When the ear hurts, what to do to relieve the painful sensations, you should know every person, because often the pain begins suddenly. Thus it is necessary to understand that the symptom can testify about serious pathologies, therefore it is impossible to simply "drown out" the pain with medicines, without ascertaining its origin.
Why does the ear hurt?
Pain sensations in the ear can be associated with various factors, including those caused by pathologies not only of the hearing organs, but also of neighboring organs. In healthy people, slight tenderness in the ears is sometimes observed after walking in cold windy weather, when entering the auditory canal of water, in the accumulation or lack of earwax, during air travel or immersion to depth. More pronounced, sharp, throbbing soreness is always a sign of ailment. We list the common pathological causes of pain in the ear:
- otitis - inflammation of the middle, outer or inner ear;
- eustachiitis - inflammation of the eustachian (auditory) canal;
- myringitis - infectious inflammation of the tympanic membrane;
- mastoiditis - an inflammation of the mastoid process of the temporal bone that is behind the ear;
- foreign body in the ear;
- perichondritis - inflammation of the perichondrium, located in the auricle;
- development of neoplasm in the ear (benign or malignant);
- caries;
- lesion of the temporomandibular joint ( deforming osteoarthritis , arthritis);
- inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes;
- defeat of the joints of the cervical spine (osteochondrosis);
- inflammatory diseases of the throat, larynx, tonsils;
- neoplasm in the throat, larynx;
- inflammation of the facial, trigeminal or glossopharyngeal nerve;
- parotitis - inflammation of the parotid gland;
- sinusitis - an inflammatory lesion of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses);
- vestibular neurinoma is a benign tumor that forms from the tissues of the auditory nerve;
- thyroiditis - inflammation of the thyroid gland.
Pain in the ear for colds
Catarrhal diseases, which peak in the cold season, often lead to complications from ENT organs, especially if the treatment is started late or is done incorrectly. Pain in the ear during a cold is associated with a protracted runny nose, which causes not only the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, but also the tissues of the middle and inner ear, to become involved in the inflammatory process.
Often the pathological process spreads through eustachian tubes. Pathogens from the nasopharynx easily penetrate this tubular organ in the middle ear, and because of its puffiness, blockage may occur. As a result, a negative pressure is created in the middle ear cavity, exudate begins to be released. Symptom in this case is not only painful, but also a feeling of stuffiness, a transfusion of fluid inside.
Pain in the ear when chewing
Sometimes the ear pain begins to acutely manifest in certain conditions. Thus, unpleasant sensations can be noted during chewing food. In this case, the symptom often accompanies diseases that are not related to otolaryngology. Pain when moving the jaws can provoke dental pathologies, in which from the area of the diseased tooth and gums, it radiates into the ear area from the side of the lesion.
Some patients wondering what to do when the ear hurts may not even suspect that the problem comes from damage to the trigeminal, facial or glossopharyngeal nerve. This happens against the background of hypothermia, infectious processes, due to various injuries. Painful attacks are often short-term, but very painful, the pain gives to the face, neck, neck.
Pain in the ear with a nosebleed nose
If the pain in the ear appears during cleansing of the nasal passages from the mucus, the reasons can be covered in the wrong process of blowing out. Intensive blowing causes an increase in pressure in the vessels and the cavity of the middle ear, leading to a disbalance. In this case, mucus along with the pathogens of infection can penetrate into the ear tissue, provoking the spread of the inflammatory process. Therefore, it should be vigilant neat, without exerting strong efforts, alternately clamping each nostril and slightly opening the mouth.
In addition, soreness in the process of blowing is sometimes associated with the following factors:
- excessive sulfur production, which is compacted during the cleaning of the nasal passages;
- inflammation of the facial nerve;
- myringitis.
Pain in the ear when the head is tilted
Some patients complain of pain in the ear, which appears or worsens when the head is tilted, often forward or sideways. This can be the pathology of the spine, localized in the cervical region. A similar symptom occurs also with inflammation of the thyroid gland, neuritis. The inflammatory damage of the middle or inner ear, eustachiitis and other diseases of the hearing organs are also not excluded.
What should I do if my ear hurts?
When the ear hurts, what to do at home, you need to know when suddenly started uncomfortable sensations and the lack of the possibility of urgent treatment in the medical institution. To eliminate the pathological symptom, it is important to know its cause, but it is often difficult, except when the pain is preceded by other symptoms (runny nose, toothache) or circumstances (diving, cleansing the ears with cotton buds).
For example, if the ear hurts with a cold, what to do, the following recommendations will prompt you, which will not harm and will not let you waste time before receiving a doctor:
- Keep ear out of wind, draft, cold and water ingress.
- Apply a dry compress to protect the ear from the external environment, making it out of gauze and a wadded layer 2-3 cm thick and fixing it with a wide bandage, scarf or hat.
- Apply nasal vasoconstrictive drops or spray (Navtizin, Otrivin, Pharmazoline) to reduce swelling of Eustachian tube tissues and improve its patency.
The ear begins to ache - what should I do?
If the ear starts to ache, what to do, you can advise patients who had previously been diagnosed with chronic otitis media. A painful attack often signals an exacerbation of the chronic process caused by various adverse factors. As soon as it feels that the ear hurts, it is necessary to do what was recommended by the doctor at the last relapse. Often, this drug treatment, involving the use of certain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs.
In addition, in the first 2-3 hours after the onset of pain, it is permissible to apply a warm dry compress to the ear, provided that the body temperature is normal. The simplest and most accessible is the salt compress. To prepare it, use ordinary common salt to warm in a frying pan to 50-60 ° C and pour into a tissue pouch. Problem ear must lie on the compress and lie down until it completely cools down, then attach a gauze bandage.
The ear shoots, it hurts - what to do?
When the ear hurts, what to do, it is especially important to know when shooting and pulsating sensations, which are difficult to endure. The causes can be various pathological conditions, including perforation of the tympanic membrane, which is often accompanied by blood or purulence and requires urgent medical care. Therefore, recommendations on what to do, if the ear is very sore and lumbago is felt, boil down to putting a sterile cotton swab in your ear, covering it with a gauze bandage and going to the hospital.
The ear aches and swells - what to do?
Swelling of the auricle, coupled with pain, can indicate external otitis media. It is often caused by an infection - a viral, bacterial or fungal nature. Only after finding out the exact cause, one can say, than to treat the pain in the ear, but before the visit to the doctor it is permissible to treat the external auditory passage with antiseptic solutions (hydrogen peroxide, Chlorhexidine), after which it is necessary to cover the ear with a cotton-gauze bandage. In addition, ear swelling is sometimes observed with allergies, from which antihistamines can help (Loratadine, Fenistil).
Ear pain - pain reliever
There are situations when the ear is so unbearably sore that it is impossible to do anything, and it takes a while to wait until the doctor is examined. In such extreme cases, it is recommended to take an anesthetic of systemic action for relief of well-being. Here are the names of the drugs that you can use yourself for those who are looking for what to do if your ear hurts very badly:
- Ketanov;
- Aspirin;
- Paracetamol;
- Ibuprofen;
- Nimesulide;
- Spazmolgon.
Pain in the ear - treatment, drugs
Many patients wonder what to drip if the ear hurts. It should be noted that ear drops with ear pain should be used only according to the doctor's prescription or with a well-known diagnosis that prescribes treatment with a drug for instillation into the ear canal. Consider the funds that are often prescribed for this symptom:
- Otypax - anti-inflammatory and anesthetic drops;
- Cipromed is an antibiotic drug from the group of fluoroquinolones;
- Otofa is an antibiotic from the group of rifamycins;
- Otinum is a preparation with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial and antifungal effect;
- Garazon - a tool that has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effect;
- Anauran - antimicrobial and anesthetizing drops.
Ear pain - folk remedies
Before the diagnosis is established and without the permission of the doctor, folk remedies for ear pain can not be applied, since this can aggravate the pathology. Of the common methods that are often used in addition to the main treatment, we highlight the following:
- Burying for the night in the diseased ear of a solution made from honey taken equally and propolis tincture, 2-3 drops each.
- Laying in the ear canal chopped garlic, placed in gauze.
- Putting in the ear of turunda from cotton wool, impregnated with warm almond oil. aching ear what to do