Earache is particularly common in children, but adults are also affected. Here you can find out what causes there can be and what helps.
What is an earache?
Earache mostly occurs in children, but adults are also affected from time to time. But why does it happen? The ears are extremely sensitive as there are many sensitive nerve endings running through them. Even the smallest disturbances can cause ear pain or pressure in the ears, that feels stinging, pounding, or dull. The pain can occur in the outer, inner, or middle ear. Depending on the cause, they are constant or seizure and have various other symptoms such as dizziness. In most cases, earache is caused by inflammation and can be treated with medication, but often also with home remedies.
Common causes of ear pain
Here you can find the most common causes of earache at a glance:
- Inflammation: Otitis media, ear canal inflammation, boils in the ear or in the ear canal, shingles or sore throat ("erysipelas"), but also tooth, tonsil and parotid gland inflammation. If there is inflammation, fever often occurs at the same time
- Injuries: In the outer ear, for example, through cuts, in the inner ear through an eardrum injury – that is precisely what can be very painful
- Ear canal is blocked: For example, through a plug of earwax (here you can find out how to remove earwax), as a side effect of a cold or through a foreign body in the ear
Other causes such as toothache or problems with the temporomandibular joint can be responsible for earache. Elderly people also sometimes suffer from so-called ear herpes.
Medication: what to do if you have an earache?
Depending on the trigger, earache can be treated with medication. Antibiotics are usually used for inflammation of the ear canal, and decongestant nasal spray for otitis media. A plug or foreign body is carefully removed, injuries to the eardrum usually heal on their own over time, but in some cases an operation may be necessary.
Home remedies for earache
With harmless causes, home remedies can alleviate acute discomfort caused by earache. These include:
- Onion wrap: The classic home remedy for earache! Onions contain disinfecting mustard oil and soothe inflammation. To do this, simply chop an onion, wrap it in a cloth and place it lightly on the ear.
- Warmth: Those who frequently suffer from vague earache often find warmth to be beneficial, as it stimulates blood circulation. Infrared light, for example, helps. Warning: heat is not suitable for bacterial inflammation – it can make it worse.
- Camomile tea: The essential oils of chamomile help with inflammation of all kinds. If you have ear pain, you can pour chamomile tea and carefully hold your ear over the steam for a few minutes – but please be careful, the steam can be very hot!
Tip:Toothache home remedies and what helps with pressure on the ears, you can find out here. We also explain what an effusion is. We reveal special home remedies for otitis media here. You can find out more about acute hearing loss treatment here. We also explain what the so-called misophony is.
Earache in babies and children
Middle ear infections and ear pain from colds or the flu are more common in babies and children. With small children, adults should pay attention to whether the offspring often touch their ears and are restless, because unfortunately the inflammation cannot be seen. A fairly sure additional signal is a fever. Affected children should always be examined by a doctor.
Reading tip:Toothache home remedies, possible otitis media symptoms and what helps against water in the ear and noise in the ear, you can find out here. We also reveal the best tinnitus treatment.