or have numerous, periodic infections may need referrals to an otolaryngologist.

If complications occur from ear infections, like vertigo, nausea, hearing loss, fever or recurrent pain, patients should seek follow-up examinations with healthcare practitioners.

People who get recurrent ear infections or children with delayed speech development may need to have hearing tests.

If an ear infection does not respond to ordinary treatment, the healthcare provider may send a specimen from the ear drainage to a laboratory to identify the bacteria responsible for the infection.

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Home Treatment for Myringitis

Earaches are relatively common, particularly in children. This is because the immature ear canal is prone to poor drainage. If the symptoms are mild, you may want to begin treating the fever and pain before getting a medical consultation. Typical remedies for earache symptoms are ibuprofen or acetaminophen,as determined by a patient’s medical history (e.g. anyyone who takes anticoagulation medication or has kidney disease should be cautious about using ibuprofen, and someone who has liver disease should not use acetaminophen.) It is important to consider the weight of a child or infant when determining the correct dosages.

A warm compress placed on the ear can help control the pain of earache. Test the compress to make sure it is not hot enough to burn the skin before placing it on the patient’s ear.

Symptoms are not mild if their is ear drainage, the child is less than 6 months of age, there are other symptoms besides ear pain or there are severe symptoms (e. g. very high fever, vomiting/diarrhea, dehydration, severe irritability in children).

90,000 Ear pain in adults and children

Treatment of pain in the ear in the ENT clinic №1

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Ear pain is one of the few symptoms that most often makes us see an ENT doctor.Uncertainty, as a rule, scares, and not only the patient himself, but also a doctor of another specialty, can not look and understand what happened in the ear. Today the pharmaceutical market offers us a wide range of various medicines – ear drops. Under no circumstances should you understand this variety yourself or ask pharmacists for advice. Ear pain can be a symptom of too different diseases, which means that it cannot be stopped by one medicine for all diseases. In addition, general therapy is often necessary, in addition to topical treatment with drops.

Causes of pain in the ear

Ear pain can be the result of inflammation in one of the ear sections: the auricle, the external auditory canal, the tympanic cavity, the auditory tube, while the inflammation of each of the sections most often has its own approach and the same section, for example, the tympanic cavity with a whole tympanic membrane (non-suppurative otitis media) and when a hole appears in it due to inflammation (purulent otitis media), they are treated with different drops, moreover, when a perforation (hole) appears in the tympanic membrane, those drops that treat non-perforated otitis media will be contraindicated and can lead to a non-closure of the tympanic membrane and the formation of chronic otitis media.

Ear pain can also be a symptom of non-inflammatory diseases : for example, caused by post-traumatic conditions (hematomas, traumatic rupture of the tympanic membrane), the pressure of the cerumen accumulated in the ear canal, a foreign body, the development of a tumor process in the middle ear, auditory tube, mastoid process . ..

Pain can be the result of the development of diseases not associated with the pathology of the ENT organs: dental problems or banal cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself as pain in the ear.

Diseases most often causing pain in the ear:

• Acute non-suppurative otitis media
• Acute and exacerbation of chronic suppurative otitis media
• Acute eustacheitis (tubootitis)
• Acute diffuse otitis externa
• Furuncle of the external auditory canal
• Traumatic rupture of the tympanic membrane
• Sulfur plug
• Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis
• Neoplasms of the tympanic cavity, auditory tube, mastoid
• Foreign body of the ear canal, tympanic cavity

What to do if ear pain occurs?

First of all, given the variety of diseases lurking behind this symptom and different approaches to local and general treatment for these diseases, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist: an otorhinolaryngologist who will carry out high-quality diagnostics: endoscopic examination of the ear (otoscopy) and endoscopic examination of the nose ( rhinoscopy) and nasopharynx, since often the cause of inflammation of the middle ear is the pathology of the nasopharynx, in some cases, to clarify the diagnosis and carry out differential diagnostics with diseases not related to ENT organs, an additional diagnostic method will be required: tympanometry to determine dysfunction of the auditory tube , mobility tympanic membrane and auditory ossicles , presence of effusion (fluid) in the tympanic cavity .

High-quality consultation of an ENT doctor of the highest qualification category, including video endoscopic examination, largely determines the reliability of the diagnosis and the effectiveness of further treatment. Modern diagnostic methods in the specialized ENT clinic No. 1 will make it possible to diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment on the day of treatment.

Treatment of pain in the ear in the ENT clinic No. 1

For the treatment of ear diseases in the ENT clinic No. 1, instrumental techniques are used:

• toilet of the ear and tympanic cavity with medicinal solutions
• Opening the furuncle of the external auditory canal
• Removing a sulfur plug or foreign body from the external ear canal
• catheterization of the auditory tube with the introduction of drugs

Also used hardware treatment:

An individually selected treatment complex will quickly achieve positive results: pain relief and inflammation cure.

90,000 Ear pain (sore ear): medicines used in the treatment

Ear pain is associated with some kind of inflammatory process. In other cases, ear pain is a reflex reaction of the body to chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, inflammation of the maxillary joint.

General

Ear pain is a fairly common problem.

Cases of ear pain can be divided into three groups:

• ear pain in healthy people
• pain in case of ear diseases
• ear pain in diseases of other organs

Depending on the pathology, pain in the ears or ear can be of a different nature – pressing, stabbing, cutting, shooting, pulsating and, as a rule, is accompanied by other symptoms characteristic of the disease that causes pain in the ears.

Causes of ear pain

Ear pain is not always a symptom of the disease. Sometimes it can occur in a healthy person as a result of the following reasons:

1. Many people often experience ear pain after walking in windy weather. If strong gusts of wind affect the auricle, then a so-called painful bruise is formed: the skin of the ear in the affected area acquires a bluish tint, and becomes painful. This condition goes away on its own without treatment after a while.
2. A common cause of ear pain is the so-called swimmer’s ear. If water constantly gets into the external auditory canal, then it helps to soften the skin and form edema. If this condition occurs for a long time, then it can lead to the development of otitis externa.
3. Occasionally, pain, congestion, and tinnitus may result from excess production of earwax. Accumulating in large quantities, it clogs the ear canal and leads to unpleasant sensations.
4. Pain and dryness in the ears, on the other hand, indicate a lack of sulfur.

Symptoms

Ear pain can be located in the area of ​​the external auditory canal and auricle, being determined by pressing in the tragus area – a clear symptom of otitis externa. And the so-called excruciating shooting pain, combined with increased body temperature, speaks of the development of otitis media. Ear pain can occur from abnormalities in the ear or ear canal, and even on the visible part of the ear (pinna).

Acute middle ear infection, caused by a condition such as acute otitis media, is an inflammation of the middle ear. Acute otitis media is the most common diagnosis for children than for adults because the children’s Eustachian tube is much shorter than that of adults. This allows viral infections and bacteria to easily enter the middle ear.

Ear pain or infection in the ear canal (otitis externa) is also called swimmer’s ear. Otitis externa is most often caused by a bacterial infection.Ear pain can also be caused by inflammation of the outer part of the ear (pinna). A person suffering from otitis media should not go in for swimming or flying sports, as water entering the ear or pressure drops can seriously aggravate the disease.

What can you do for ear pain

If you find similar symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What a doctor can do

The doctor can examine the patient and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Attention! Symptom chart is for educational purposes only. Do not self-medicate; for all questions regarding the definition of the disease and methods of treatment, contact your doctor. Our site is not responsible for the consequences caused by the use of information posted on the portal.

Why does the ear hurt? The main causes of ear pain. Shoots the ear: what to do?

Ear pain is an extremely unpleasant symptom.It can be a dull pain in the ear, throbbing, or, conversely, acute and sudden.

Why does the ear hurt?

Possible causes of ear pain Ear pain is most commonly associated with inflammation of either the outer ear (the pinna and auditory canal up to the eardrum) or the middle ear (the tympanic cavity just behind the eardrum). In this case, they say, respectively, about external or otitis media .If the auricle hurts, then, most likely, the cause of this is a bacterial or fungal infection that has got into the wound or the mouth of the sebaceous gland. Sometimes both the ear and the throat hurt at the same time. And this is not surprising: the ear is connected to the nasopharynx and through the auditory tube the infection can get from the nasopharynx into the middle ear, and then the inflammation that causes pain develops simultaneously in the throat and in the ear.

However, the ear often hurts for other reasons as well. In children, ear pain is sometimes associated with foreign objects entering the ear canal .If this happens, you should not try to remove the object that has fallen into the ear on your own – you can damage the eardrum or injure the ear.

The dense earwax plug can also be uncomfortable and painful.

Another possible cause of acute pain is ruptured eardrum .

It is quite common that the pain felt in the ear indicates a disease in other organs.Doctors call this pain irradiating, and the people say that the pain “gives to the ear.”

Similar pain can occur with sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), arthritis of the jaw joint, inflammation of the trigeminal nerve.

With caries of the extreme teeth in an advanced stage, when the nerve or tissues adjacent to the tooth are inflamed, the pain often radiates to the ear, temple and neck area. It is possible to recognize the “dental origin” of pain by the fact that it intensifies when you press on a sore tooth, as well as when you eat cold or hot food.

Ear hurts: what to do?

Ear hurts

For ear pain, the main thing is not to self-medicate. Trying to determine the cause of your ear pain yourself is easy to go wrong. It is not always clear even where the source of pain is located – in the ear canal or in the drum chamber. Therefore, it is dangerous to start treatment without consulting a doctor – you can treat the wrong thing, and the disease, left to itself, in the meantime, can take on a more severe form.

If the pain in the ear has not gone away within two days or it bothers you especially, you should contact an ENT specialist. Experienced ENT doctors of the Family Doctor will help determine the cause of the pain and prescribe an effective course of treatment for both adults and children.

Ear hurts: what to do, how to treat

Painful sensations in the ear are considered one of the most unpleasant. Such pain, as a rule, simultaneously causes painful symptoms of the head, teeth, throat.It manifests itself most acutely at night and does not stop during the day. A person cannot tolerate such sensations for a long time, so he immediately consults a doctor. ENT Consultation helps to identify the cause and quickly eliminate discomfort. In this article, we’ll talk about what can cause ear pain and how to get rid of it quickly.

Causes of ear pain

• Otitis. This inflammatory disease of the hearing organs is the most common cause of the symptom when the ear hurts inside. Otitis media occurs due to exposure to the internal organs of harmful microorganisms. This disease can be a consequence of a viral infection: when you cough, sneeze or runny nose, bacteria through the auditory tube penetrate deep into the ear cavity and cause an inflammatory process. Children are very often sick with otitis media. According to statistics, almost 70% of children under the age of three have had this disease at least once. Depending on the neglect, otitis media can be acute and chronic, depending on the nature of the inflammation – purulent and catarrhal.Any form of otitis media should be a reason for immediate medical attention. As a rule, this disease causes extremely acute pain, which even strong painkillers cannot cope with. Otitis media may also include fever, general weakness, and purulent discharge from the ear.
• Sinusitis. Surprisingly, diseases of the organs adjacent to the ears – the olfactory system – can also cause ear pain. Such diseases include sinusitis – an inflammatory process in the sinuses, which occurs as a complication of the transferred infectious diseases.With sinusitis, ear pain is usually not as severe as with otitis media. Treating the root cause – problems in the olfactory organ – helps to get rid of it. In any case, if such symptoms appear, it is worth to sign up for an ENT . You can read about the symptoms and treatment of sinusitis in the “useful articles” section.
• Mastoiditis. This disease is a complication of the transferred otitis media, in which the process of the temporal bone becomes inflamed. The disease, in addition to acute throbbing pain, can also manifest itself visually.Perhaps the flow of pus from the ear, the auricle increases in size, the area behind the ear turns red and swells. This is an extremely dangerous disease. If you do not contact a doctor in a timely manner, it can cause the development of meningitis, since the process of pus formation occurs in the area located next to the membranes of the brain.
• Otomycosis. This is a fungal disease that develops in the outer or middle ear. Its danger is that at the beginning of the course of the disease, the symptoms are extremely weak: the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation in the ear canal, a slight itching.However, as soon as bacteria begin to multiply actively, the pain increases dramatically, brownish discharge from the ear appears, caused by a fungal infection.
• Tonsillitis . This disease refers to diseases of the throat and larynx. Tonsilitis is an inflammation of the tonsils. But since the nasopharynx is located close to the organs of hearing, to the symptoms when has a sore throat, it hurts to swallow , ear pain may also be added. Moreover, an infection that has settled on the walls of the tonsils through the nasopharynx can penetrate into the auditory tube, causing an inflammatory process in the ear. Where is tonsillitis treated? The answer is unequivocal – only in a medical facility, otherwise the risk of complications is high.
• Lymphadenitis. This disease affects the jaw lymph node. Indirectly, the disease can be recognized by acute painful sensations while swallowing saliva, the process of chewing. Ear pain is also a symptom of this disease, which can be aggravated by the appearance of ringing in the ears, a feeling of congestion and impaired hearing. To diagnose this disease, you need to undergo a examination of the throat and larynx.
• Caries. A pathological process in the tissues of the tooth can also cause pain in the ears. Often, the patient cannot even determine exactly what is causing the pain – problems with the teeth or ear. Acute painful sensations cover the entire lateral side of the head, you can get rid of pain only after visiting a doctor and determining its root cause.
• Foreign body. If a foreign object, even a microscopic size, enters the ear, it can also cause severe pain in the ear.Removing it yourself is extremely dangerous! There is a risk of damage to the tympanic membrane and infection in the deep tissues of the hearing organs, which can cause an inflammatory process.
• Perforation of the tympanic membrane. The cause of a ruptured eardrum in most cases is trauma or a neglected and untreated inflammatory process in the ear canal.
• Sulfur plug. The reasons for its occurrence are mass, as a rule, this is not a very dangerous phenomenon, which is easily eliminated by manipulations of an otorhinolaryngologist.However, in some cases, with a sulfuric plug, painful sensations in the ear may also occur.

First aid for ear pain

Regardless of what caused the pain in the ear, you need to see a specialist to get rid of it. Only a doctor will be able to accurately determine the type of disease and prescribe a comprehensive treatment. But what if the pain in the ear is caught by surprise, for example, at night? For these cases, there are general recommendations that allow, if not completely remove the pain syndrome, then at least partially reduce its manifestation.

You can drip special ear drops that have an analgesic effect.

If there is no fever, a warming saline compress can help relieve pain. Warm salt should be wrapped in a piece of cloth and applied to the ear area. If the disease has just begun to manifest itself, such manipulation will help alleviate the condition.

Attention! It is contraindicated to warm the ear if purulent discharge is observed. This can provoke the development and reproduction of harmful microorganisms and worsen the condition.

Warming up is dangerous even if the pain in the ear is provoked by caries. This can cause swelling and spread of infection. In case of toothache that gives off unpleasant sensations to the ear, you can rinse with iodine-saline solution. But you should understand that this is temporary help. Only a dentist will help to solve the problem.

How to test your hearing? Types of diagnostics

In modern clinics, a hearing examiner can offer several diagnostic procedures at once to determine the cause of ear pain.Let’s consider the main ones.

Otoendoscopy of hearing. This type of examination is increasingly used in ENT practice. The survey is carried out on an innovative apparatus. A device is placed in the auricle – a small-diameter tube with a tip in the form of a mini-video camera and a light bulb. The camera takes pictures of the inner tissues of the ear, this image is displayed on the computer screen, the doctor can enlarge it, thus examining in detail the hearing organs from the inside. This method allows you to diagnose almost any pathology of the organ of hearing and make the most accurate diagnosis.

The advantages of this procedure are painlessness and the absence of serious contraindications. The only reason why an otoendoscopy cannot be performed is a serious injury to the ear, accompanied by swelling and bleeding. More information about how the procedure is performed and whether preliminary preparation is needed for it can be found in the article on the website: Otoendoscopy.

Tympanometry. It will not be difficult to make this diagnosis in Moscow . This is another modern procedure that allows you to identify pathologies of the middle ear.An apparatus is inserted into the auricle, which, in a certain sequence, changes the pressure in the ear. This change in pressure causes the eardrum to vibrate, which is captured by the device. The resulting “pattern” is called a tympanogram. It can be used to determine whether the tympanic membrane has ruptured, whether there is fluid or pus in the ear and a number of other pathologies that are important for the accuracy of the diagnosis. This procedure is indispensable for the diagnosis of otitis media, trauma to the tympanic membrane, inflammation of the auditory tube. Tympanometry can be done in Moscow in a few minutes at the Lev Rudin clinic. The procedure is painless and has no serious contraindications.

Audiogram of hearing. Ear pain is usually the cause of hearing loss. The hearing test will help to determine the nature of pathological disorders. Audiometry in this case will be the most effective procedure. This type of diagnostics is carried out as follows: the patient is put on headphones, through which different-frequency sound signals are sent to the hearing organ.The strength of the incoming signals is recorded, as a result, a graphic image is formed that demonstrates the patient’s hearing range. Only audiogram of hearing can determine this indicator. The price in Moscow depends on the clinic where the diagnostics will be carried out. The pricing policy of the Lev Rudin clinic can be found on the official website in the services section: prices.

You can learn more about hearing problems and methods of their diagnosis in a special section: examination and treatment of the ear.

Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention [Mini-Guide]

Inflammatory processes in the ear cavity cause a lot of problems. One of these diseases is purulent otitis media. According to statistics, the acute form accounts for 25-30% of all ear diseases. Most often, it affects children under 5 years old, in second place are the elderly, in third – adolescents 12-14 years old.

Purulent otitis media is an inflammatory process of an infectious nature, covering all anatomical parts of the middle ear: the tympanic cavity, the auditory tube and the mastoid process.

Reasons for the development of the disease:

• Injury;
• deficiency of immunoglobulins;
• genetic predisposition.

Provoking factors:

• hypothermia;
• hypovitaminosis;
• overwork;
• inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx;
• ingestion of foreign microflora in the ear

Symptoms of purulent otitis media:

90 026 90 027 increase in body temperature;

90,027 chills;

There are 2 types of purulent otitis media:

1. Spicy

Occurs due to bacteria entering the middle ear.The inflammation leads to swelling of the auditory tube. The mucous membrane of the ear is thin, and with otitis media, it thickens and the so-called sulfur appears in it, which subsequently becomes purulent.

2. Chronic

Inflammation, in which there is a constant flow of pus from the ear cavity, a persistent violation of the integrity of the membrane and progressive hearing loss.

The transition of an acute form to a chronic one is associated with several factors:

• low immunity;
• incorrect selection of antibacterial drugs;
• pathologies of the upper respiratory tract;
• the presence of concomitant diseases.

Diagnostics

The otorhinolaryngologist makes a preliminary diagnosis, if there is:

• throbbing pain that worsens during chewing;
• in case of hearing impairment and the appearance of a feeling of pressure;
• Increase in body temperature and discharge from the ear.

Then the patient undergoes a general blood test, which will show the presence of inflammation of a bacterial nature in the body.

At the reception, the doctor conducts:

1. Inspection of the external auditory canal using an ear speculum or otoscope.
2. Tuning tuning fork. It detects whether hearing loss is related to inflammation or disease of the auditory nerve.
3. Radiography, MRI. Allows you to accurately establish the presence of inflammation in the cavities of the middle ear and mastoid process.
4. Occasionally, an eardrum puncture is performed to determine the contents.

Treatment

To eliminate a bacterial infection, various drops, antibiotics, medications, physiotherapy are prescribed, aimed at eliminating concomitant symptoms.

Prevention

1. Treatment of chronic diseases of the nose and throat.
2. Prevention of viral infections.
3. Timely treatment of inflammatory diseases.
4. Do not allow dirty water to enter your ears.
5. Correction of immunodeficiency states.

At the first sign of any otitis media, you should immediately consult a doctor. Self-medication, as well as the use of ear drops without a specialist’s testimony, is not allowed.

Surgery

If conservative treatment does not lead to the desired effect, then surgical intervention is used. In the inflammatory process, a good outflow of contents is important.

For this purpose, the removal of granulations and polyps is assigned. Shunting of the tympanic cavity is also prescribed. A small hole is made in the membrane, into which a small tube is inserted. Medicines are administered through it. It is possible to perform surgery on the labyrinth and middle ear.

Effective treatment of otitis media | Clinic of Chinese medicine TAO

Otitis media is an inflammation of the outer, middle or inner ear. The outer ear consists of a concha and the external auditory canal, the middle ear includes three auditory ossicles – the malleus, stapes and incus, and then the inner ear, which is a bony and membranous labyrinth.

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Otitis

Causes of otitis media

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) specialists distinguish between otitis media in adults and otitis media in children, since the causes and mechanism of occurrence of this disease are fundamentally different.It is noteworthy that in China, children practically do not get this disease due to the proven connection between the state of the gastrointestinal tract and the middle ear. According to BMT doctors, it is very important that food given to children, especially children under one year old, “does not stagnate in the stomach and intestines.” Such “stagnation” causes a state of “fever” – the root cause of otitis media in children. The situation is aggravated by the fact that “fever” in children under one year old often manifests itself in teething. The latter, according to doctors, “goes to the stomach”, which can ultimately lead to otitis media.Therefore, the main method of preventing otitis media in children is a properly selected diet.

According to the degree of localization of the disease, otitis media is divided into external otitis media, middle and internal. What are the main causes of otitis media as a disease in the opinion of Western doctors? These are frequent colds that lead to blockage of the outlet of the auditory tube, which is possible due to nasal congestion and severe runny nose, while blockage leads to impaired ventilation and drainage of the tympanic cavity.The second, no less important cause of inflammation is the penetration of infection into the middle ear area, since everything is more than interconnected in the ear-nose-throat system.

Chronic diseases of the throat area, such as tonsillitis, purulent or polypous rhinosinusitis, diseases of the nasal cavity, tumors of the nasopharynx, adenoids can also cause otitis media.

Otitis media can also often occur in people who are many at the depths of the seas and oceans, this type of otitis media is called mareotitis.And stewards and pilots often have aerootitis, which is the reason for the sharp drops in atmospheric pressure, which are constant during landing and takeoff of the aircraft.

Common causes of otitis media include seasonal decreases in immunity, stress, and incompletely formed immunity in childhood.

Otitis externa occurs due to the appearance of an infection in the external ear canal, this can happen when swimming, if the hygiene of the external ear is not observed, or, conversely, with excessive hygiene.

The main cause of otitis media of the inner ear is bacterial infection, upper respiratory infection, otitis media of the middle ear.

Also distinguish between catarrhal otitis media, both acute and chronic, purulent otitis media, as well as chronic and acute. Otitis media can lead to the development of encephalitis, meningitis, mastoiditis.

Main symptoms of otitis media

The main symptoms of this disease, both in Western medicine and in Eastern medicine, is the appearance of severe pain in the ear area, which can “radiate” to the temple and be accompanied by hearing loss.However, hearing can be improved by changing the position of the patient’s head. Dizziness, nausea and vomiting, fever may occur. Most often, otitis media occurs as a complication of an already proceeding acute respiratory disease or flu.

Detection of otitis media in young children is possible by pressing on the “visor” of the auricle, which can cause pain.

Symptoms of chronic otitis media can be: pain, ear congestion, discharge of pus, a feeling of “pressing” pain in the ear.

Otitis media, treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees a connection between the stomach, intestines and ear. Chinese medicine experts believe that as soon as a “food stagnation” forms in the stomach or intestines, the “heat” is directed to the inner ear. The latter leads to the onset of otitis media.

Consequently, BMT specialists see proper nutrition, adherence to a diet, and avoidance of “heavy” food as the main method of prevention of otitis media.

The main methods of treating otitis media are herbal remedies, which are both taken orally and buried in the ear, hot and cold herbal compresses, which are applied to the ear. All this contributes to both the successful treatment of otitis media and its prevention.

As for the complex of medicinal herbs, for the treatment of otitis media, specialists of Chinese medicine use the Xiao Chai Hu Tang formula, which helps to prevent spleen diseases, prevents “food stagnation”, and eliminates inflammatory processes.