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Earaches - Know What's Causing Them

Earaches - Know What's Causing Them

Earaches - Know What's Causing Them

Earaches are a common problem in children, but adults are not immune to this. Pain that starts inside the ear is termed as primary otalgia, while the one that occurs outside the ear is called secondary otalgia. Infection is not the only reason why earache occurs or any other ear problem. The ear pain can be all of a sudden or arise gradually. It can be temporary, dull, sharp or give a burning sensation.

The most common reasons include:

Earwax

The build-up of earwax and removal is a natural process. However, when this process is not working well, the gunk or the build-up becomes hard and blocks the ear canal. This is called impacted wax in medical terminology. It can cause pain in the ear. If you try getting the wax out, you can push it farther into the ear canal and even temporarily lose hearing. Mild pain can be treated using over the counter ear drops, but the best way is to see a doctor for the perfect cleaning.

Swimmer’s Ear

Also known as infection of the outer ear or otitis externa, the condition occurs when unclean water gets trapped in the outer ear canal after swimming, and starts breeding germs, which can cause infection. In Swimmer’s ear, the ear might get itchy, red or swollen, and may even leak pus. However, the infection is not contagious. The best way to avoid it is to keep the ears dry and clean after swimming. In most cases, the doctor would prescribe you antibiotic ear drops for clearing up the infection.

Air Pressure

The ear does a pretty fine job of keeping the air pressure balanced on both sides of the eardrum. And part of this process is that little pop we hear every time we swallow something. However, sudden changes in the air pressure, such as taking an elevator, diving into the bottom of the swimming pool or travelling on an aeroplane, can throw off this balance and cause ear pain, muffling or mild hearing loss.

The best way to prevent this, especially during air travel is to chew gum, suck on hard candy or swallow during landing and take-off. Also, if you are experiencing a cold or sinus infection, avoid travelling and deep diving.

Middle Ear Infection

Sinus infection, cold or allergy can block the tubes in the middle ear and allows the fluid to build up. This is called middle-ear infection or otitis media. It is considered to be the most common reason for earaches. If left untreated, a middle ear infection can spread, and even cause hearing loss.

The doctor may recommend using a combination of antihistamine and nasal steroids for treating allergies. If the reason behind infection is bacteria, then expect some antibiotics prescription.

Other Causes

There could be other reasons for earache. Some of them are:

  • Toothache can also lead to ear pain since the facial nerves and the neck are very close to the inner ear.
  • Earache accompanied by a high sore throat could indicate conditions like tonsillitis or pharyngitis.
  • Cavities, tooth abscesses and impacted molars could also be the reasons behind earache.
  • Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, or the problem of the joints that connect the jaw to the side of the head, can cause earaches.
  • In some cases, ear pain can be due to an underlying infection such as shingles or cellulitis and may also be a tumour. If you are experiencing severe pain that doesn’t resolve within a few days of home treatment, or if you are having a sore throat, fever or new rashes, then it's time to make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible.

CRH ENT, MRI & Diagnostics brings to Delhi NCR a unique concept of a dedicated single speciality ENT centre and the complete range of diagnostic services under one roof.