My ear hurts

Proven content

Acute, dull, chronic. Such pain can attack our ears. And it does not necessarily mean that there is a hearing impairment. There are many reasons, so the best solution is to see a doctor.

Ear pain is quite common and it is no wonder, as it can be caused by a wide variety of factors. Pain may arise as a result of a simple pressure change, fungal, viral or bacterial infection of the ear (e.g. as a complication of influenza), sometimes caused by ulceration, mechanical damage, a foreign body lying in the ear, a wax plug. Earaches can also be “secondary”, for example, they are often felt with toothaches, throat, and even the cervical spine.

Christmas travel

One of the most common causes of earache are rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, which we are subjected to, for example, during flying and diving. Although in winter we are not too inclined to go to the swimming pool, we certainly travel more than usual by air – we visit our family, plan short New Year’s Eve trips. It turns out, however, that a slight runny nose is enough – which happens quite often in this period – and the trouble is ready.

In the aircraft cabin, the pressure reaches the value at an altitude of approx. 1500 m above sea level to approx. 2400 m above sea level. Under these conditions, healthy people do not have any problems with well-being. It is different during take-off and landing – the pressure in the cabin changes so rapidly that we feel “clogged ears”, and sometimes (especially when we have a runny nose) pain, tinnitus, we hear worse. The cause of the problems is quite significant deterioration of middle ear ventilation due to runny nose (runny nose is associated not only with the swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose, but also the swelling of the eustachian tube, which prevents proper air flow). When a negative pressure is created in the middle ear in relation to the air in the cabin, the eardrum becomes inverted, which can contribute to the development of inflammation – otitis media.

So if the earache and other symptoms do not go away on their own for 1-2 days after landing, we should not self-medicate, but visit an ENT doctor. The persistence of the ailments indicates that there was probably an acute otitis media, which, if not treated properly, may result in perforation of the eardrum and hearing impairment.

Not only the plane

Acute otitis media can be caused not only by pressure changes, but also by many other factors, including allergic rhinitis, infectious diseases of the respiratory system and mechanical injuries. In allergies, inflammation occurs as a result of a pressure change in the middle ear due to the swelling of the Eustachian tube. With bacterial diseases, inflammation develops due to the ingress of pathogens from the nose or throat to the middle ear. However, in most cases the initial stages of Eustachian tube dysfunction and acute otitis media are caused by viruses, e.g. flu and parainfluenza, i.e. the same that we fight in the autumn and winter.

The disease, in addition to strongly felt ear pain (often intensifying at night), can also manifest itself as increased body temperature, general feeling of breakdown, diarrhea, vomiting, headache. Sometimes there is also a discharge from the affected ear – mucous or mucopurulent.

Acute otitis media shouldn’t be treated alone. Home remedies can help us fight pain, but antibiotic therapy remains the main treatment method, only occasionally supplemented with a puncture of the eardrum. We can only help ourselves by trying to improve the general condition of the body by rest, taking painkillers and antipyretics, drinking plenty of fluids and possibly short-term use of nasal decongestants. The rest – let’s leave it to the doctor.

Protection too effective

Much less dangerous, but certainly equally burdensome, can be the so-called arrears. a wax plug in the ear. Earwax is a sticky substance with a color from honey to brown, which covers the ear canal, protects the ear against minor injuries, dust, microorganisms, moisture, greases it and makes it elastic. If the production process is correct, it is released in appropriate amounts and does not remain in the ear canal, as it is gradually removed thanks to the movements of the jaws. Sometimes, however, this process is disturbed and the earwax becomes so hard that it is impossible to remove it on its own. It then stays in the ear, blocking the ear canal.

At the same time, the patient experiences deterioration of hearing (most often occurring in only one ear), a feeling of pressure, clogging, and pain. This condition usually forces you to visit an ENT specialist. It is worth visiting a doctor to remove earwax, although you can also buy drops that dissolve earwax deposits without a prescription. Why is it good to seek specialist advice? Since the hard earwax plug is usually not completely removable, and ear canal obstruction is associated with poor ventilation, which can lead to infection.

In order to prevent the formation of a wax plug, we must observe hygiene. Cotton swabs should not be used for cleaning the ears. By using them, even shallowly within the outer ear, part of the earwax is removed and the rest “stuffed” inside the ear canal, which can lead to the formation of a earwax plug. The best method is to wash and dry the ears with a tissue over your finger. This simple method makes the part of the ear visible to people around us remains clean, and the inside of the ear canal (invisible to anyone) is covered with a thin protective layer of earwax.

It’s not an ear!

Sometimes an earache is one of the first signs that something is wrong … with your teeth. When we are dealing with inflammation developing in the oral cavity, the dull pain may not be located in a specific location (aching tooth), but it may cover the entire jaw – the ears and even the head. Most often, however, at some point we are able to notice that the pain is radiating to the ears rather than coming from there. Then there’s no need to wait – pick up the phone and make an appointment with your dentist immediately. If he or she cannot see us right away, while waiting for the appointment, we can take advantage of the tried-and-tested methods of dealing with toothache. First of all – we brush our teeth (not forgetting the tongue!) And rinse them with a mouth rinse to disinfect the oral cavity as much as possible. Secondly – we use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Aspirin, Polopyrin S, Ibuprofen), and if we cannot take them, e.g. due to allergies, we use paracetamol – preferably in a water-soluble form, so that it works as soon as possible.

Other first aid measures include warm compresses (e.g. made of heated rice, which can be put in a clean sock), rinsing the mouth with a disinfecting infusion of herbs with antibacterial properties (e.g. sage) or specially prepared rinses available at the pharmacy (e.g. Dentosept) . If we are able to locate the source of the pain, we can put a cotton swab soaked in plain vodka or food spirit against the aching tooth. They should decontaminate, relieve pain and make the area slightly numb.

If these measures fail, a visit to the dental emergency service remains.

Text: Olga Bogusławska

Consultation: Iwona Gromek, MD, PhD, specialist in otolaryngology, Damian Medical Center, Warsaw

Source: Let’s live longer