What Causes Ear Pain?

What To Do For Ear Pain

When you hear the words "ear pain," most people immediately think of an earache. However, research has shown that approximately half of all pain that is felt in the ear originates somewhere else.  The purpose of this article is to list and describe ear pain origins and their causes. We'll start with the most obvious and proceed to the less obvious.

The classic "earache" is usually an ear infection. There are several kinds that cause ear pain that ranges from mild to major.

Outer ear infection pain One of the most common ear infections is the type that medical professionals call otitis externa. Otitis externa is an infection that takes place in the ear canal, or outer part of the ear. This area is warm, dark and humid, which makes it ideal for bacteria and fungus to grow. When they get in there, they can cause a lot of trouble if the infection isn't treated. Symptoms of this tupe of ear infection include

• severe pain,
• swelling and redness of the outer ear,
• scaling or flaking of skin,
• drainage from the ear.

Outer ear infection treatment Your doctor will treat outer ear infection pain by cleaning out the infection, along with any wax buildup or debris, with an ear curette. He or she may also recommend acidic solutions, antibiotics or anti-fungal creams (depending on the type of infection).

The type of ear infection commonly known as swimmers ear is a form of otitis media. Keep in mind you don't always get swimmer's ear from swimming. Just sticking a dirty finger in your ear can deposit germs that can grow into an infection.

Otitis media middle ear infection This is the type of ear infection that keeps babies and toddlers - along with their parents - awake at night. Three out of four children have at least one ear infection by age 3, but stop having them by age 5.

Otitis media is an ear infection that takes place in the middle ear (as described by the word "media").

It happens more often to children because their ears are structured differently from the ears of an adult. A child's Eustachian tubes, which connect the inner ear to the nose, are smaller and shorter. Whenever germs and moisture collect in the inner ear - from a cold or some other blockage - an infection grows. Pain - and a lot of crying - usually follow.

Swollen adenoids can also trigger otitis media.

Antibiotics for middle ear infection Doctors like to let these infections clear up on their own. In some cases antibiotics are in order. If the infection is caused by a virus, however, antibiotics won't help. Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help relieve the pain.

Also see our related article on swimmer's ear remedies.

Other causes of ear pain Colds and flu These usually affect the respiratory systems more than the ears, but you can still get ear pain when you have a cold or the flu.

Sinusitis  Sinusitis is a condition that's often caused by a common cold. It usually causes swelling in the cavities around your nasal passages. They become inflamed and swollen. Sinusitis typically causes discomfort around the eyes and nose along with headaches. But ear pain can occur too.

Tonsillitis When the tonsils become infected with a virus or bacteria, they can cause swelling and discomfort in the area around them. This includes the ears. In the past, most cases of tonsillitis were cured with surgery: the tonsils were removed. Today, they are usually treated at home with over-the-counter sore throat remedies.

Ear wax build up Sometimes excess ear wax builds up in the ear, causing what amounts to an impaction that causes ear pain and swelling. Sometimes you can clean out ear wax yourself at home, but if it's reached the stage where it's causing pain, you should probably let a doctor do it. Trying to "get the gunk out" yourself could be dangerous, especially to your ear drum.

If your ear feels swollen and tender, and there's pain around your ear in addition to inside your ear, get to a doctor as soon as you can.

Referred pain Sometimes you'll have a disorder or injury to the spinal column that causes ear pain. This is a type of nerve pain, and is called "referred pain" because the pain doesn't originate in the place where it hurts. It starts in some other location and travels along nerve pathways to the ear.

TMJ This is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joint, more commonly called the "jaw joint." Pain actually occurs because of a problem with the joint, which is on the side of your head in front of your ears. Since it's so close to the ears, many people think it's some kind of ear pain. The causes of TMJ pain are usually arthritis, misalignment of the jaw, or some kind of injury or blow to the jaw.

Cholesteatoma This is a skin cyst that grows inside the ear. It can be caused by a birth defect, but more often it follows a chronic ear infection. The cyst erodes bone and the ear becomes chronically infected.

Though relatively rare, it can be dangerous if left untreated: meningitis or a brain abscess are possibilities. Cholesteatoma is especially dangerous for the very young and the elderly. Symptoms include dizziness, drainage, hearing loss in one ear, and pain or numbness in or around the ear.