Common Causes
Red flags associated with otalgia include[4]:
- Dysphagia, odynophagia, dysphonia, or hemoptysis
- Loss of vision or black spots
- Unintended weight loss
Related Conditions
Otalgia: Ear pain; earache. Otalgia can originate within the ear, the ear canal, or the external ear. CONTINUE SCROLLING OR CLICK HERE.
Which conditions are associated with otalgia?
What are the causes of sharp ear pain
- Ear wax. A normal presence in human ears, ear wax prevents the entry of dust and germs. ...
- Ear barotrauma. Traveling at higher altitudes causes changes in pressure that affect the structures of the ear. ...
- Outer ear infection. ...
- Middle ear infection. ...
- Mastoiditis. ...
- Eardrum rupture. ...
- Foreign body impaction. ...
- Cholesteatoma. ...
- Meniere’s disease. ...
- Allergies. ...
What is otalgia mean?
Mentioned below are the major causes of tenderness in outer ear:
- Sunburn resulting from overexposure to sun is one of the commonest causes of tenderness in outer ear. ...
- Sleeping on a hard or a rough surface is also a common cause of tender outer ear. ...
- Many people often experience tenderness of outer ear or auricles caused due to irritation from earrings. ...
What causes intermittent sharp ear pain?
What causes tenderness in the outer ear?
What does acute otalgia mean?
Otalgia is defined as ear pain. Two separate and distinct types of otalgia exist. Pain that originates within the ear is primary otalgia; pain that originates outside the ear is referred otalgia. [1, 2] Typical sources of primary otalgia are external otitis, otitis media, mastoiditis, and auricular infections.
What are the symptoms of otalgia?
The most common of these signs and symptoms are ear fullness sensation, tinnitus, ear pain and vertigo with nystagmus.
How do you treat otalgia?
Home Care to Relieve Ear PainA cool or warm compress. Soak a washcloth in either cool or warm water, wring it out, and then put it over the ear that's bothering you. ... A heating pad: Lay your painful ear on a warm, not hot, heating pad.Over-the-counter ear drops with pain relievers.
How do you get otalgia?
The primary causes of otalgia are often benign and present as straightforward cases to the experienced GP. Infection, trauma, foreign bodies and impacted cerumen are the common conditions usually diagnosed on otoscopy.
What is the most common cause of otalgia?
Acute otitis media is the most common cause of primary otalgia.
Which nerve is responsible for referred otalgia?
The trigeminal nerve is cited as the most common sensorineural pathway leading to referred otalgia because of the wide sensory “net” that it covers and the type of pathology that occurs within this region.
What cause ear pain in adults?
Ear injury from pressure changes (from high altitudes and other causes) Object stuck in the ear or buildup of ear wax. Hole in the eardrum. Sinus infection.
Is an ear ache serious?
Earache (ear pain) is one of the most common reasons we take our children to see their healthcare provider or we seek help for our own painful ears. Earaches can be a symptom of ear infections or a sign of an underlying condition. Rarely, an earache or ear pain is a sign of a serious illness.
How long does ear pain last?
Most ear infections clear up within 3 days, although sometimes symptoms can last up to a week. If you, or your child, have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better.
Why do I have ear pain but no infection?
Earaches can happen without an infection. This can occur when air and fluid build up behind the eardrum, causing pain and reduced hearing. This is called serous otitis media. It means fluid in the middle ear.
What causes ear pain without infection?
Causes: Anything that make the Eustachian tube swollen or inflamed such as recent upper respiratory infection or common cold, allergies, sinus infection or sudden air pressure changes (happens when people fly on an airplane, scuba dive or drive in the mountains).
What is the type of otalgia?
Otalgia can be classified into 2 types. Otogenic otalgia originates from diseases of the external, middle and inner ear, whereas referred otalgia arises from pathologies outside the ear [4,5].
What is the type of otalgia?
Otalgia can be classified into 2 types. Otogenic otalgia originates from diseases of the external, middle and inner ear, whereas referred otalgia arises from pathologies outside the ear [4,5].
What is otalgia of both ears?
Otalgia is the medical word for ear ache or ear pain. It may be burning, stabbing, dull, sharp, sore, full, or clogged.
What can cause referred ear pain?
The cause of secondary otalgia is often difficult to determine because the innervation of the ear is complex and there are many potential sources of referred pain. The most common causes are temporomandibular joint syndrome, pharyngitis, dental disease, and cervical spine arthritis.
How do you know if you have eustachian tube dysfunction?
Eustachian tube dysfunction may occur when the mucosal lining of the tube is swollen, or does not open or close properly. If the tube is dysfunctional, symptoms such as muffled hearing, pain, tinnitus, reduced hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ear or problems with balance may occur.
What is secondary otalgia?
Secondary or referred otalgia occurs as a result of the complex cranial nerve network that innervates the ear. These cranial nerves have a shared connection between the ear and organs outside of the ear. One theoretical mechanism of referred otalgia is the convergence-projection theory, which states that these nerves converge onto a shared neural pathway.[9] Given the extent of different organs that share innervation pathways with the ear, secondary otalgia can arise from many different organs.
What is the difference between otalgia and ear pain?
Otalgia (ear pain) divides into two broad categories: primary and secondary otalgia. Primary otalgia is ear pain that arises directly from pathology within the inner, middle, or external ear. Secondary or referred otalgia is ear pain that occurs from pathology located outside the ear. A complex neural network innervates the ear as a result of complex embryologic development. The ear shares this neural network with other organs, which leads to numerous potential causes of referred ear pain.[1]
What causes otitis media in children?
Primary otalgia occurs most commonly from infection. Acute otitis media (AOM) ranks as the number one cause of primary otalgia in children. The disease is typically associated with an upper respiratory tract infection that causes congestion and swelling of the eustachian tube. Between the middle ear and the eustachian tube, there is a narrowing of the eustachian tube called the bony-cartilaginous junction or isthmus. The swelling of the eustachian tube at this location can prevent the middle ear drainage. This collection of middle ear secretions can initially generate an effusion, leading to obstruction and potential bacterial growth.[12] In adults, chronic otitis media is the most common primary disease. Its pathophysiology is the same as AOM and can result from upper respiratory infections or allergic rhinitis. Infections can also directly affect the auricle or ear canal in perichondritis or otitis externa, respectively. If the infection spreads to adjacent bone, it can cause petrous apicitis, mastoiditis, or malignant otitis externa.
What causes otalgia in women?
While primary causes tend to be more common, two studies stated that secondary causes account for nearly 50% of cases of otalgia. [1][9]Adults and women with otalgia are more likely to have a secondary cause. [5][3][4][6]While the literature is inconsistent, temporomandibular, and dental pathology tends to get cited as the most common causes of secondary otalgia. [1][4][6]While dental pathology tends to get cited as the most common cause, one article published in Ireland mentioned that mechanical disorders of the neck and jaw were much more common.[10] Patients over 65 years of age are more likely to experience otalgia from cervical spine disease.[2] Women 20 to 40 years old are more likely to experience temporomandibular joint disease.[11] Malignancies or distant secondary causes such as thyroid cardiac, gastrointestinal, or lung pathology are rare. Other secondary etiologies, such as petrous apicitis, malignant otitis externa, and Eagle syndrome, are also uncommon.
Where is the otalgia point located?
Of note, 1 case series noted "the otalgia point," located at the apex of the jugulodigastric region. The case series included 32 patients who pointed to this location, who also had normal physical examinations, tympanogram, and age-appropriate audiograms. This point was found to correlate more with symptom relief after either myringotomy or nasal steroid usage. [14]
Why does my ear feel full?
Ear fullness rather than ear pain may be more associated with cholesteatomas.
Is otalgia a pain?
Otalgia is ear pain and breaks down into two categories of primary otalgia and secondary otalgia. Primary otalgia is pain coming directly from the ear where secondary otalgia is referred pain from somewhere outside the ear. This activity reviews the broad differential diagnosis and workup for both types of otalgia and highlights the role of the interprofessional workforce in treating otalgia.
What is the term for pain in the ear?
Otalgia is defined as ear pain. Two separate and distinct types of otalgia exist. Pain that originates within the ear is primary otalgia; pain that originates outside the ear is referred otalgia. [ 1, 2]
Can otalgia cause ear pain?
Referred o talgia is a topic unto itself. Although many entities can cause referred otalgia, their relationship to ear pain must be identified. A categorical discussion of the workup, treatment, prognosis, demographics, and other issues is impossible because the various pathologies responsible for creating referred otalgia are so diverse.
Does otalgia originate from the ear?
Reports document that not all otalgia originates from the ear. Many remote anatomic sites share dual innervation with the ear, and noxious stimuli to these areas may be perceived as otogenic pain. By definition, referred otalgia is the sensation of ear pain originating from a source outside the ear.
Where does ear pain come from?
Sometimes ear pain originates from the skin of the ear.
Why does my ear hurt?
Prevention. Ear pain may be caused by a problem inside the ear, such as an outer or middle ear infection, or from a problem outside (but near) the ear, such as sinusitis, temporomandibular joint syndrome, or a dental infection. 1 How ear pain feels (aching, sharp, dull, etc.), its intensity, its location, and other symptoms you are experiencing ...
What causes a swollen ear when pulling the earlobe?
External otitis —an infection of the ear canal —causes a feeling of ear fullness, itchiness, and significant ear pain when the earlobe is pulled. 7 Yellowish or clear-colored ear discharge may also occur, along with decreased hearing and swelling of the ear canal.
What causes a swollen ear?
Perichondritis arises from an infection of your ear cartilage, resulting in pain, swelling, and redness over the skin. 13 Fever may also be present and sometimes an abscess (collection of pus) forms. Without treatment, perichondritis can lead to ear deformity (called cauliflower ear) as the infection cuts off blood supply to the cartilage, thereby destroying it.
What is OME in ear?
Otitis media with effusion (OME) describes the presence of middle ear fluid without signs of infection. 5 In other words, there is fluid buildup without tissue inflammation. Overall, the ear pain of OME is generally mild and associated with a feeling of ear fullness and/or decreased hearing.
What happens if you have a perforated eardrum?
Aside from sharp ear pain, people who have a perforated eardrum may experience sudden hearing loss, fluid leaking from the ear, or hear a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear. 6
What causes a red rash on the ear?
Periauricular cellulitis (infected skin on the ear) results in a red, hot, and extremely tender ear. 15 A fever may also be present. Herpes zoster oticus ("shingles of the ear") causes severe ear pain along with a vesicular rash (tense, fluid-filled sacs).
