Earache
- Earache Overview
- Earache Causes
- Earache Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Earache Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Multimedia
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Anatomy of an Ear Infection - Slideshow
Earache Overview
Earache is very common medical problem for both children and adults. The 2 most common conditions that cause earache are infection of the outer ear (otitis externa) and infection of the middle ear (otitis media).
- Otitis externa
- Skin infection of the outer ear or ear canal
- Often occurs after swimming (commonly called swimmer's ear)
- Otitis media
- Infection of the middle ear and eardrum
- Very common in infants and children aged 6 months to 2 years
- Can also affect older children and adults
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Earache
Swimmer's Ear Overview
Swimmer's ear (also called otitis externa) is a painful condition of the visible or outer portion of the ear and ear canal (outer ear). The ear canal is a cylinder-shaped structure that extends from the outer part of the ear, above the ear lobe, all the way to the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The typical size of the canal is about 2.5 centimeters in length and 7-9 millimeters in width.
The main function of the ear canal is to protect the ear from infection and entry of foreign objects. This function is accomplished by the length of the canal, making it difficult for objects to enter. In addition, the outer portion of the canal produces ear wax (cerumen) that helps trap debris entering the ear, and it also produces an acidic environment that may be harmful to bacteria entering the ear. There is also hair in the ear canal which provides an additional barrier against debris entering the ear.
Males and females of all a...
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Otitis Media »
Otitis media (OM) is the second most common disease of childhood, after upper respiratory infection (URI).
