Why does my left ear hurt. What causes inner ear pain. How to treat ear pain at home. When to see a doctor for ear pain. Can ear pain be a sign of something serious. Is ear pain always due to an infection. How to prevent ear pain.

Understanding the Anatomy of the Ear and Pain Perception

To comprehend the various causes of ear pain, it’s crucial to have a basic understanding of ear anatomy. The ear is divided into three main parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Each section plays a vital role in hearing and balance, and problems in any of these areas can lead to discomfort or pain.

How does the ear perceive pain? The ear contains numerous nerve endings that can detect changes in pressure, temperature, and other stimuli. When these nerves are irritated or damaged, they send pain signals to the brain, resulting in the sensation of ear pain or discomfort.

Key Components of the Ear

• Outer ear: Includes the visible part (pinna) and the ear canal
• Middle ear: Contains the eardrum and three tiny bones (ossicles)
• Inner ear: Houses the cochlea (for hearing) and vestibular system (for balance)

Earwax Buildup: A Common Culprit of Ear Discomfort

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a natural substance produced by the body to protect the ear canal. However, when it accumulates excessively, it can cause pain and other symptoms. Can earwax buildup lead to hearing loss? In some cases, yes. Impacted earwax can temporarily affect hearing and cause discomfort.

To safely remove excess earwax, avoid using cotton swabs or other objects that can push the wax deeper into the ear canal. Instead, try over-the-counter ear drops designed to soften the wax, allowing it to drain naturally. If home remedies don’t work, consult a healthcare professional for safe removal techniques.

Signs of Earwax Buildup

• Ear pain or fullness
• Itching or irritation
• Partial hearing loss
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Air Pressure Changes: A Frequent Cause of Ear Discomfort

Have you ever experienced ear pain during air travel or while diving? This discomfort is often due to changes in air pressure. The eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the throat, play a crucial role in equalizing pressure on both sides of the eardrum. When these tubes don’t function properly, it can lead to pain and pressure in the ears.

How can you prevent ear pain during air travel? Try these techniques:

1. Yawn or swallow frequently during takeoff and landing
2. Chew gum or suck on hard candy
3. Use the Valsalva maneuver: Gently blow out while pinching your nostrils closed
4. Stay awake during descent
5. Use filtered earplugs designed for air travel

For those with chronic eustachian tube dysfunction, consulting an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist may be beneficial for long-term management strategies.

Swimmer’s Ear: An Outer Ear Infection

Swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the outer ear canal often caused by water exposure. Despite its name, you don’t have to be a swimmer to develop this condition. Any activity that allows water to enter the ear canal can potentially lead to swimmer’s ear.

How does swimmer’s ear differ from other ear infections? Unlike middle ear infections, swimmer’s ear affects the outer ear canal and is typically caused by bacteria thriving in moist environments. The pain often worsens when touching or pulling on the outer ear.

Preventing Swimmer’s Ear

• Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or bathing
• Use ear drops designed to prevent swimmer’s ear
• Avoid inserting foreign objects into your ears
• Consider using earplugs while swimming

Treatment for swimmer’s ear usually involves antibiotic ear drops prescribed by a healthcare provider. In severe cases, oral antibiotics may be necessary. Always complete the full course of treatment to prevent recurrence.

Middle Ear Infections: A Common Source of Ear Pain

Middle ear infections, or otitis media, are among the most frequent causes of ear pain, especially in children. These infections often occur when bacteria or viruses from the nose and throat enter the middle ear through the eustachian tubes.

Are all ear infections bacterial? No, viral infections can also cause otitis media. This distinction is important because antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. Your healthcare provider will determine the appropriate treatment based on the suspected cause and severity of the infection.

Symptoms of Middle Ear Infections

• Ear pain or pressure
• Fever
• Difficulty hearing
• Fluid drainage from the ear
• Balance problems

Treatment for middle ear infections may include pain relievers, decongestants, and in some cases, antibiotics. For recurrent infections, your doctor might recommend further evaluation or the placement of ear tubes to improve drainage and prevent future infections.

Referred Pain: When Ear Pain Originates Elsewhere

Sometimes, ear pain doesn’t actually originate in the ear itself. This phenomenon, known as referred pain, occurs when pain from one area is felt in another due to shared nerve pathways. Understanding referred pain can help in identifying the true source of discomfort and seeking appropriate treatment.

What conditions can cause referred ear pain? Several issues can manifest as ear pain, including:

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Dental problems, such as tooth abscesses or impacted wisdom teeth
• Throat infections, including tonsillitis or pharyngitis
• Neck pain or cervical spine issues
• Trigeminal neuralgia

To identify referred pain, your healthcare provider will conduct a thorough examination of not just your ears, but also your jaw, teeth, throat, and neck. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and may involve addressing dental issues, managing TMJ disorders, or treating infections.

Rare but Serious Causes of Ear Pain

While most cases of ear pain are due to common and treatable conditions, it’s important to be aware of potentially serious causes that require immediate medical attention. These rare but significant causes of ear pain can include:

• Malignant otitis externa: A severe infection that can spread to nearby bones
• Mastoiditis: An infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear
• Cholesteatoma: A skin growth in the middle ear that can damage surrounding structures
• Temporal arteritis: Inflammation of blood vessels near the temples
• Acoustic neuroma: A benign tumor on the nerve connecting the ear to the brain

How can you differentiate between common ear pain and something more serious? Pay attention to these warning signs:

• Severe pain that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter pain relievers
• Persistent pain lasting more than a few days
• Ear pain accompanied by high fever, severe headache, or neck stiffness
• Sudden hearing loss or significant changes in hearing
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Facial weakness or paralysis

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention promptly to rule out serious conditions and receive appropriate treatment.

Home Remedies and Prevention Strategies for Ear Pain

While many causes of ear pain require medical intervention, there are several home remedies and preventive measures you can take to alleviate discomfort and reduce the risk of ear problems. Here are some effective strategies:

Home Remedies for Ear Pain

• Apply a warm compress to the affected ear
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Try ear drops containing olive oil or mineral oil to soften earwax
• Practice gentle ear irrigation with lukewarm water (only if recommended by a healthcare provider)
• Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air, which can help with congestion

Preventive Measures

1. Avoid inserting objects into your ears, including cotton swabs
2. Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or bathing
3. Protect your ears from loud noises to prevent hearing damage
4. Practice good hygiene to reduce the risk of infections
5. Manage allergies and sinus problems to prevent eustachian tube dysfunction
6. Stay up-to-date with vaccinations that can prevent ear infections

Remember that while these home remedies can provide relief for mild ear discomfort, persistent or severe pain should always be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out serious conditions and ensure appropriate treatment.

Understanding the various causes of ear pain and knowing when to seek medical attention can help you manage this common but often troublesome symptom effectively. By combining proper ear care, preventive measures, and timely medical intervention when necessary, you can maintain optimal ear health and minimize the impact of ear pain on your daily life.

Why Does My Ear Hurt? 7 Possible Causes of Ear Pain

Written by Stacey Jones, MS, BA

• Earwax
• Air Pressure
• Swimmer’s Ear
• Middle Ear Infection
• Other Causes

Parents know how common earaches are in children, but adults can get frequent ear pain, too. You don’t have to have an infection, or even anything wrong with your ears, to have ear pain.

These are the most common causes:

Your ear makes and gets rid of wax all the time. When the process doesn’t work well, the gunk builds up and hardens so your ear canal gets blocked. Your doctor will call this impacted wax. Sometimes, it causes pain.

Don’t use cotton swabs or other objects to try to get wax out. You’ll just push it farther into your ear canal and make it more likely to get impacted. Your ear might hurt, itch, discharge gunk, or get infected. You could even lose your hearing for a while.

You can treat mildly impacted ears at home with over-the-counter ear drops that soften the wax so it can naturally drain. Or go see your doctor if the wax has hardened. She can get the wax out without damaging the eardrum. Learn more about earwax.

Most of the time, your ear does a great job of keeping pressure equal on both sides of your eardrum. That little pop you feel when you swallow is part of the process. But quick changes, like when you’re on an airplane or in an elevator, can throw off the balance. Your ear might hurt, and you could have trouble hearing. This is typically a eustachian tube dysfunction which can be a chronic in some people.

To avoid problems on a plane:

• Chew gum, suck on hard candy, or yawn and swallow during takeoff and landing.
• Stay awake while the plane descends.
• Take a deep breath, pinch your nostrils shut, then gently try to blow air out of your nose.
• Avoid air travel and diving when you have a cold, a sinus infection, or allergy symptoms.

Learn more about air pressure and your ears.

If your ear hurts when you pull on your earlobe or push on the tiny flap that closes it, you probably have this outer ear infection. You get it when water trapped in your ear canal begins to breed germs. Your ear might get red, swollen, or itch and leak pus. It isn’t contagious. To avoid it, keep your ears dry during and after swimming. Your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotic ear drops to clear it up. Learn more about swimmer’s ear.

A cold, allergies, or a sinus infection can block the tubes in your middle ear. When fluid builds up and gets infected, your doctor will call it otitis media. This is the most common cause of ear pain. If your doctor thinks the cause is a bacteria, she may prescribe antibiotics. If not, then she may recommend a decongestant allergy treatment with an antihistamine and a nasal steroid. Let her know if your pain doesn’t improve or returns. If it isn’t treated, a middle ear infection can spread or cause hearing loss. Learn more about ear infection treatments.

You may feel pain in your ears even when the source is somewhere else in your body, like a toothache. That’s because the nerves in your face and neck pass very close to your inner ear. Doctors call this type of pain that starts in one area but is felt in another “referred pain.”

If your earache comes with a severe sore throat, it could be an infection like tonsillitis or pharyngitis. In fact, ear pain is often the worst symptom of one of these conditions. Learn more about sore throat symptoms.

Tooth abscesses, cavities, and impacted molars also can cause ear pain. Your doctor will be able to tell if your teeth are to blame by tapping on a tooth or your gums to see if they feel sore. Learn more about toothaches.

The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the “hinge” of your jaw that sits directly below your ears. You might get TMJ pain from grinding your teeth, or it could be a symptom of arthritis. The ache in your ears or face comes after you chew, talk, or yawn. To treat it, take over-the-counter pain medicine and put warm compresses on your jaw. Try not to clench your teeth. You may benefit from using a mouth guard when you sleep. This can help ease the tension that causes ear pain. Eating soft foods will help, too. Learn more about causes of jaw pain.

Some causes of ear pain can be serious such as tumors or infections, including cellulitis or shingles. If your ear pain is severe, doesn’t go away within a few days of home treatment, or comes with a high fever or sore throat, or you get a new rash, visit your doctor right away for treatment and to rule out something more serious.

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Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa): Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Why Do People Get Swimmer’s Ear?
• What Are the Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear?
• How to Diagnose and Treat Swimmer’s Ear
• Swimmer’s Ear Complications
• When to Call Your Doctor

If you’re like a lot of folks, you probably think of swimmer’s ear as an unwelcome souvenir of a beach vacation. And while the painful ear condition is often linked to a dunk in the ocean or the pool, the truth is you can get it on dry land, too.

No matter how you got your swimmer’s ear, once you learn to recognize the signs, you have plenty of options to treat it.

Swimmer’s ear, which has the medical name of otitis externa, is an infection in your ear canal. That’s the tube that runs from the hole on the outside of your ear to your eardrum.

Swimmer’s ear is different from the common ear infection that your young child often gets after a cold. Those are middle ear infections, or “otitis media” in doctor speak, and they happen deeper in the ear, behind the eardrum.

Usually, swimmer’s ear is caused by bacteria, but it can sometimes be brought on by a virus or fungus. Symptoms you may get are:

• Itchiness in the ear
• Pain, which can become severe
• Trouble hearing (sound may seem muffled as your ear canal swells)
• Fluid or pus draining out of the ear

Here’s one way to tell which type of ear infection you have. If it hurts when you tug or press your ear, you may have swimmer’s ear.

Most of the time, your ear fights off the germs that cause swimmer’s ear on its own. You can thank your earwax for that. While it doesn’t get much respect, earwax helps protect the ear canal from damage and makes it hard for germs to grow.

But if the skin gets scratched, germs can get into your ear canal and cause an infection. Some common reasons you may get swimmer’s ear are:

Sticking stuff in your ear. If you use cotton swabs, fingers, hairpins, pen caps, or anything else to clean your ears, it can rub away the protective earwax or scratch your skin. Even ear buds, earplugs, and hearing aids can have this effect, especially if you use them a lot.

Moisture trapped in your ear. When water gets stuck in your ear canal after swimming — or after you soak in a hot tub or even take a shower or bath — it can remove some of the earwax and soften the skin, which makes it easier for germs to get in.

Humid weather and sweat can cause the same problem. Germs like a warm, wet place to grow, so moisture trapped in your ear is perfect for them.

Other things can play a role in swimmer’s ear, like:

Your age. While swimmer’s ear can happen to anyone, it’s most common in kids and early teenagers.

Narrow ear canals. Kids often have ear canals that are small and don’t drain as well.

Skin reactions and conditions. Sometimes hair products, cosmetics, and jewelry can irritate your skin and raise the odds of getting swimmer’s ear. So can skin problems like eczema and psoriasis.

Whether you got your swimmer’s ear after a dunk in the pool or because an infection set in while you were on dry land, the symptoms are the same. You may notice things like:

• Itchy feeling inside your ear
• Pain in the ear, which can be severe
• Your ear hurts when you move your head or gently pull on your earlobe
• Tenderness inside your ear
• Fluid drains out of the ear
• A bad-smelling, yellowish discharge from the ear
• You don’t hear as well (things sound muffled)

If you have ear pain, don’t wait — see your doctor right away. Getting treatment quickly can stop an infection from getting worse.

During your appointment, your doctor will look in your ear and may gently clean it out. This will help treatments work better.

Then, you’ll probably get eardrops that may have antibiotics, steroids, or other ingredients to fight the infection and help with swelling. In some cases, you may need to take antibiotic pills, too.

Most of the time, swimmer’s ear starts to feel better within 2 days of starting treatment. But sometimes, it can get worse or lead to other problems, such as:

Long-term swimmer’s ear (chronic otitis externa). This is when swimmer’s ear doesn’t go away within 3 months. It can happen if you have hard-to-treat bacteria, fungus, allergies, or skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. Your doctor may need to test a sample of any fluid in your ear to help you decide on the best treatment.

Other infections. Sometimes, the bacteria can spread deeper into your skin or to other parts of your body. One rare condition is malignant otitis externa, which happens when the infection moves into bone and cartilage in your head. It’s a medical emergency, and it’s most common in older people with diabetes and people with HIV or other immune system problems.

Treatment for these infections is with more powerful antibiotics, either by mouth or through a needle (IV).

Always check with your doctor if you see any signs of an ear infection. Call if you feel dizzy or have ringing in your ears, which means you may have a more serious problem that needs to get checked out.

Also call your doctor if you have:

Severe pain. They can suggest medicine that can give you relief.

Rash on your scalp or near your ear. You may have seborrheic dermatitis or herpes zoster (shingles). Your doctor can recommend treatment.

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Ear hurts

Arthritis

Otitis

Labyrinthite

Mastoiditis

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09 June

Ear hurts – the causes of the appearance, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

Ear pain can be caused by diseases of different parts of the hearing organ, nearby organs, head injuries, and can also appear due to the spread of pain from other parts of the body. Such pain is caused by inflammatory, skin, neurological, dental, rheumatic, infectious pathologies.

The nature of such pain does not explain the cause of the disease. The doctor should evaluate the results of laboratory and instrumental examinations in order to clarify the diagnosis.

Types of pain in the ears

Most often, these pains are the result of otitis media – a disease of the outer, middle or inner ear.

Mastoiditis, arthritis of the temporomandibular joint, inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes – these are pathologies of nearby organs that often cause ear pain.

Ear pain can occur due to the spread of pain along the cranial nerves. For example, a toothache radiates through the auditory branch of the trigeminal nerve to the ears.

Traumatic rupture of the eardrum is the cause of ear pain due to damage from falls, blows to the head.

We will talk about the diseases that most often cause ear pain.

Possible causes

Mastoid pain

Mastoiditis, that is, purulent inflammation of the bone tissue of the mastoid process of the temporal bone, located behind the auricle, is the most characteristic complication of otitis media and a frequent consequence of its improper treatment.

Pain in otitis externa

Otitis externa is an inflammation of the outer ear, which consists of the auricle, the external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane separating it from the middle ear. The main symptom of the disease is a boil – a purulent inflammation of the hair follicle that captures the sebaceous gland. Sometimes boils can appear after cleaning the ears too hard, when microtraumas form on the skin of the ear canal, through which the infection penetrates.

Pain in otitis media

Behind the tympanic membrane begins the middle section of the organ of hearing. It is a small, air-filled space in the temporal bone between the external auditory meatus and the inner ear.

There are three tiny bones here: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The eardrum vibrates under the influence of acoustic waves. The vibrations are transmitted to the bones. Through the oval window separating the middle and inner ear, the stirrup sends a signal to the fluid that fills the inner ear – the perilymph.

Otitis media begins as a complication not of otitis externa, but of acute respiratory infections, influenza, tonsillitis.

With these ailments, an excess amount of mucus is formed, which enters the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx and equalizes air pressure in both directions. If this organ becomes inflamed, eustacheitis develops – a frequent companion of otitis media.

Otitis internal pain

Otitis media is also called labyrinthitis, because the inner ear is called a labyrinth because of its peculiar shape. Its main function is to conduct sound waves and convert them into electrical impulses for the brain. The cochlea, which is part of the labyrinth, belongs to the organ of hearing. The other two parts – the vestibule of the cochlea and the semicircular canals – to the organ of balance.

Labyrinthitis is usually a complication of otitis media.

Less commonly, this disease occurs as a result of microtrauma through the tympanic membrane and middle ear with sharp objects, which are sometimes recklessly cleaned ears, or as a result of damage to the temporal bone during head injuries.

What diseases occur

Mastoid pain

Ear pain is very severe, often covering half of the head on the side of the lesion, aggravated at night.

The remaining symptoms of mastoiditis occur in severe otitis media. These are noise in the ear, severe hearing loss, fever, a significant deterioration in the general condition, suppuration from the ear, detected during otoscopy.

Pain in otitis externa

The pain gradually increases as the follicle matures, it can radiate to the jaw, neck, intensify when chewing and pressing on the tragus – a cartilaginous protrusion on the outer ear. The pain is accompanied by itching, a feeling of fullness in the ear. Hearing may deteriorate, body temperature may rise.

Pain in otitis media

Pulsating, aching, shooting, often radiating to the teeth and back of the head, earache usually appears with fever. Ear pain with otitis externa and otitis media is easy to distinguish. In the first case, it intensifies if you press on the tragus, in the second it remains unchanged.

Pain due to labyrinthitis

Such pain in the ear is accompanied by hearing loss, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headaches, staggering when walking, involuntary twitching of the muscles of the eyeball.

Diagnostics and examinations

Pain in otitis externa

Otoscopy – examination of the external auditory canal and eardrum by an ENT doctor using specialized instruments.

Pain in otitis media

Hearing assessment using an audiometric examination, including tuning fork tests. These are tests with tuning forks, which make it possible to determine whether hearing loss is associated with inflammation in the middle ear or with damage to the auditory nerve. Bacterial culture from the middle ear is performed to determine sensitivity to an extended spectrum of antimicrobials, radiography or CT of the temporal bone, as well as tympanometry, in which the mobility of the tympanic membrane is assessed.

Pain associated with labyrinthitis and mastoiditis

Audio and vestibulometric examinations, bacterial culture from the middle ear with the determination of sensitivity to an extended spectrum of antimicrobials, radiography or CT of the temporal bone.

The procedure in which the doctor removes material from the middle ear cavity for analysis is called tympanocentesis. This method, performed after local anesthesia, is also used to pump out pus from the middle ear cavity.

What should be done when pain occurs?

If you experience ear pain, see your doctor right away.

If the pain is accompanied by fever and hearing loss, do not go outside, call a doctor at home.

Which doctors should I contact?

Inflammatory skin diseases that cause otitis externa can be treated by a general practitioner or surgeon, but it is better to consult an ENT doctor. And only this specialist should treat otitis media and mastoiditis. An ENT doctor and a neurologist will help in the treatment of labyrinthitis.

Treatment

Mastoid pain

The basis of the treatment of mastoiditis, as well as labyrinthitis, is antibiotic therapy, which is prescribed only by a doctor. Depending on the severity of the disease, operations are used: puncture of the eardrum to ensure the outflow of pus; mastoidectomy (rarely) – removal of pus from the air cells of the mastoid process.

Pain in otitis externa

The treatment of otitis externa is based on the use of drops, ointments, creams containing antiseptics in combination with anti-inflammatory and analgesic components. According to indications, surgical treatment is used (opening of mature boils).

Pain in otitis media

Drops with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are instilled into the ears, vasoconstrictor drops are instilled into the nose, reducing swelling of the nasopharynx and pharyngeal mouth of the Eustachian tube, and reducing the formation of mucus. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics. In the case of advanced otitis media, a puncture of the eardrum is used to free the middle ear cavity from pus.

Pain due to labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is treated only in a hospital by an otolaryngologist and a neurologist, and, if necessary, by an infectious disease specialist and a neurosurgeon. In addition to antibiotic therapy, a labyrinthotomy operation is often needed. This is the name of the opening by the surgeon of the semicircular canals of the ear labyrinth to ensure the outflow of pus and stop the infection from entering the cranial cavity.

Sources:

1. Clinical guidelines “Otitis externa” (children). Developed by: Union of Pediatricians of Russia, National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists, Interregional Association for Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. – 2021.
2. Clinical guidelines “otitis externa” (adults). Developed by: National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists. – 2021.
3. Clinical guidelines “Otitis media acute”. Developed by: National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists. – 2021.
4. Clinical guidelines “Chronic otitis media”. Developed by: National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists. – 2021.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

What to do when your ear hurts – an article on the site Aptechestvo, Nizhny Novgorod

Ear pain in adults or ear pain in a child is simply exhausting. Usually it is accompanied by discomfort, fatigue, sleep disturbance, loud crying. Practice shows that people with ear pain make many mistakes that lead to complications. What to do when your ear hurts? First of all, you need to consult a doctor who will diagnose ear pain and prescribe the appropriate course of treatment.

When an adult’s ear hurts or a child’s ear hurts, discomfort can occur in different departments. We will analyze them in accordance with the generally accepted classification.

Pain in the outer ear

This part of the auditory organ is considered the most unprotected for infections. Why does my ear hurt? Very often, pain occurs due to inflammatory processes caused by bacteria. Another reason is improper cleaning, physical damage, foreign bodies. All this leads to the appearance of boils and even eczema. In such cases, doctors put otitis externa.

Pain in the middle ear

Ear pain can also appear in the middle ear. The department is closely connected with the outer ear and nasopharynx. Therefore, it is also characterized by the appearance of infections. Pathologies in the middle ear are accompanied by shooting pain, pulsation, hearing loss, distortion of the perception of one’s own voice.

Main pathologies:

• inflammatory processes;

• tumors in the tympanic cavity;

• trauma and breach of integrity;

• problems in the auditory tube.

In some cases, severe ear pain may appear after going to the pool. Pain extends both to the outer ear, where the infection could have entered, and to the middle ear, where pain is caused by the strong pressure of water when diving to depth.

Pathologies of the inner ear

The defeat of the inner ear in most cases is not accompanied by pain. Therefore, here, it is best to talk about pathologies. The main symptoms: impaired coordination, periodic nausea, extraneous sounds, headaches, dizziness and rapid hearing loss. The list of the main diseases that are the result of damage to the inner ear:

• labyrinthitis;

• hearing loss;

• Meniere’s disease;

• otosclerosis.

In addition, in some cases, acute ear pain may be due to complications in other organs. For example, dental problems, trigeminal neuralgia, or swelling of the larynx.