Anybody who has ever got ear pain knows how annoying it is. The pain is oddly challenging to endure. You can experience this pain in either one or both ears. It might be a dull or sharp pain. You might feel this pain for a short period, or it can continue for longer. Most of the time, this pain goes away on its own. In children, ear infections are the most common cause of ear pain, while it is less common in adults. In adults, ear pain may be referred from another body site. i.e. the actual pain is somewhere else (tooth, throat, etc.), and pain occurs in the ear. Continue reading to know more about the home remedies for ear pain.
What Causes Ear Pain?
When the tube in the ear, called the Eustachian tube, gets filled with fluid and is blocked, it leads to pressure build-up behind the eardrum or ear infection. This might cause ear pain.
Earache in adults is rarely due to an ear infection. Commonly, earache is due to pain from some other part like teeth, jaw or throat that is felt in the ears. The conditions which cause ear pain are:
Sore throat
Sinus infection
Tooth infection
Short-term or long-term ear infection
Arthritis of the jaw
Temporomandibular joint syndrome
Injury to the ear due to pressure changes like high altitudes etc.
The build-up of wax or some object getting stuck in the ear
Swimmer’s ear (infection of the outer ear and ear canal), also called otitis externa
Otitis media (infection of the middle ear)
Malignant otitis externa (infection and damage of the bones of the ear canal and skull)
In children or infants, the following can cause ear pain:
Ear infection
Soap or shampoo in the ear
Cotton-tipped swabs may cause ear canal irritation.
Symptoms of Ear Pain:
Ear pain is a symptom that can occur due to any of the reasons stated above. However, here are a few associated symptoms mentioned which might help you recognise ear pain:
Pain in your ear which may be sharp, dull or burning pain; for a short or long duration or due to pain in your teeth, jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) or throat
Fever
You may be irritable.
You can notice the following symptoms of ear pain in babies and children:
Tugging at ears.
Difficulty in hearing.
Trouble sleeping.
Difficulty in maintaining body balance.
Fluid drainage from ears3
Children with earaches might be fussy.
Children may cry more due to earache.
After an ear infection, many children might experience a little hearing loss, which is temporary. However, in rare cases, repeated ear infections can lead to long-lasting hearing loss.
If you have a swimmer’s ear, you might experience:
Discharge from the ear- yellow-green or yellow pus-like discharge, which has a bad smell
Worsening of ear pain on pulling the outer ear
Your ear or ear canal might itch.
Loss of hearing
If you have malignant otitis externa, in addition to the above symptoms, you might also experience:
Weakness in muscles of the face
Foul-smelling, yellow or green discharge from the ear
Difficulty in swallowing