Pain outer ear causes: Burning, Scratchy Throat and More
Outer ear infection: Overview – InformedHealth.org
Last Update: February 13, 2020; Next update: 2023.
Introduction
Outer ear infections typically lead to redness and swelling in the ear. They are among the most common causes of earache. In many cases they are caused by bacteria. But fungi, viruses or allergies are sometimes to blame too.
The outer ear includes the part of the ear you can see (the auricle) and the outer ear canal. The outer ear canal leads from the eardrum to the auricle. The medical term for inflammations of the outer ear is “otitis externa.” They are usually caused by infections.
Outer ear infection
Symptoms
Outer ear infections are often very painful– especially when you touch or tug on your earlobe. Itching is common too.
The skin in the ear canal is red and swollen, and sometimes also sheds skin flakes or oozes a liquid. The ear might then become blocked, making it difficult to hear properly.
In about 1 out of 3 people the symptoms are so severe that it affects their everyday lives.
About 1 out of 5 people have to stay home from work or school for a few days because of the infection.
Causes and risk factors
Outer ear infections are usually caused by bacteria. They are sometimes caused by a fungus, such as a yeast, but that’s less common. Viral illnesses like the flu or a certain type of shingles (Zoster oticus) may also lead to an outer ear infection. And sometimes allergic reactions – for instance, to a shampoo – are to blame.
Outer ear infections are also often called “swimmer’s ear” because germs can easily get into the ear canal while you’re swimming. This means that people who swim a lot are more likely to get outer ear infections.
Minor injuries to the ear – for instance, through the use of cotton ear buds to clean your ear, or regularly wearing headphones that you stick inside your ear (“in-ear headphones”) – can increase the risk too. People who have already had an outer ear infection or are generally prone to infections are also more likely to get outer ear infections.
Prevalence and outlook
Outer ear infections are especially common in adults: About 1 out of 10 people will have one at some point in their life.
The infection is usually mild and clears up on its own after a few days or weeks. But it sometimes lasts longer. In rare cases it may spread to nearby tissue.
Prevention
In order to prevent outer ear infections, it’s important not to irritate or damage the ear canal. Pointed objects should never be inserted into the ear canal.
But simply trying to clean your ears with cotton ear buds can cause damage to the ear canal too. There’s no need to use cotton ear buds anyway because your ears clean themselves by producing earwax. When the earwax comes out of your ears, you can remove it (and the dirt inside it) with a tissue. If larger amounts build up or a hard “plug” develops, the earwax can be softened, for instance with olive oil, allowing it to leave the ear more easily.
It’s important to take care, though.
If you are unsure, it might be better to get a doctor to flush out your ear and suck out the built-up earwax or carefully remove it with a thin, hook-like instrument.
The following things can also help to prevent outer ear infections:
A snug-fitting swimming cap helps to keep water from entering the ear while swimming, showering or having a bath.
People who use earplugs while swimming should make sure that they are soft and fit properly.
If water does get into your ear, you usually just need to tilt your head to the side to let the water flow out. Gently pulling your earlobe and jumping up and down a little can help. You can also carefully dry your ear using a hairdryer at a low setting.
If you often have problems with earwax buildup, it’s a good idea to have your ear cleaned by a doctor before going on any trips where you might do a lot of swimming.
If you have sensitive ear canals, don’t use earplugs to protect your ears from noise, dust or water too often.
That’s also true for the use of in-ear headphones when you listen to music or make phone calls. It might be better to try different headphones if you’re prone to outer ear infections.
That’s also true for the use of in-ear headphones when you listen to music or make phone calls. It might be better to try different headphones if you’re prone to outer ear infections.If you’ve noticed that certain shampoos, soaps or other cosmetic products lead to ear infections, it’s best to try out other products instead.
Treatment
The medications that are commonly used to treat outer ear infections include painkillers and disinfectant ear drops or sprays. These are available from pharmacies without a prescription. Acute outer ear infections that are caused by bacteria are often treated using special ear drops that have to be prescribed by a doctor. If the symptoms don’t improve within a few days, it’s advisable to see a doctor.
If the infection is severe or lasts for several weeks, your doctor might clean your ear and place a little sponge or a strip of gauze soaked in ear drop fluid into your ear canal. Sometimes other kinds of medication are needed too – for instance, if the ear infection was caused by shingles.
Sources
Burton MJ, Singer M, Rosenfeld RM. Extracts from The Cochrane Library: Interventions for acute otitis externa. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2010; 143(1): 8-11. [PubMed: 20620612]
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin (DEGAM). Ohrenschmerzen (S2k-Leitlinie). AWMF-Registernr.: 053-009. 11.2014.
Hajioff D, MacKeith S. Otitis externa. BMJ Clin Evid 2015: pii: 0510.
Kaushik V, Malik T, Saeed SR. Interventions for acute otitis externa. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010; (1): CD004740. [PubMed: 20091565]
Lenarz T, Boenninghaus HG. Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde. Berlin: Springer; 2012.
Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A. Otitis Externa. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2019; 116(13): 224-234. [PMC free article: PMC6522672] [PubMed: 31064650]
IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping
people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health
care services.Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the
German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual
case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations.Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a
team of
health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can
find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in
our methods.
Outer ear infection: Overview – InformedHealth.org
Last Update: February 13, 2020; Next update: 2023.
Introduction
Outer ear infections typically lead to redness and swelling in the ear. They are among the most common causes of earache. In many cases they are caused by bacteria. But fungi, viruses or allergies are sometimes to blame too.
The outer ear includes the part of the ear you can see (the auricle) and the outer ear canal.
The outer ear canal leads from the eardrum to the auricle. The medical term for inflammations of the outer ear is “otitis externa.” They are usually caused by infections.
Outer ear infection
Symptoms
Outer ear infections are often very painful– especially when you touch or tug on your earlobe. Itching is common too.
The skin in the ear canal is red and swollen, and sometimes also sheds skin flakes or oozes a liquid. The ear might then become blocked, making it difficult to hear properly.
In about 1 out of 3 people the symptoms are so severe that it affects their everyday lives. About 1 out of 5 people have to stay home from work or school for a few days because of the infection.
Causes and risk factors
Outer ear infections are usually caused by bacteria. They are sometimes caused by a fungus, such as a yeast, but that’s less common. Viral illnesses like the flu or a certain type of shingles (Zoster oticus) may also lead to an outer ear infection.
And sometimes allergic reactions – for instance, to a shampoo – are to blame.
Outer ear infections are also often called “swimmer’s ear” because germs can easily get into the ear canal while you’re swimming. This means that people who swim a lot are more likely to get outer ear infections.
Minor injuries to the ear – for instance, through the use of cotton ear buds to clean your ear, or regularly wearing headphones that you stick inside your ear (“in-ear headphones”) – can increase the risk too. People who have already had an outer ear infection or are generally prone to infections are also more likely to get outer ear infections.
Prevalence and outlook
Outer ear infections are especially common in adults: About 1 out of 10 people will have one at some point in their life.
The infection is usually mild and clears up on its own after a few days or weeks. But it sometimes lasts longer. In rare cases it may spread to nearby tissue.
Prevention
In order to prevent outer ear infections, it’s important not to irritate or damage the ear canal.
Pointed objects should never be inserted into the ear canal.
But simply trying to clean your ears with cotton ear buds can cause damage to the ear canal too. There’s no need to use cotton ear buds anyway because your ears clean themselves by producing earwax. When the earwax comes out of your ears, you can remove it (and the dirt inside it) with a tissue. If larger amounts build up or a hard “plug” develops, the earwax can be softened, for instance with olive oil, allowing it to leave the ear more easily.
It’s important to take care, though. If you are unsure, it might be better to get a doctor to flush out your ear and suck out the built-up earwax or carefully remove it with a thin, hook-like instrument.
The following things can also help to prevent outer ear infections:
A snug-fitting swimming cap helps to keep water from entering the ear while swimming, showering or having a bath.
People who use earplugs while swimming should make sure that they are soft and fit properly.
If water does get into your ear, you usually just need to tilt your head to the side to let the water flow out. Gently pulling your earlobe and jumping up and down a little can help. You can also carefully dry your ear using a hairdryer at a low setting.
If you often have problems with earwax buildup, it’s a good idea to have your ear cleaned by a doctor before going on any trips where you might do a lot of swimming.
If you have sensitive ear canals, don’t use earplugs to protect your ears from noise, dust or water too often. That’s also true for the use of in-ear headphones when you listen to music or make phone calls. It might be better to try different headphones if you’re prone to outer ear infections.
If you’ve noticed that certain shampoos, soaps or other cosmetic products lead to ear infections, it’s best to try out other products instead.
Treatment
The medications that are commonly used to treat outer ear infections include painkillers and disinfectant ear drops or sprays.
These are available from pharmacies without a prescription. Acute outer ear infections that are caused by bacteria are often treated using special ear drops that have to be prescribed by a doctor. If the symptoms don’t improve within a few days, it’s advisable to see a doctor.
If the infection is severe or lasts for several weeks, your doctor might clean your ear and place a little sponge or a strip of gauze soaked in ear drop fluid into your ear canal. Sometimes other kinds of medication are needed too – for instance, if the ear infection was caused by shingles.
Sources
Burton MJ, Singer M, Rosenfeld RM. Extracts from The Cochrane Library: Interventions for acute otitis externa. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2010; 143(1): 8-11. [PubMed: 20620612]
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin (DEGAM). Ohrenschmerzen (S2k-Leitlinie). AWMF-Registernr.: 053-009. 11.2014.
Hajioff D, MacKeith S. Otitis externa. BMJ Clin Evid 2015: pii: 0510.
Kaushik V, Malik T, Saeed SR. Interventions for acute otitis externa. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010; (1): CD004740. [PubMed: 20091565]
Lenarz T, Boenninghaus HG. Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde. Berlin: Springer; 2012.
Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A. Otitis Externa. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2019; 116(13): 224-234. [PMC free article: PMC6522672] [PubMed: 31064650]
IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping
people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health
care services.Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the
German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual
case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations.Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a
team of
health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can
find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in
our methods.
You canOtitis externa – causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Please, specify the information by phone. +7(925)793-45-41
Otitis externa is an infectious disease of the outer ear, usually of a bacterial nature. The outer ear is the peripheral part of the human hearing apparatus. It consists of the external auditory canal, which has cartilaginous and bony parts, and the auricle.
Causes
The main cause of the development of the disease is the ingress of water into the ear during bathing. This can be dirty water from reservoirs (sea, river, lake) or excessively chlorinated water in public pools (it dries out the mucous membrane, reduces local immunity and provokes the development of aseptic inflammation).
In addition, hygienic manipulations, such as cleaning the ears with cotton swabs, also contribute to the development of the disease.
This procedure not only removes sulfur from the mucous membrane, but also provokes the appearance of microtraumas, which makes the skin vulnerable to infection.Risk factors are also:
– high temperature and humidity;
– the presence of allergies;
– increased sweating;
– prolonged stress.Symptoms
Main clinical manifestations of otitis externa:
- Pain in the ear.
- Headache.
- Sensation of fullness in the ear.
- Pain when touching and pressing on the auricle.
- Serous or purulent discharge from the ear.
- Hearing loss.
The patient may be disturbed by an unpleasant smell from the ear, swelling, fever up to febrile numbers, general weakness.
Diagnosis
Otorhinolaryngologist conducts several stages of otitis externa diagnostics:
- Collection of complaints and anamnesis of the disease.
- Examination of the outer ear. Otoscopy.
- Taking a swab of the contents of the ear canal to identify the pathogen and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.
- In case of recurring otitis, the doctor prescribes tests for diabetes mellitus, HIV infection and other systemic diseases accompanied by a decrease in immunity.
Classification
There are four types of otitis externa:
- Otitis externa. The patient’s condition is satisfactory, complaints of itching or pain in the ear, slight discharge from the ear canal.
- Diffuse. Often occurs with an increase in temperature. It is poorly tolerated by patients.
- Necrotizing (malignant). Not only the mucous membrane of the auditory canal is affected, but also the cartilages of the outer ear.
- Otomycosis. The cause of the disease is a fungal infection.
Treatment
- Topical therapy is used in the vast majority of cases. Used: anti-inflammatory solutions,
- local antiseptics,
- glucocorticosteroid ointments,
- antibiotics.
Sometimes a doctor soaks a cotton ball with medicine and injects it into the patient’s ear for a while. An important part of therapy is the correct hygienic care of the external auditory canal. If the pain is very severe, the patient is prescribed painkillers.
In severe cases (necrotizing form), surgical treatment with excision of affected tissues is recommended.
Complications include:
— chronic disease;
– spread of infection to regional lymph nodes and auricle;
– mastoiditis;
– osteomyelitis;
– thrombosis of the sigmoid sinus;
– brain abscess.Prevention includes avoiding intensive cleaning of the ears with cotton swabs, matches or candles. Hygiene procedures should be limited to washing the auricle with warm water. It is recommended to use a swimming cap in the pool, and after swimming in the ponds, be sure to rinse your ears with clean water and dry them with a towel.
This procedure not only removes sulfur from the mucous membrane, but also provokes the appearance of microtraumas, which makes the skin vulnerable to infection.
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Ear pain: causes and treatment
Get rid of ear pain at SANMEDEKSPERT!
An experienced otorhinolaryngologist at the SANMEDEKSPERT clinic will help you get rid of ear pain of various etiologies by making the correct diagnosis.
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Make an appointment
Pain in the ear is a rather unpleasant symptom that may indicate a disease of the hearing organs or neighboring organs. Severe ear pain is especially dangerous for children. Types of pain in the ear can vary in nature and localization. Often pain is caused by inflammatory processes in the ear (otitis media), and pain also occurs with traumatic injuries, excessive amounts of earwax, etc.
The nature of the pain in the ear is shooting, throbbing, pressing, stabbing. Most diseases, in addition to pain, have other manifestations, which you should definitely tell your doctor about.
Possible causes of pain in the ear
Depending on the underlying cause and localization of the pathological process, the following types of ear pain may occur:
- sudden gusts of wind can cause a painful bruise in the auricle, which most often disappears on its own after a few days. If there is no improvement, you should consult an otolaryngologist, as there may have been an infection of the skin leading to perichondritis;
- if there is an infection in the middle ear, you may experience short-term pain, but inflammation can become chronic and spread to the inner ear;
- severe ear pain may occur with furunculosis;
- with frequent contact with water, a condition called “swimmer’s ear” occurs. It is characterized by softening of the skin, which facilitates the penetration of infection;
- earache can also occur with cerumen; if the soreness is accompanied by dryness, it is, on the contrary, a lack of earwax;
- pressing pain in the ears may indicate sinusitis or rhinitis;
- in young children, the cause of pain in the auditory canal is often foreign objects that babies place in the ear. The presence of such objects can cause inflammation and, as a result, soreness;
- When the tympanic membrane is ruptured due to an ear injury, severe pain occurs, which can lead to loss of consciousness.
If there is no improvement, you should consult an otolaryngologist, as there may have been an infection of the skin leading to perichondritis;
Separately, one should dwell on the pain that occurs during inflammatory processes – otitis media. With the external form of the disease, pain is usually not too intense. One of the manifestations of the pathology is the “swimmer’s ear”. Otitis media, characterized by damage to the inner ear, is already accompanied by acute pain. This condition requires immediate treatment, as one of its most dangerous complications is complete hearing loss.
Methods of ear pain treatment
The SANMEDEKSPERT clinic employs experienced specialists who will conduct a comprehensive diagnostic examination, establish the exact cause of ear pain and prescribe the appropriate treatment. For the treatment of uncomplicated inflammatory diseases, ear drops containing antibiotics may be prescribed.
Treatment may also include physiotherapy. The otolaryngologist may prescribe an auricular lavage, which will get rid of the sulfuric plug and provide antiseptic treatment. In some cases, ear pain is treated with warming, but only if the patient’s body temperature is not elevated.
Therapy may also involve the placement of tampons with drugs in the outer ear.
If the earache is caused by a foreign body, the doctor will gently remove it and perform an antiseptic treatment. In case of traumatic damage to the eardrum, which does not heal on its own, special regenerating agents are used. Surgical intervention is required for severe purulent inflammation of the mastoid cavity (mastoiditis).
Popular questions
Why do children have more earaches than adults?
Answer: The high incidence of ear pain in children is due to the anatomical structure of the ear. In babies, the auditory tube is much shorter and wider than in adults, which allows infection to enter the ear canal almost unhindered.
Ear pain due to infection?
Answer: Infectious diseases are a common, but far from the only, cause of ear pain. Pain can also be mechanical or traumatic in nature, or it can be due to diseases not related to the hearing organs.
Can I self-medicate with earache?
Answer: Ear pain should be treated only when its exact cause is established, and only a doctor can do this. If you do not know why your ear hurts, and you begin to self-medicate, you can only aggravate your own condition.
Why does the ear hurt when swallowing?
Answer: Ear pain when swallowing is a common symptom of mumps. Also, a similar symptom can occur with pharyngitis, abscess or abscess located in the neck.
Can a sore throat spread to the ear?
Answer: Quite often, earache appears as a complication of tonsillitis.
Why do my ears hurt when I hear loud noises?
Answer: Sometimes painful sensations in the ears that occur with loud sounds indicate hyperacusis. This condition can occur with a number of neurological problems and diseases of the auditory analyzer.