What Causes an Earache?
Q: I have an awful earache. What should I do?
The commonest reason for such ear aches is a throat infection. This could be viral (flu) or bacterial in origin.
Do you have any other symptom like cough, running nose, throat pain, fever, body ache, fatigue etc.?
There is a tube like passage called eustachian tube which connects the throat with the middle ear. When we have any throat infection, this tube also gets affected and the resultant pressure is felt in the middle ear. The sensory nerve endings of the ear drum feel this pressure and give pain. This earache can be very excruciating.
You may need antibiotics (like augmentin) and over the counter pain relievers (acetaminophen) to treat it.
Other Reasons of Pain in the Ears
There may many other reasons of ear ache. The diagnosis is made on the basis of examination and associated symptoms.
- Any dental problem. Pain in tooth or jaw gets referred to the ear.
- A dental abscess, formed by decay in a tooth.
- Impacted wax in the ear.
- Infection of the outer ear, may be a boil or a furuncle.
- Eczema of the ear canal.
- Ear injury.
- Sinus infection, the pain may be referred to the ear.
Let us know any other symptom you have. If it’s a throat infection, you may require antibiotics.