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Ear pain can occur both in a healthy person and be a signal of serious illness. If you do not visit a doctor in a timely manner and do not start treatment, severe complications can develop, up to complete hearing loss. Therefore, it is so important to know the main causes of pain and be able to cope with it.
Causes of ear pain
Ear pain is a common symptom that can occur in a person at any age. Neither children nor adults are immune from it.
The causes of pain may be as follows:
Inflammation of the ear (otitis) and inflammation of nearby organs.
Damage to the nervous system and auditory nerve.
Diseases with involvement in the pathological process of the neck, nose, oropharynx, blood vessels, brain, etc.
Tumor neoplasms.
The pain can be stabbing, pressing, throbbing, shooting. Its intensity depends on the etiological factor. In order for the doctor to be able to make a correct diagnosis, the patient must describe in detail the symptoms that disturb him. This will allow you to choose the optimal treatment.
Ear pain in healthy people – why?
Sometimes ear pain occurs in people who are completely healthy.
The reasons in this case are:
Walk in the wind. If the wind blows into the ear, then a “painful bruise” is formed. The skin in the affected area turns blue and begins to hurt. After a while, this condition self-destructs, treatment is not required.
Regular exposure to water. This is the so-called “swimmer’s ear”. The skin of the ear canal softens with constant contact with water, and edema is formed. If no action is taken, the person will develop otitis externa.
Excess production of earwax. This leads to congestion in the ear and to a certain discomfort.
Sulfur deficiency. Dry ears can also cause pain.
Pain with inflammation of the ear
The human ear is represented by 3 sections: outer, middle and inner. The outer section from the middle is limited by the tympanic membrane. An oval window is located in front of the entrance to the inner ear. It is covered with an elastic membrane. Depending on where exactly the inflammation is concentrated, otitis media can be medium, external or internal.
Otitis externa can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Otitis media can be caused by viruses or bacteria.
Inflammation of the inner ear is called labyrinthitis.
It develops for various reasons, including:
Infection from the middle ear, if otitis media was not treated, or was absent altogether.
Infection from the brain with meningitis.
Infection with blood flow with tuberculosis, syphilis, herpes.
Infection from the external environment with injuries to the temporal region, or the ear itself.
Eustachitis. This is an inflammation of the auditory tube, which is accompanied by painful sensations, fluid overflows in the ear, and autophony.
Boils and cysts of the sebaceous glands (atheroma), which are located in the ear canal, can lead to pain in the ear. Symptoms of the pathology will resemble otitis externa. However, when examining the ear, the doctor visualizes an inflammatory focus with purulent contents and blood.
Pain from injury
Injury always leads to pain.
Types of ear injuries:
Mechanical damage. The wound may be lacerated, and damage to the cartilage tissue of the ear is also often observed. If it was hit with a blunt object, then a hematoma is formed. Injuries lead to intense pain. A person can become deaf for a while, sometimes blood comes out of the ear canal. These symptoms are a reason to see a doctor. The doctor must rule out a violation of the integrity of the eardrum and make sure that the bones of the skull are not damaged.
Barotrauma. Such damage can be obtained due to the difference in pressure in the environment and in the ear itself. A similar situation is observed during explosions (due to loud sound), when flying on an airplane (during climb and descent), when swimming at depth (during diving), when climbing to a height.
Foreign object injury. Small parts can get into the ear canal, sometimes insects get into the ear. This leads to tissue swelling, itching and pain of varying intensity. Sometimes a person’s hearing gets worse.
Frostbite and burns. The pain will be the more intense, the stronger the damage.
Sulfur cork. Excessive accumulation of wax in the ear canal leads to ear pain and hearing loss.
Tumors of the ear
The tumor is most often found in the outer and middle sections of the ear. Neoplasms of the labyrinth are a rare occurrence. When a cancerous tumor forms in the outer ear, a person suffers from severe pain, they are burning, they give to the temple. Their ear canal may be bleeding. If obturation develops, the person begins to hear poorly.
If the tumor grows in the middle part of the ear, then the symptoms will resemble an otitis media clinic. However, the person will quickly lose their hearing. Pain cannot be stopped with classic drops for the treatment of otitis media. By evening they become stronger.
As the pathology progresses, nearby structures are included in the process. This leads to a deterioration in coordination, paresis of the facial nerve, trigeminal neuralgia may develop.
Pain due to disease of neighboring organs
Ear pain can occur when adjacent structures suffer from a particular pathology.
Reasons for these violations:
Mastoiditis. With this pathology, the mastoid process becomes inflamed. The pain in the ear is severe, throbbing. Edema forms behind the auricle, hearing decreases, body temperature increases.
Sinusitis. The paranasal sinuses are inflamed. The pain will be concentrated in the forehead, in the upper jaw. In addition, your teeth and head may hurt. Pain in the ear is acute.
Neuralgia of the trigeminal or glossopharyngeal nerve. When they become inflamed, the pain will radiate to the ear.
Arthritis and arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint. A person has an earache on the side of the lesion, the intensity of pain depends on the severity of the inflammation. Hearing may deteriorate, the mobility of the lower jaw is impaired. In the temporal region, a crunch and other noises are heard. They appear when a person opens and closes his mouth.
Mumps. With this disease, the salivary glands, which are located in front of the auricle, become inflamed. When bacteria enters the gland, it suppurates. The infection can penetrate into it with a blood or lymph flow, or from a diseased tooth.
Lymphadenitis. Lymph nodes are located near the ear, which are hidden under the skin. Normally, they are not palpable, but if their inflammation develops, then the person often feels pain in the ears. Such a reaction can be caused by sore teeth when the infection penetrates the lymph nodes. Bacteria are also able to spread throughout the body with blood or lymph flow.
Pulpitis or caries. The teeth and ears are innervated by branches from the trigeminal nerve. Therefore, if the teeth or jaw bones are affected, a person may experience pain in the ear.
The main symptoms of the disease
Depending on the nature of the pain in the ear and its intensity, the doctor may suspect a particular pathology. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor directs the patient to certain examinations. At the appointment with a specialist, you need to describe the disturbing sensations in as much detail as possible. This will narrow the range of possible diseases and start treatment earlier.
Shooting pain in the ear
Shooting pain in the ear does not require delay. Such sensations indicate an acute inflammatory reaction concentrated in the middle part of the ear. Angina, flu, labyrinth can provoke backache. The pain is able to radiate to the temple, to the teeth, but only from the side of the lesion.
In addition to lumbago, a person may complain of ear congestion, tinnitus and hearing loss. Sometimes one side of the face and head hurts. With intense inflammation, body temperature often rises.
Pain and itching
If the ear not only hurts, but also itches, then a fungal infection can be suspected. Less commonly, itching is caused by bacteria. Such symptoms clearly indicate inflammation, which is concentrated inside the ear. Another common cause of itching and pain is diabetes.
Pain on pressure
If the pain in the ear increases with pressure on it, this is a symptom of otitis externa. The ear canal becomes inflamed due to infection. Pathology develops under the influence of various bacteria. Moreover, they can get into the ear passages from the inflamed sinuses or tonsils.
The external part of the ear canal swells, the patient’s body temperature rises, purulent discharge appears. They will give off a bad smell. However, hearing remains intact and does not decrease.
Ear and jaw pain
Simultaneous pain in the jaw and in the ear occurs against the background of lymphadenitis. In this case, the lymph node becomes inflamed, which is located either next to the ear or under the lower jaw. Painful sensations spread to the temporal region and to the collarbone, which is observed with intense inflammation.
The jaw and ear can hurt against the background of the eruption of the wisdom tooth, with deep caries.
The third cause of pain is trigeminal neuralgia.
Ear hurts and swollen
A symptom of otitis media is pain and swelling of the ear. Often this inflammation is a complication of an untreated cold. A bump can form near the ear, which reaches a size of 3-15 mm. Its appearance indicates involvement in the pathological process of the lymph node.
Earache and discharge
If fluid begins to appear from the diseased ear, then this indicates the development of a purulent process. Such a symptom should not be ignored, since the infection can spread to the deep structures of the ear and to the brain.
Pain and ulcers or boils
A furuncle in the ear causes severe pain. A person cannot sleep normally, his appetite disappears, and the quality of life as a whole is disturbed. It is strictly forbidden to try to squeeze pus out of the boil. It develops due to inflammation in the tissues themselves. In this case, experts speak of limited otitis media.
Ear hurts and burns (bakes)
Pain and burning indicate an infection in the ear. If the pain extends to the back of the head, then cervical osteochondrosis can be suspected.
Child’s ear pain
In children, ear pain can be caused by various reasons. The most common of these is otitis media. The wide spread of this disease in childhood is due to the peculiarities of the structure of the hearing apparatus in babies.
The second most common cause of pain in the ear is the ingress of a foreign body into it. The child can put a small part in the ear. If such a situation happened, then you should not try to extract it yourself. You need to contact a medical facility.
Symptoms of ear pain in a child:
Strong crying.
Nausea, refusal to eat, vomiting.
Increased crying on pressure on the tragus of the ear.
Even touching a sore spot causes anxiety in the baby.
Diagnostics
To determine the causes of pain in the ear, you need to contact an otolaryngologist or audiologist. The doctor will interview the patient, clarify his complaints and perform an examination. After that, a diagnostic plan will be drawn up, which will clarify the cause of the pain. If necessary, the patient will be referred to another specialist.
The scheme of examination for pain in the ear:
Donating blood for clinical and biochemical analysis.
Urine for general analysis.
CT and MRI of the temporal bone.
Audiometry.
X-ray of the temporal bone.
Testing for infection.
Dentist visit.
The patient is not always prescribed all of the listed procedures. Sometimes a standard examination is enough to identify the disease. When the results are received, the doctor will prescribe treatment.
If the disease is complex, then you may need to consult such specialists as:
Surgeon.
Infectious disease.
Audiologist and audiologist (narrow specialties in otolaryngology).
Neurologist.
Dentist.
Traumatologist.
Ear pain treatment
An ENT doctor deals with the treatment of ear diseases. He selects the necessary drugs, is determined by the dosage of the drug and the duration of their intake. You should not instill any drugs in your ear on your own. Sometimes conservative methods fail to cope with the disease, in this case the patient is referred for surgery.
First aid
It often happens that ear pain occurs suddenly and it is not possible to immediately seek medical help.
To relieve pain, you need to know the rules of first aid:
Taking an anesthetic drug. It could be paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Go to bed, avoid loud noises and bright lights.
Apply dry heat to the ear. This can be done only when the body temperature remains within the normal range and there is no discharge from the ear.
If the ear has just begun to hurt, then a vasoconstrictor drug should be dripped into the nose. You can take an allergy pill. This will reduce the swelling of the tissues of the nasopharynx. The outflow of fluid in the auditory tube will improve, otitis media will not develop.
If water gets into the ear, then you need to jump on one leg. At the same time, the head is tilted to the side and down so that the water can flow out. Alternatively, you can create a vacuum. To do this, a palm is tightly applied to the ear and sharply removed.
If an ear bruise occurs, then cold should be applied to it.
For ear burns, an alcohol solution is used to reduce pain.
If the ear pain lasts less than 2 days, but there is no discharge, Otipax or Otinum drops can be used. They allow you to stop inflammation and relieve pain.
If there is discharge from the ear, it is forbidden to inject any drops into it. First you need to consult a doctor.
Medication
Any drug should be prescribed by a doctor after the diagnosis. The doctor draws up a therapy regimen that will allow not only to cope with pain, but to eliminate the cause that caused it.
The main directions of treatment:
Anesthesia. Most often, NSAIDs are prescribed in tablet form.
Ointments and solutions with anti-inflammatory effect.
Aseptic processing of the ear.
Antibacterial therapy is carried out only when the bacterial nature of the inflammation is confirmed. Antibiotics are prescribed in a course that can last up to several weeks. It is important to strictly follow medical prescriptions in order to prevent the development of complications and not lead to chronic disease.
If a person has a rupture of the eardrum, then it will heal on its own within a month. To speed up this process, the doctor may prescribe drugs for local therapy. When the injury is severe, the help of a surgeon may be required.
Medicines for ear pain
Most often, drugs in the form of drops are used to treat ear pain:
Drops with antibacterial effect: Cypromed, Anauran.
Drops with hormones in the composition: Sofradex, Polydex. They are prescribed for severe inflammation.
Drops for the treatment of perforated otitis: Otofa, Normax. Their use does not harm the auditory nerve.
Drops with analgesic effect: Phenazone, Ottoton.
Drops for the treatment of fungal infection: Candibiotic.
Drops should be slightly warmed up before being introduced into the ear canal. To do this, you need to hold them in your palms. The ear should be pulled back and up, but if the child is under 2 years of age, then it is pulled down and back. Then the tragus is pressed tightly against the ear canal and lies on the opposite side. In this position, you need to spend about 5 minutes. For children under one year old, ear drops are rarely prescribed. Doctors recommend using Nazivin for the treatment of babies.
In addition to drops, ear ointments can be used for pain in the ear:
Sofradex. This drug contains several active ingredients at once. The use of ointment allows you to relieve inflammation, get rid of fungal infection and bacteria. Treatment should not last more than 7 days, so that addiction does not develop.
Levomekol ointment. It has a pronounced antibacterial effect, allows you to accelerate the recovery of damaged tissues, activates metabolic processes and the production of your own interferon. If the patient develops otitis, which is accompanied by the appearance of purulent discharge, it is necessary to twist the turunda, soak it with ointment and insert it into the ear canal for 12 hours. The course should last at least 10 days.
Tetracycline ointment. It is an antibacterial drug that is used to treat otitis externa. It is introduced into the external auditory canal 2 times a day. The course of treatment is one week.
For ear pain, tablets and suppositories can be used.
The most effective of them:
NSAIDs. Candles Diclofenac, which are inserted before bedtime. To get rid of pain, 1 candle is enough. Nurofen or MIG tablets 400mg.
Antibiotics: Ampicillin and Amoxicillin.
Antifungal drug: Clotrimazole.
Surgery
If conservative therapy does not achieve the desired effect, then surgical intervention is required. The most common procedure for otitis media is eardrum bypass surgery. When this method fails to get rid of pain and reduce body temperature, the patient undergoes an incision in the tympanic membrane. The procedure is called paracentesis.
Physiotherapy
Of the physiotherapeutic methods, laser treatment is often resorted to. The course lasts five days. The average session duration is 5 minutes. Pneumatic massage of the eardrum, or UHF on the nose can also be prescribed.
In order to prevent pain in the ear, you need to deal with the prevention of colds. In cold weather, you should wear a hat, avoid drafts.
Video: Live Healthy – what to do with ear pain? ENT doctor’s advice: