Ear ache

Earache can be a symptom of a variety of conditions - even those that we do not seem to associate with the hearing system, such as aortic aneurysm or thyroid disorder. One of the causes of earache is, among others pressure difference at the start and landing of the aircraft and excessive noise.

What is earache?

Ear pain is a condition that occurs to a large extent in children, but also in adults. It may be a symptom of other diseases, even those that we would never have associated with the hearing system (aneurysm, aorta, thyroid problems). Primary ear pain usually has a severe course, is located in one place, while secondary ear pain is difficult to locate.

Earache - causes

Causes of middle ear pain

• Pressure trauma: usually occurs during flight by plane or by diving. It can cause bleeding from the eardrum or under it. Injury is a barotrauma.
• Obstruction of Eustachian tube: fluid or thick discharge accumulates in the ear, which causes the overflow or clogging of the ear.
• Mastoiditis: it is most common in patients who are after otitis mediaitis. During this discomfort you can observe redness and leakage from the ear and tenderness, in extreme cases - hearing deterioration.
• Otitis media (chronic or acute): it often occurs in children and is accompanied by pain. Patients feel hearing deterioration in the affected hearing and have a high temperature. Often, middle ear infections are accompanied by upper respiratory tract infection, as well as bulging and redness of the eardrum. An oil leak from the ear may happen. Sometimes otitis media may indicate Wegener's granulomatosis.
• Middle ear cancer (mainly tadpole): it usually has a mild course, but like any cancer, it can take on a malignant form. The cancerous ear is accompanied by pulsing tinnitus, dizziness, hearing loss and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Sometimes middle ear cancers may indicate mastoid cancer.

Causes of external ear pain

• Local injury: it can occur when you clean your ears, which damages the external hearing aid.
• Inflammation of the outer ear: it may appear immediately after swimming or prolonged staying in water. Inflammation is characterized by pain and itching of the external ear. The vapor that escapes has an unpleasant odor. The ear is swollen and red. The form of otitis externa: purulent abscess, ear folliculits (even facial paralysis may occur), hemorrhagic eardrum, osteomyelitis.
• Clogging of the ear, for example by a foreign body or a bead.
• Hematoma of the ear: often caused by injury.
• Burns or frostbite of the pinna.
• Malignant neoplasm of the ear mucus: the thickening on the ear, which often causes pain and hearing loss, is characteristic. It may occur in the form of osteosarcomas and tumors originating from sebaceous and cerumenic glands.

Causes of earache - other ailments:

• spinal tumor,
• diseases of molars and periodontium in the form of caries,
• tumors of the mouth and throat (may be caused by a tobacco addiction or alcoholism),
• neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve,
• infection of the tonsils, throat,
• periapillary abscess,
• reflux,
• lung cancer,
• myocardial infarction,
• inflammation of the salivary glands,
• inflammation of the temporal artery,
• inflammation of the lymph nodes of the neck,
• degeneration of the spine,
• thoracic aortic aneurysm,
• thyroiditis,
• arthropathy in RA or gout.

Symptoms of earache

Ear pain is a condition that is more common in children. This is because the auditory tubule in young children is much narrower and shorter, therefore even the smallest trauma / edema causes the closure of its light and the formation in the middle ear of exudate, which is a good environment for bacteria.

What indicates an ear infection in children and infants?

• problems with sleeping,
• high temperature,
• irritability,
• cry,
• discharge from the ear and nose,
• lack of appetite,
• in adults: chills, fever, nausea, ear exfoliation, hearing impairment, a feeling of fullness in the ear.

Diagnosis of earache

The basis for the diagnosis of earache is a medical interview. The doctor collects information from the patient on the basis of which he / she is able to find the cause of the complaint. Next, an otoscopic examination is performed - it consists in viewing the ear at the magnification, using specialized equipment. Thanks to this method the specialist is able to determine the condition of our external ear, the eardrum and the ear canal.

In addition, a throat and nasal patency examination should be performed. The doctor checks if the surrounding lymph nodes are enlarged. Some patients are referred for hearing audiometry or a tympanometric examination of the ear's functionality. If there is a suspicion that the earache was caused by injury - X-ray or CT scan is required.

Treatment of earache

If you are only diagnosed with an earache, go to your primary care physician or ENT specialist to determine the cause as soon as possible.

Warning! You should never instill any liquids, oils or camphor spirit in your ear because you never know if you have a damaged eardrum.

Earache in the initial phase allows to relieve non-steroidal anti-inflammatory preparations, eg ibuprofen or paracetamol. However, in the case of otitis media, it is usually recommended to take an antibiotic for about a week. Most inflammations spontaneously pass after about 1-2 weeks, and treatment with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs is sufficient. When the ear pain is prolonged and no resources help, please consult your doctor.

Treatment of the external ear involves the administration of ear drops containing antibiotic (less often it is an oral drug). The mechanical cleaning of the auditory canal is important. If there is a foreign body in the ear - it should be removed by checking everything in the mirror, otherwise we can push the foreign body deeper, which can damage the eardrums.

If you have wax plugs - remove them by rinsing the ear with the help of a doctor or nurse, absolutely not allowed to do so using hygienic sticks or other objects. Another way is to use a drop of ear wax softeners that cause earwax to spontaneously leave the ear canal.

The best home methods for earache

1. Onions: has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, helps in the alleviation of infection. It is enough to grate the onion, squeeze the juice gently warm and use about three drops every day (several times).

2. Olive oil: is an excellent moisturizer that helps in removing the infection. Put 3-4 drops of oil in the ear canal, you can also do it with a wet swab, which gently moves into the ear.

3. Ginger: has anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural painkiller. It is best to use grated ginger because it has the best application.

4. Garlic: has antibacterial effect. Squeeze a few teeth and insert the drops into your ear.

5. Bottle with hot water: helps to overcome pain. Wrap the bottle with a hot water cloth and place it against the aching ear for several minutes.

6. Mint: we can apply it to relieve pain, both in the form of mint oil and fresh leaf extract.

7. Hair dryer: use it after bathing, instead of drying your hair with a towel. All you need to do is turn on the dryer at the lowest speed and direct the heat flow to the aching ear. Do not use this method for the perforation of the eardrum!

8. Chewing gum: it happens that we feel the pain of the ear due to a change in pressure (change in altitude, travel by plane). The pain sometimes accompanies the occlusion of the ear, so chewing gum or yawning may be helpful (the auditory trumpet opens and the resulting pressure difference becomes even).