Ear pain is not necessarily otitis media! But it may have a great impact on daily life, not only discomfort, worry, but also hearing loss. However, ear pain can have many causes, including infection, damage, and even shingles, temporomandibular arthritis can be the cause! In either case, ear pain can seriously impact quality of life and requires prompt attention and treatment to avoid protracted illness. The following will discuss the causes of ear pain with Dr. Chen Liangyu from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Let’s find out together!
What are the causes of ear pain? Frequent picking and digging of ears and herpes zoster may induce “primary earache”
Primary earache refers to the inflammation and infection in the structure of the ear cavity, that is, the source of the pain comes from the disease of the ear itself. Common causes include the following 4 types:
Most of the patients are due to careless self-picking and digging of the ears, resulting in wounds on the skin of the external auditory canal, and then inflammation symptoms such as pain and oozing secretions.In addition, frequent picking and digging of ears should also pay attention to the problem of bacterial and fungal infections.
Otitis media is one of the most common causes of ear pain,Predominantly occurs in children, if the delay in treatment may lead to eardrum perforation, hearing loss, meningitis. The cause is often nasal mucus reflux caused by a cold or allergies, which makes the middle ear cavity inflamed, swollen, and painful due to bacterial infection. The pain of otitis media will be more severe when you sleep at night, because the nasal mucus accumulates on the back of the nose when you lie down, causing nasal congestion. As for otitis media in adults, it is mostly due to participation in diving activities or flying, improper blowing of the nose due to a cold, and failure to balance the ear pressure during the process, resulting in backflow of nasal mucus.
Treatment day extension recommendation: (Will otitis media heal on its own? Delayed treatment will cause eardrum holes! See a doctor for a detailed explanation of the symptoms and causes of otitis media)
It is also commonly known as “skin snake”. Most of them are people who have been infected with chickenpox in the past. After recovery, the virus still remains latent in the ganglia and activates into herpes zoster when the immunity is weakened. Some people will have ear pain at first, and then slowly develop small blisters, and the skin of the ear will become red and swollen.If ear pain persists after seeking medical treatment, it is important to return for evaluationand give proper treatment,avoidbecause of the virusInvasion of the facial nerve causes facial nerve paralysis, accompanied by crooked mouth, slanted eyes or facial asymmetry.
Water in the ear, excessive cleaning, accumulation of secretions, etc. are all common factors that make the ear and ear cavity moldy. If the infection is severe, there may be pain in the ear.
Please also care about the days of treatment: (Itchy ears and stuffy ears may be moldy! These 7 situations are more likely to cause ear mold infection)
Temporomandibular arthritis and sore throat can also indirectly cause “secondary ear pain”
When ear pain or discomfort is caused by a problem with the tissue around the ear or other organs, such as infection or disease in the throat, mouth, or jaw joint, it may be transferred to the ear through nerve transmission,The following 4 causes of secondary ear pain, alsoOften confusing.
In clinical practice, patients are most often mistaken for the inflammation of the ear itself. The temporomandibular joint is part of our masticatory system. It is located just in front of the external auditory canal of the human body. In addition to the joint itself, it also includes surrounding muscles. Pain occurs in front of the ear and sometimes extends to the head, face, neck, etc. In addition, some people also have symptoms of ear fullness or tinnitus.
This symptom often occurs inTeeth malocclusion, excessive use of one side for chewing, sleep grinding, preference for hard foodson the person, orIt is caused by factors such as stress, emotion, and unconscious clenching of the teeth.In addition to taking as prescribed by the doctorAnti-inflammatory analgesic drugs and muscle relaxants can help relieve pain; it is recommended to use hot compresses on the front of the ears at home to relax the muscles of the temporomandibular joint.
The trigeminal nerve is distributed around the face and is the nerve that controls the sensation in the cheeks and mouth. When it is compressed by arteries or squeezed by muscles, it will produce paroxysmal pain. However, this kind of pain is not the same as the degree of inflammation and infection. It will be more intense and sharp, like being shocked by an electric shock, and even just the wind will induce pain, and the onset time is sometimes only a few seconds. Since the sensory nerve of the tooth is the same as the trigeminal nerve, it may also cause toothache. As a result, some patients find that the pain does not improve after tooth extraction, or go all over the clinic and hospital, and go around a lot before being diagnosed.
Treatment day extension recommendation: (Trigeminal neuralgia is the culprit?! Toothache that cannot be cured for a long time should pay attention! The pain feels like a knife cutting)
The ear canal and throat are innervated by the ninth and tenth pairs of nerves, which then converge to the brain, so it will cause confusion for the patient that it is actually a sore throat but it is transmitted to the ear.
The oropharynx is located at the back of the mouth, and oropharyngeal cancer is a very common malignant tumor in Taiwan. Many people have no obvious symptoms at the beginning, and may experience uncomfortable swallowing, and some patients may experience ear pain and discomfort.
Other, less common conditions, such as migraines or compression of nerves in the cervical spine, can also cause ear pain.
I hope you know about the treatment days: (Stuffy nose and big tongue are the precursors of oral cancer? Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms of “broken spots, hard swelling” appear)
Reminders for healing days
Finally, Dr. Chen alsospecial callEveryonethe cause of ear pain is varied,don’t ignore, If you feel any discomfort, seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If the otalgia does not improve after treatment by a doctor, it is necessary to return to the clinic immediately and conduct other examinations to find out the lesion, so as to prescribe the right medicine and treat it effectively.
Take a good day to heal your healthy life
This article is reproduced from:Dr. Chen Liangyu
Image source: 123RF
