Doctor advises on what to do in case of ear pain

Causes of ear pain

If the pain appeared during or after a cold, it is most likely acute otitis media.

If the overall condition is not severe and paracetamol/ibuprofen help relieve pain for more than 6 hours, you can see how it goes for a day without the necessary examination.

If the pain occurs after prolonged exposure to water (lake, river, pool) - it is most likely swimmer's external otitis. This diagnosis is also characterized by pain when moving the earlobe, pressing on the tragus. It is necessary to relieve pain and see a doctor.

If you were exposed to a draft or air conditioning - it may be inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. In this case, there can also be pains in the affected half of the head, radiating to the eye or jaw. You need to relieve pain, see an ENT doctor to rule out other diagnoses, and then either it will pass on its own (which happens in most cases), or you might need to see a neurologist'.

If ear pain occurs when chewing/clenching the jaw - it may be a problem with the temporomandibular joint. In this case it is better to see an orthodontist/gnathologist.

If ear pain is accompanied by a rash on the skin of the ear near the ear canal - it may be herpetic otitis and it it recommended to see an ENT doctor/infectious disease specialist.

The doctor explained that the general strategy is to relieve pain with paracetamol, not to put anything in the ear without a specialist's prescription, and go see a doctor.

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.