Earache

A middle ear infection is the most common cause of ear pain. The infection often begins as a cold, flu, sinus infection or throat infection and spreads to the middle ear (otitis media) where it causes ear pain and often fever. 

Other causes include:

• Colds – swelling in your nose and throat blocks your eustachian tube, stopping you from equalising pressure in your ear, which causes pain.
• Outer ear infection (otitis externa) – an infection or irritation of your outer ear can cause pain, itching and discharge from your ear. This is more common in swimmers. read more about otitis externa. 
• Injury to your ear canal – a fingernail, cotton bud or any other object can cause injury to your ear canal causing ear pain.
• An object in the ear canal – young children may put small objects such as beads or toys in their ear canal. It can cause pain, especially if the object is sharp or pushed in a long way. For adults, cotton bud tips and insects are more likely. 
• Abscess in your ear canal – an infection of a hair follicle in the ear canal can be very painful. It looks like a small red bump, and sometimes turns into a pimple.
• Airplane ear – if the ear canal is blocked, sudden increases in air pressure can cause the eardrum to stretch, resulting in severe ear pain. This usually happens during air travel, when the plane is coming down for landing, or when driving at high altitudes. 
• Earwax build-up or blockage – a piece of hard earwax can cause ear discomfort. If the earwax is pushed deeper by cotton buds, the ear canal can become blocked and more painful. Read more about earwax build up and removal.  
• Referred pain – referred pain is felt in your ear but is due to something that's not in your ear, such as a tonsil infection, tooth decay or mumps. 
  
  

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Earache pain can be sharp, dull or throbbing. Your ears may also feel blocked and your hearing may sound muffled. Because your balance organs are in your inner ear you may also feel unsteady or dizzy. Older children will tell you if they have a sore ear.

Babies and young children with earache may:

• cry or grizzle
• keep touching an ear again and again
• have fluid running out of their ear 
• have a fever.
  
  

Image credit: Depositphotos

• Use pain relief medicine such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, if these are safe for you.
• Hold a warm cloth, wheat bag or hot water bottle to the sore ear.
• Suck on a lolly, chew or yawn to open up your eustachian tube.
• Lie with the sore ear away from your pillow or sit propped up in bed.
• If discharge is leaking from the ear, gently wash the outer ear with soap and a cloth.
• Don’t use eardrops unless your healthcare provider tells you to.

Apps reviewed by Healthify

You may find it useful to look at some ear, nose, throat and eye health apps, symptom checkers, and symptom trackers.

Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider if:

• there's an object in your or your child’s ear – don’t try to get it out yourself, this often pushes it further in
• your child is younger than 6 months old, or younger than 2 years old and both ears are sore
• the pain's not getting better after 3 days of taking pain relief
• there is discharge from the ear canal
• you or your child has dizziness, nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick)
• you or your child has a severe headache, stiff neck or really bad pain in the ear.

Call Healthline 0800 611 116 if you’re not sure what to do.