What Causes Ear Pain, How Does It Go?

Even when it comes to earache, we are sure that many people have bad memories in mind. Because although it can be seen in adults due to many different reasons, ear pain is often encountered in children due to different infections. Depending on the cause of the pain, earache can go away on its own, but in most cases, it is a painful process that passes with the treatment applied by a specialist physician.

It is not possible to treat ear pain at home, so you should apply to the nearest health institution and be examined by a specialist doctor. However, there are some simple and side-effect-free methods you can apply at home to at least ease the pain a little until it’s time for the exam. Let’s see in all details the questions such as what causes ear pain and how it passes.

First of all, what is an earache?

Ear-centered pain caused by many different causes is called ear pain. Most of the time, pain occurs in only one ear, but in some cases, there may be pain in both ears. This type of pain starts as ear-centered, but over time, depending on its intensity, it can spread to the chin and temples. In addition to infection-induced ear pain, it can also cause discomfort such as fever and temporary hearing loss.

What are the symptoms of earache in adults?

• Pain in the form of pain of different intensity, centered in the ear and spreading to the jaw and temples
• Hearing disorders
• Fluid from the ear
• Fire

In general, the symptoms of ear pain in adults are as follows. Depending on the cause of the pain, different symptoms may occur in different intensities.

What are the symptoms of earache in children?

• Pain in the form of pain of different intensity, centered in the ear and spreading to the jaw and temples
• muffled hearing
• Difficulty responding
• Fire
• ear fullness
• difficulty sleeping
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• loss of balance
• More irritable movements than usual
• Unusual crying
• pulling the ear
• rubbing the ear

When an adult ear hurts, he notices and expresses it. However, a child may not always be able to express this type of pain. Therefore, parents should examine the child’s behavior. Often times, children with earaches pull or rub their ear. In such a case, you should determine the pain situation by asking him questions.

What causes ear pain?

• Aircraft and similar ambient pressure changes
• ear wax
• Foreign object in the ear
• Throat ache
• Sinus infections
• Water and similar substances trapped in the ear
• Cleaning the ear with a cotton swab
• temporomandibular joint syndrome
• perforation of the eardrum
• Arthritis of the jaw joint
• dental infections
• Other dental problems
• Eczema in the ear canal
• A type of nerve pain called trigeminal neuralgia
• Ear irritation
• Ear infections due to different causes

In general, these are the conditions and diseases that cause ear pain in adults and children. As can be seen from the list, ear pain can occur due to many different reasons. Therefore, you do not need to worry in every pain situation. However, in some cases, you must urgently apply to the nearest health institution and be examined by a specialist doctor.

When should I go to the doctor for ear pain?

• If babies have a fever higher than 38 degrees
• If there is a fever higher than 40 degrees in children and adults
• If the severity of the ear pain is increasing
• If you have dizziness
• If balance disorder has increased
• If there is swelling around the ear
• If there is sagging in the facial muscles
• If blood or inflammation is flowing from the ear

If one or more of the conditions we have listed together with ear pain are experienced, a doctor should be consulted. In most cases, harmless earaches go away on their own within 24 to 48 hours. However, if the pain does not go away with the above symptoms, a specialist doctor should be examined as soon as possible. There is a risk of permanent damage, especially in infants and children.

How is the earache treated? Methods you can apply at home:

• Apply a cold compress to the ear.
• Avoid getting your ear wet.
• Stand upright, thereby reducing the pressure on the ear.
• You can use over-the-counter ear drops.
• If there is a prescription ear drop given for this purpose before, you can use it.
• You can use over-the-counter pain relievers.
• If there is a prescription pain reliever that has been given for this purpose before, you can use it.
• You can reduce the pressure in your ear by chewing gum.
• You can reduce the pressure in their ears by giving food to children and babies.

It is not possible to cure ear pain at home, but at least you can ease your pain by applying these methods. However, you should be extremely careful when using prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

In some cases, a warm compress may be better for ear pain than a cold compress. This will vary depending on the cause of the pain. Chewing gum will often relieve the pain, as it will reduce the pressure in the ear. Since it is not possible for children and babies to chew gum, you can reduce the pressure in the ear by swallowing by feeding them food.

How is the earache treated? Medical treatment methods:

When you are examined by a specialist physician for your ear pain, the source of the pain is determined first. If there is pain caused by infection, antibiotics may be given. In case of pain caused by earwax, cleaning can be done at that moment or drops can be given to soften the earwax. If there is a different ailment that causes ear pain, this condition is treated and ear pain is reduced. The important thing is that you adapt to the treatment method offered by the doctor.

What should be done to prevent ear pain?

Ear pain can occur due to many different reasons, and most of these reasons are not under our control. However, it is possible to prevent ear pain before it occurs by preventing some of them. For example, smoking and secondhand smoke are one of the biggest causes of ear pain. You can eliminate this risk by quitting smoking as soon as possible and being in a smoke-free environment.

Never, ever insert a foreign object into your ear when your ear is itchy or for cleaning purposes. It is not recommended to use cotton swabs as they will cause ear damage. You can prevent pain due to water leakage by thoroughly drying your ears after swimming or taking a bath. You can keep the inside of your ear dry by gently bouncing with the tip of the towel, or by applying light pressure with your hand.

We talked about the details you need to know about the subject by answering questions such as what is ear pain, why it occurs, how it passes, which can occur due to many different reasons. What we describe is for informational purposes only. As with all health issues, you should get the most accurate and specific information about ear pain from a specialist physician by applying to the nearest health institution.