Causes of earache + solutions

Earaches are a common problem, especially in children, that can be alarming, but are usually caused by a minor infection and often resolve within a few days without treatment. An earache can be a sharp, dull, or burning pain in the ear that comes and goes or is constant.

You may have earaches in just one or both ears. If you or your loved ones have an earache, you don’t always need to see a doctor. The pain usually improves within a few days. Learn more about the causes of ear pain, what did you see, maybe…

Causes of earache

Earwax

Your ear is always making wax and it will get rid of it on its own. When the ear doesn’t do this cycle properly, the wax builds up and hardens, which can block your ear canal. An object stuck in the ear or a buildup of earwax sometimes causes pain.

Your ear may hurt, itch, drain, or become infected. You may even lose your hearing for a while. Do not use cotton swabs or other objects to remove the wax. By doing this, you only push it further into your ear canal and increase the chance of damage.

If the wax build-up is mild, you can use ear drops that soften the wax. But if the wax is hardened, see a doctor. He can remove the wax without damaging the eardrum.

Air Pressure

Most of the time, your ear does a lot of work to keep the pressure equal on both sides of the eardrum. That little sound you feel when you swallow is part of this process. But quick changes, like when you’re on a plane or in an elevator, can throw off balance. Ear damage due to changes in pressure (from high altitudes and other reasons) may cause your ears to hurt and cause hearing problems.

This is usually a dysfunction of the eustachian tube, which can be chronic in some people. Chew gum, suck on hard candy, or yawn and swallow during takeoff and landing to avoid problems on planes or elevators. Take a deep breath, close your nostrils, then slowly try to blow the air out of your nose. Avoid air travel and diving when you have a cold, sinus infection, or allergy symptoms.

Swimmer’s Ear Disease

If your ear hurts when you pull on the earlobe or press on the small rim that closes it, you probably have an infection of the outer ear canal. When water remains in the ear canal, it creates a moist environment inside the ear. In this humid environment, the ground is provided for the growth of germs and bacteria of all kinds of infections and swimmer’s ear disease.

Your ear may be red, swollen, or itchy and discharge clear, odorless fluid. In the next stage, the ears are cupped and swelling, fluids and waste materials cause partial blockage of the ear canal. The patient even faces hearing loss. Finally, you will experience severe pain in your face, neck, or side of your head, and your ear canal will be completely blocked.

This disease is not contagious and the source of its infection is bacterial, and if it is not treated, the affected person will suffer from temporary hearing loss, infection or chronic otitis externa, cellulitis or deep tissue infection if the severity of the disease is high. To prevent swimmer’s ear, keep your ears dry after showering, during and after swimming.

If you see a doctor, the doctor will probably Treatment of earache And to cure the disease, he prescribes antibiotic ear drops. Or he uses a suction device to remove secretions, earwax and other waste from your ear, which is called ear irrigation.

Middle ear infection or serous otitis (Middle Ear Infection)

The eustachian tube extends from the middle of each ear to the back of the throat. This tube drains the fluid that has built up in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid can accumulate and may lead to pressure behind the eardrum or middle ear infection.

A cold, allergy, or sinus infection can also block your middle ear tubes. When fluid accumulates in the middle ear and becomes infected, it will cause otitis media. Otitis media, serous otitis is the most common cause Earache in children Especially in children under 4 years old.

Symptoms of this disease in children include fever, restlessness and loss of appetite, discharge of pus from the ear, etc. Take these symptoms seriously because one of the severe complications of this disease will be the rupture of the patient’s eardrum. If the doctor thinks that the cause of the ear infection is bacteria, he may prescribe antibiotics or drops to treat the middle ear infection.

Otherwise, he may recommend a combination of antihistamine, decongestant, pain reliever, and nasal steroid. If your pain does not improve or returns, you should tell your doctor. If left untreated, a middle ear infection can spread or cause hearing loss.

Other Causes

You may feel pain in your ear even when the pain originates elsewhere in your body, such as a toothache. This is because the nerves in your face and neck run very close to your inner ear. Doctors call this type of pain that starts in one area but is felt in another area, “referred pain”.

Referral earache is one of the common causes of complaints of patients who refer to the ear, nose and throat clinic. Because earache in adults is less due to ear infection. The pain you feel in your ear may be coming from somewhere else, such as your teeth, jaw joint (temporomandibular joint), or throat.

If the earache is accompanied by a severe sore throat, it may be caused by an infection such as tonsillitis or pharyngitis. In fact, earaches are often the worst symptom of one of these conditions. Tooth abscesses, cavities, and impacted molars can also cause earaches. A doctor can tell if your teeth are the cause of your earache by tapping on the teeth or gums.

The temporomandibular joint or TMJ is the joint that connects your jaw to the skull, which is located directly below your ears on both sides of the face. You may have TMJ pain from grinding your teeth, or it could be a sign of arthritis or joint inflammation. Pain appears in your ear or face after chewing, talking, or yawning. To treat it, you can use painkillers or put a warm compress on your jaw. Try not to clench your teeth. It may also be helpful to use a mouth guard while sleeping. Some causes of ear pain can be serious, such as tumors or infections, including cellulitis or shingles.

Home treatment for earache

• To reduce pain, place a cold wet cloth on the outer ear for 20 minutes.
• Chewing gum may help reduce pain and pressure from 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.
• As long as the eardrum is not ruptured, over-the-counter ear drops can be used to relieve pain.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be helpful for children and adults with earaches (please never give children aspirin for pain relief).
• Allow infants to bottle feed or breastfeed.

Ways to prevent earache

To prevent earaches, try:

• Avoid smoking near children. Cigarette smoke is the main cause of ear infections in children.
• Avoid external ear infection by not putting things in the ear.
• After bathing or swimming, dry the ears well.
• Take steps to control allergies. Try to avoid allergy triggers.
• Try a steroid nasal spray to help reduce ear infections. But avoid over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants without a doctor’s prescription.

Take the causes of earache seriously!

Golhak hearing clinic Located on Shariati St., Qolhak, with the most elite audiometric specialists, with more than 30 years of experience in providing all kinds of modern brands of hearing aids along with accessories and audiometric tests, it provides the best services to patients.

We recommend if your child has a high fever, severe pain or seems sicker than usual with an ear infection, if your child has new symptoms such as dizziness, headache, swelling around the ear or facial muscle weakness, or if severe pain stops suddenly ( (this may be a sign of a ruptured eardrum) or if symptoms (pain, fever, or irritability) get worse or do not improve within 24 to 48 hours, or are accompanied by a high fever or sore throat, or cause itching or irritation on the skin, Be sure to see a doctor immediately for treatment and to prevent further severe complications.

You can contact the experts of this collection for free consultation and comprehensive information about treatment methods and…

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