Overview
An earache can affect both adults and children and it can be frustrating trying to find the reason for it.
- Common causes of earaches include infections, injuries, and sinus conditions.
- Treatments range from home remedies and over-the-counter pain medication to prescription medications.
- By maintaining proper ear hygiene and protecting your ears from loud noises and foreign objects can help prevent earaches from reoccurring.
If your ear pain is affecting your everyday life, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
What Are Earaches?
An earache, medically known as otalgia, is a common condition that may feel like a drill is burrowing through your ear. It typically affects children more than adults, but anyone can experience ear pain. Sometimes, earaches are caused by an ear infection or an underlying condition. But they are rarely a sign of a serious illness.
What Are The Symptoms of Ear Pain?
Earaches are painful, distracting, and annoying to deal with, but it’s important to know what symptoms are typical and which need medical attention. Some of the common symptoms associated with earaches include:
- Sharp or Dull Pain: Pain ranging from mild discomfort to severe ache.
- Hearing Loss: Difficulty hearing or feeling fullness in your ear.
- Discharge: Fluid, pus, or blood draining from your ear.
- Itching: Persistent itching in or around your ear.
- Fever: An elevated body temperature, often accompanying infections.
- Tinnitus: Ringing or buzzing noises in your ear.
- Dizziness: Feeling lightheaded or off-balance.
- Swelling and Redness: Inflammation of your ear or surrounding area.
What Can Cause Earaches?
There are many causes for earaches, but once you know what the culprit might be, you’ll be able to find the best treatment. Some causes of earaches, starting with most common to rare, are:
- Infections (Otitis Media and Otitis Externa): Ear infections or inflammation are the most common cause of earaches because of bacteria or viruses affecting the middle ear (Otitis Media) or outer ear (Otitis Externa).
- Earwax: Excess earwax can block your ear canal, causing difficulties with hearing.
- Sinus Infections and Throat Conditions: Infections in the sinuses or throat can cause referred pain to your ears because these areas are so close together.
- Dental Issues: Problems like tooth infections or abscesses can cause referred pain in the ear.
- Injury or Trauma: Physical damage to your ear, such as from inserting objects or exposure to loud noises, can cause pain and discomfort.
- Foreign Objects: Small objects lodged in your ear can cause significant pain and potentially lead to infections if not removed quickly.
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders: Disorders affecting your jaw joint can cause ear pain due to the close proximity of the ear to the jaw joint.
- Allergies: Allergic reactions can cause fluid buildup and inflammation in the ear, leading to pain.
How Can I Treat My Earache At Home?
Many people with earaches often try to deal with their pain at home before going to the doctor. But it’s important to contact your doctor if your pain worsens or other symptoms develop. Some at-home earache remedies to try include:
- OTC Medications: Over-the-counter medication, like ibuprofen or paracetamol, can help reduce pain and inflammation.
- Warm Compress: A warm compress on the affected ear can help reduce swelling and pain. Soak a clean cloth in warm water, wring out the excess, and gently place it over your ear for about 15-20 minutes.
- Cold Compress: If you don’t find a warm compress effective, a cold compress can help instead. Like its warm version, a cold compress will help soothe pain and reduce swelling. Wrap a few ice cubes in a cloth and apply them to your affected ear for short intervals.
- Keep Ears Clear & Dry: Avoid inserting any objects, such as cotton swabs, into your ear canal. Doing so can worsen the condition.
- Head Elevation: Keeping your head elevated with an extra pillow while sleeping can help ease pressure and pain in your ear.
- OTC Ear Drops: For mild infections, over-the-counter ear drops designed to relieve ear pain or remove earwax buildup can be helpful.
But if you experience any of the following symptoms or it lasts for more than a couple of days, contact your doctor:
- worsening pain
- high fever
- discharge is coming from your ear
- visible signs of infection, such as swelling and redness
- significant hearing impairment
- dizziness or balance issues
How Are Earaches Diagnosed?
Your doctor will diagnose an earache by taking a detailed medical history and asking about your symptoms, their duration, and any related medical issues or recent activities that could have triggered your earache. The doctor then uses an otoscope to examine your ear canal and eardrum for signs of infection, injury, or blockage.
If you’re experiencing any hearing loss, hearing tests may be performed to assess the level of impairment. If an infection is suspected, a sample of ear discharge may be taken for lab analysis to identify the infection-causing bacteria or virus. And, if you feel dizzy along with having ear pain, balance tests may be performed to check for inner ear problems.
What Treatments Are There For Earaches?
When it comes to dealing with your earache medically, the best treatment will depend on the underlying cause and severity of your condition.
Medications, like antibiotics or antifungal medicine, are commonly prescribed for ear infections in conjunction with OTC pain medication to reduce pain. Prescription ear drops may also be recommended to address specific types of infections or to relieve pain directly in the ear.
For more severe cases or persistent issues, you might need surgical intervention to fix your earache. Procedures like myringotomy, where a small incision is made in your eardrum to drain fluid, can help relieve pressure and pain. In some cases, tympanostomy tubes (ear tubes) may be inserted to facilitate fluid drainage and prevent recurrent infections.
How Can I Prevent Earaches?
To prevent earaches from happening again or coming back, consider these tips:
- Protect Your Ears on Planes: Use earplugs or chew gum during takeoff and landing to equalise pressure and prevent discomfort.
- Clean Ears Safely: Avoid using cotton swabs inside the ear canal. Instead, clean your outer ear with a damp cloth and use ear drops to soften and remove earwax if necessary.
- Prevent Upper Respiratory Infections: Wash your hands frequently, avoid close contact with sick people, and maintain a healthy lifestyle to strengthen your immune system.
- Keep Ears Dry: After swimming or showering, dry your ears thoroughly with a towel. Warm and damp spaces are the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria.
- Avoid Loud Noises: Protect your ears by wearing ear protection in noisy environments and keeping the volume low when using headphones.
- Manage Allergies: Control allergy symptoms with medications or other treatments to prevent fluid buildup and inflammation in the ear.
How Can I Prevent Earaches in My Child?
Up to 80% of children will experience ear pain by their 3rd birthday, so to help prevent your child from developing an earache, think about following these preventative tips:
- Avoid Exposure to Sick People: Limit your child’s exposure to people (and their friends) with colds or infections to prevent upper respiratory infections.
- Breastfeeding: For newborns, consider breastfeeding as it can help boost the baby’s immune system, reducing the risk of ear infections.
- Proper Bottle Feeding: Avoid feeding your baby while they are lying flat. This can cause fluid to enter the middle ear, increasing the risk of infections.
- Vaccinations: Make sure your child’s vaccines, such as the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, are up-to-date to help prevent infections that can lead to earaches.
- Ear Hygiene: Teach your children not to insert objects into their ears and to keep their ears dry, especially after swimming or bathing.
Allergy Management: Control allergies through appropriate medications or treatments to prevent fluid buildup and inflammation that can cause earaches.
Why Go Private with Mid Ulster Clinic For Earache Treatment?
Choosing to deal with your earache with us over the NHS gives you:
- Rapid Relief: Get quicker access to appointments, bypassing the long wait times often faced when going publicly with the NHS, and get relief from ear pain sooner.
- Personalised Care Attention: Receive focused, individual care from our skilled consultants who understand the complexities of earaches and can provide tailored treatments.
- Modern Equipment: Benefit from advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies, ensuring precise diagnosis and effective treatment of your earache.
- Continuous Support: Enjoy thorough follow-up care that tracks your recovery and promptly addresses any ongoing ear-related issues, providing you with sustained relief and prevention tips.
Contact us today at 028 796 68380 or select “Book An Appointment” for friendly, expert care.
- Medically Reviewed