Earache

Anatomy of an Ear Infection Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• 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
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Anatomy of an Ear Infection - Slideshow
• Viewer Comments: Earache - Treatment
• Viewer Comments: Earache - Causes

Earache Overview

Earache is very common medical problem for both children and adults. The pain of earache results from inflammation and swelling of the structures that make up the ear, including the external auditory canal, the tympanic membrane, and the middle ear. Myringitis is an inflammation of the tympanic membrane or ear drum.

Otitis externa is a skin infection of the outer ear canal. It is the area where was forms and often occurs after swimming (commonly referred to as swimmer's ear).

Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear and eardrum commonly seen in infants and younger children. Otitis media also may affect older children and adults.

Earache Causes

Otitis externa is commonly caused by trapped moisture in the ear canal or by minor injury to the ear canal.

Risk factors for otitis externa include:

• Moisture trapped in the ear canal
  
  
  • The condition commonly called swimmer's ear can occur after swimming, bathing, or hot humid weather.
    
    
  • Bacteria that cause the infection are able to grow and multiply easily in the warm moist environment.
    
    
  Rarely, the infection may be caused by a fungus.

• Minor injury or scrape to the ear canal skin
  
  
  • This usually happens during attempts to clean the ear with objects, such as a cotton-tipped swab or paper clip. This break in the skin may allow bacteria to enter and start an infection.

Otitis media is caused by either a viral or bacterial infection of the middle ear. It often follows a cold or upper respiratory tract infection that causes inflammation of the Eustachian tube and prevents normal fluid drainage from the middle ear.

Other factors that may predispose otitis media include:

• allergies,
  
  
• secondhand smoke exposure,
  
  
• bottle feeding when laying supine or flat,
  
  
• family history of ear infections, and
  
  
• abnormal anatomy of the head and neck area.

Myringitis, an inflammation of the ear drum may be due to localized infection or trauma.

Risk factors for myringitis include:

• Local trauma to the ear drum may be due to puncture by a foreign object like a Qtip or paper clip used to remove wax or an insect. There may also be barotrauma, in which the ear drum is ruptured. This may occur with changes in pressure due to diving, flying in an airplane, or due to an explosion or very loud noise.
  
  
• Bacterial and viral infections of the ear drum may cause inflammation and blistering, also known as bullous myringitis (bullous=fluid filled blister).