Dull pain deep in the ear. What to do for ear pain in adults

One of the most unpleasant sensations, which almost every person has experienced at least once in their life, is ear pain.

Pain in the ear can be different: shooting, sharp, radiating to the head or jaw, aching, it not only instantly makes you forget about everything in the world, but can also be a symptom of many diseases with serious consequences.

The most common cause of ear pain is otitis, which is an inflammatory process in the ear, occurring, depending on the circumstances, in limited, diffuse or average shape. The limited form of otitis is a consequence of inflammation sebaceous glands(furunculosis), resulting from mechanical damage (picking in the ear with a hairpin or stick).

This disease is caused in most cases by weakened immunity and occurs against the background diabetes mellitus, vitamin deficiency, gout, etc. Accession staphylococcal infection causes inflammation.

Ear pain can also be caused by a number of other reasons:

• Various inflammatory diseases(inflammation of the sinuses, tonsils, jaw).
• Hypothermia, frostbite and burns. Sometimes ear pain can be accompanied by itching.
• Periochondritis, which is infectious process in the tissues that cover the ear cartilage.
• Acute disease of the outer ear. If you experience ear pain after swimming, it means ear canal hit dirty water. Movement of the jaws leads to increased pain.
• Furunculosis, which is a progressive inflammation in the hair follicles ear canal. When moving the jaws, the pain intensifies. When you press on the hard process located in the front part of the auricle, a feeling of weakness occurs.
• Hitting auditory canal a foreign object can cause a serious inflammatory process. This reason is the most common phenomenon among children younger age.
• Sulfur plug. Too much a large number of Accumulated wax in the ears can cause severe ear pain, which is accompanied by ear discharge and hearing loss.
• Mastoiditis. Severe ear pain can be caused by inflammation in the mastoid cavity of the temporal bone located behind the ear. IN in this case the pain is pulsating in nature and is accompanied by weakness, deterioration general condition person, increased body temperature, decreased hearing, thick discharge, the appearance of edema in the mastoid bone.
• Blocking a passerby eustachian tube air flow. This disorder causes a feeling of pressure in the ears. In some cases, pressure in the ears may be associated with inflammatory processes in the sinuses, as well as rhinitis and sinusitis of allergic origin.
• Dental caries. The pain in this case is pulsating and radiates to the ear.
• Ear injuries.

What to do if your ear hurts

You should not self-medicate for ear pain until the cause of its occurrence has been determined. This can lead to complications, fraught with deterioration and even hearing loss.

The most common cause of ear pain is inflammation in the ear canal. Most often it can be otitis media.

For external otitis, treatment begins with removal of the boil. To do this, the surface of the ear is treated with an antiseptic, and the boil itself is cauterized with iodine. This form disease also involves the local use of Sofradex for ear instillation. In order not to aggravate the inflammation, during this period it is necessary to limit exposure to the street in cold weather.

Treatment of otitis depends on its form and severity of symptoms. The earlier therapy is started, the higher the effectiveness of the methods used. You can cope with the disease as quickly as possible with the help of medications.

Paracetamol is prescribed as painkillers, as well as ear drops Otipax.

To improve the outflow of pus from the middle ear and relieve swelling in the ear canal, nasal drops are prescribed (Santorin, Naphthyzin, Nazivin, Tizin). In some cases, antiallergic drugs are used for the same purpose.

Since the cause of inflammation of the middle ear with a purulent course is an infection, the patient is prescribed a course of antibiotics. After a short surgery To remove the pus, which is performed by a doctor, quickly healing and antibacterial drugs are instilled into the ear. It should be noted that you should not drip on eardrum.

Most effective drug, for both children and adults, Amoxicillin is considered. In some cases, it can be replaced with Augmentin or Cefuroxime. The course of antibiotic therapy for otitis should not be less than 8-10 days. Interrupted treatment can provoke a relapse of the disease and the occurrence of hearing loss.

How to treat ear pain at home

• If the pain in the ears is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature and suppuration, then the first thing to do is to hold sore ear keep warm, while avoiding drafts and hypothermia.
• The second necessary rule for ear pain is plenty of warm drink and the introduction of honey and lemons into the patient’s diet, which help weaken the disease by increasing immunity. Honey diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio is used as drops in the affected ear.
• Alcohol tincture of propolis in the form of ear drops will help get rid of ear pain.
• Warming vodka and camphor compresses are used as an anesthetic.
• An effective remedy in the fight against the disease is rinsing the ears with a warm infusion of chamomile.
• In severe forms of otitis, a compress placed in the ear based on fresh juice aloe.
• Drops will help cope with shooting pain in the ears essential oils(almond or clove).
• You can get rid of ear pain with crushed Kalanchoe leaves, wrapped in gauze and inserted into the ear canal.
• Beautiful medicinal properties for ear pain it has onion and garlic. These products are crushed and, wrapped in gauze, placed inside the sore ear. A heated mixture of grated onion and butter is also used for ear compresses.

Ear pain is a symptom that can occur in both patients and healthy people. Depending on the underlying factor, treatment can be only symptomatic or complex. The nature and degree of pain may also change. The therapy program should be prescribed only by a specialist medical specialist. Self-medication can cause complications, including total loss hearing

Etiology

Ear pain in a child or adult can be caused by the following factors:

• increased sensitivity to cold;
• improper equalization of intra-auricular pressure through the auditory tube;
• pathologies of the temporomandibular joint (in this case, pain in the ear may occur when swallowing);
• dental ailments;
• Eagle's syndrome;
• oncological processes in the larynx and upper respiratory systems;
• intracranial neoplasms;
• giant cell type arteritis;
• pathology cervical region spine;
• ( And );
• mechanical damage to the ear and nearby tissues and organs.

Ear congestion without pain can be observed with and. As a rule, as symptoms decrease and temperature stabilizes, this symptom goes away. However, if after eliminating the disease the hearing has not returned or has become worse, you should contact an ENT specialist for advice and not self-medicate. Perhaps this is a manifestation of otitis media.

Classification

Clinicians identify the following types of this symptom:

• ear pain in people without current illnesses;
• pain due to otolaryngological diseases;
• pain due to ailments of a different nature.

Depending on the nature of the manifestation, this symptom can be of the following nature:

• pressing;
• pulsating;
• acute;
• stabbing.

Each of these forms of symptom manifestation is characterized by its own etiological picture. Therefore, when your ear hurts, you need to seek qualified advice. medical care, and not apply the means in practice traditional medicine and advice from the Internet.

Symptoms

The nature of the manifestation of this symptom will completely depend on the underlying factor. With otitis media and externa, symptoms may manifest themselves in the form of the following signs:

• severe pain in the ear;
• redness and swelling of the skin around the ear canal;

If a child’s ear hurts, this may well be a manifestation of otitis media. It should also be noted that with external otitis there is practically no pain; it can occur very rarely. As a rule, the disease is discovered during diagnosis for another reason.

The cause of pain in the ear may be mastoiditis, which is most often a complication of otitis media. In this case, the following signs of the development of an otolaryngological disease may be observed:

• swelling skin behind the ear;
• thick discharge from the ears;
• the inside of the ear hurts;
• significant deterioration of hearing, up to complete loss;
• fever.

As the disease progresses, symptoms may be observed.

Ear pain due to diseases of other systems is no exception. Quite often, this symptom can be a manifestation of mumps; the disease manifests itself as follows:

• sharp pain that may become more intense when swallowing or chewing;
• , feeling of lethargy, apathy;
• weakness, which is often accompanied by fever;
• the skin around the ear is swollen, possibly local increase temperature;
• at the place of the duct salivary gland redness can be observed, sometimes there is discharge of pus.

In this case, you should urgently seek help from a dentist or surgeon, depending on the degree of development of the pathological process.

In most cases, ear pain due to dental ailments is observed only if the underlying disease is in an advanced state or has progressed to chronic form. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate all pathologies in a timely manner.

Diagnostics

If your ear hurts, you should contact first. The doctor will conduct a physical examination and prescribe a diagnostic program or refer the patient to another specialized medical specialist.

The list of laboratory and instrumental research methods may include the following:

• blood sampling for general and biochemical analyzes;
• general analysis urine;
• MRI and CT of the temporal bones;
• audiometry;
• X-ray of the temporal bone;
• tests for infection;
• dental examinations.

Based on the results obtained, the doctor can determine the etiology and prescribe the correct treatment.

Treatment

It is not always possible to see a doctor immediately after a symptom appears, so you need to know the rules of first aid for ear pain:

• take painkillers;
• lie down and eliminate external stimuli;
• use dry heat.

Regarding drops for internal use, then they should not be used without a doctor’s prescription.

Drug therapy may include taking the following drugs:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antibiotics;
• painkillers;
• local remedies to relieve inflammation and prevent purulent process.

Ear drops can only be prescribed by a doctor. You cannot use this remedy without permission if your ear hurts.

This symptom can also be eliminated using traditional medicine. Folk remedies for ear pain include the following:

• washing the ears with chamomile decoction;
• beetroot compress with honey;
• compresses with onion or garlic;
• drops of honey and alcohol tincture propolis.

However, you need to understand the following: only a specialized medical specialist can tell you exactly how and what to do at home for ear pain.

The treatment program prescribed by the doctor must be strictly followed.

Prevention

Because this is a symptom, not separate disease, there are no targeted prevention methods. In general, in order to minimize the risk of developing otolaryngological pathologies, the following should be put into practice:

• in cold, windy weather you need to wear a hat;
• infectious and inflammatory processes must be treated completely and in a timely manner;
• Do not use medications without a doctor’s prescription.

At the first symptoms you should contact medical institution for qualified help.

Sometimes sharp pain It can appear in the ear at the most inopportune moment. Let's talk about what to do if your ear hurts. Let's find out ways to make it easier pain syndrome at home.

Ear pain: main causes of pain

In medical practice, there are several causes of ear pain:

1. Actually, inflammatory processes in one or another part of the ear.
2. Neuralgia and neuritis of facial nerve structures.
3. Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
4. Inflammatory diseases of the pharynx and larynx.

These problems occur after acute infectious diseases, colds or contact of microorganisms with inflamed tissues. Also, pathological processes may arise due to a decrease protective forces body after illnesses. Ear pain is treated by an ENT doctor. He's checking anyway auricle and all structures of the ear, if necessary, referring to other specialists (dentist, neurologist).

Painful sensations in adults and children

An adult can tolerate pain somewhat easier than children. An adult understands perfectly well that you can’t just get rid of pain, you need to be treated. All discomfort(dizziness, shooting pain, fever, headaches) he endures steadfastly, with an understanding of the situation.

With children it's completely different. If a teenager understands perfectly what pain is, then younger children will cry, be capricious, and throw tantrums. Young children will not respond well to treatment and will hinder therapeutic procedures, thereby increasing ear pain.

What to do if your ear hurts

The most important requirement for pain is not to try to relieve ear pain on your own. Without knowing the exact nature painful syndrome, you can only make the situation worse. It is necessary to consult a specialist for advice.

If your ear just hurts, without any other symptoms (serous or purulent discharge, heat, vomiting) you can do warming procedures. Alcohol compress, heated salt in a canvas bag, turunda, soaked boric alcohol– all this will help significantly relieve pain. Accordingly, the answer to the question “is it possible to heat tissues” for ear pain is simple - it is possible if there is no infection.

Quite often during a cold, and also independently of this, a person may experience painful sensations inside the ear, which can be very strong. Most often, such pain does not allow you to sleep normally, and also constantly bothers you during the day. That is why it is necessary to establish the cause of the pain and select treatment.

There are many reasons why a person may experience severe ear pain at one time or another. And most of them are associated with ignoring a cold, which develops into a more serious illness.

To the main causes severe pain inside the ear can be attributed to:

• Otitis, and there are no special distinctions as to what particular form of the disease is present. In any case, the pain will be unbearable, and even after taking painkillers the person will not feel real relief.
• Sinusitis. , especially in children, and is also accompanied by many other symptoms.
• Diseases of the ear canal.
• Suffered trauma, both moderate and outer ear. The pain occurs due to the fact that the damage usually affects the nerves, and besides, it forms severe inflammation on the injured area.
• which happens suddenly.
• Tonsillitis.
• Inflammation lymph nodes, namely those that are in close proximity to the ear.
• A foreign body that can “scrap” the ear canal and thereby cause pain.

And, despite the fact that the most common cause of pain inside the ear is otitis media, there are also factors that are completely unrelated to diseases of the ear itself.

So, pain inside the ear can also occur due to:

• Problems with teeth. Often, those people who visit the dentist less than once a year have caries, which over time becomes an excellent source for the development and penetration of infections into the body.
• Mouth ulcers that can appear for various reasons.
• Inflammation of the upper part of the esophagus.

Install the real reason why a person has pain in the middle ear can only be determined by a specialist who should be contacted after the very first symptoms appear.

You can learn more about the symptoms of otitis from the video.

Types of pain

The concept of “ear pain” is quite vague, since there are several types of pain that can occur in the ear.

It is customary to highlight:

1. Pain and itching. At this moment, a person not only experiences pain, but also begins to torment severe itching, I literally want to rip my ear off. The cause of this phenomenon may be water that has entered the ear canal, inflammation that affects the middle ear, or a mite.
2. Pain when pressing. Sometimes at that moment, when a person does not even press hard on the ear, he feels severe attack pain. As a rule, such sensations are accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever and chills.
3. Pain and swelling. Sometimes the cause of pain is a tumor. Despite the fact that the person is in pain, he also experiences a feeling of discomfort inside the ear, as if something is bothering him there.
4. Pain and wet discharge. Sometimes pain is accompanied by the fact that the inside of the ear begins to “get wet.” This is a sign of eczema that develops inside the ear.
5. Pain and burning. Most often, such sensations occur when someone gets into the ear. foreign object, and otitis media is just beginning to develop.

These are the main types of pain that occur most often. If the painful sensations bring great discomfort and become difficult to endure, you should urgently consult a doctor for medical help, since if the disease is not treated in time, you may partially lose your hearing.

First aid for ear pain

As a rule, pain in the ears occurs very suddenly, and most often at night, when it is not possible to immediately go to the clinic to consult a doctor. That is why there are a number of measures that can help relieve pain and help a person.

These include:

1. If a person does not have a temperature, then you can do salt compress which must be warm. You need to put it to your ear. True, weighty positive effect it will only help when the pain is just beginning to show itself.
2. If there are no contraindications or individual intolerance, then you can moisten a cotton swab with boric alcohol and insert it into the ear. Boric alcohol relieves pain well.
3. Taking painkillers. Not here precise recommendations which medicine is best to take. Most often, patients use either Tempalgin or Spazmalgon. A person chooses his own painkiller based on his individual characteristics.
4. Also, you can resort to help folk remedies. But here you need to be very careful, especially when it comes to children or allergy sufferers.

Very often children have ear pain, and this is quite easy to understand. Small children begin to cry at night, since the pain is activated precisely at this time, and any body movement, even minor, leads to the pain intensifying and the child crying.

You need to pay attention to ear pain in children, since it is very dangerous, or rather, the reasons why it occurs are dangerous.

If your baby's ear hurts at night and there is no fever, then you need to give a painkiller, since the pain will not go away on its own. Among the most common drugs used in children are Nurofen and Ibuprofen. True, these are analogues, and everyone can choose the one that is more suitable for the price. It is also recommended to attach warm compress to the ear to warm it and relax the muscles. The pain will gradually fade away.

Any manipulations at home can only be done if there is no fever.

It includes antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-nasal decongestants (since most often the cause of ear pain in children is a complication after an untreated runny nose).

Even if first aid was provided to the baby and he calmed down, it is still necessary to visit an ENT specialist so that he can accurately diagnose and prescribe special treatment, aimed at eliminating the problem, and not at exacerbating it.

And if treatment takes much longer with children, then little can be said for adults. In this case, you need to either drip boric alcohol into the ear or apply a compress.

When the inside of the ear hurts, it is difficult to concentrate on anything. And therefore, there is no need to delay, it is better to immediately visit a doctor so that the treatment takes less time and less nerves.