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
Next: Earache Causes »
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Otitis Media »
Otitis media (OM) is the second most common disease of childhood, after upper respiratory infection (URI).
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