Ear pain
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Definition
Epidemiology
VERY common, especially amongst children.
Pathophysiology
There are two causes: pain in the ear, or referred pain from somewhere else.
Clinical and Associated Features
Ear cause
- Hearing loss
- Pus in ear
- Fever
Other cause
- Jaw pain
- Sore throat
- Tenderness on touching bone behind ear
Differential Diagnosis
Ear based
- Otitis media - infection of the middle ear. This is the most common cause, the classic ear infection, often caught after going swimming a lot. Commonly seen in children, less common in adults. Can be accompanied by hearing loss.
- Otitis externa - outer ear inflammation, often cause by eczema.
- Foreign body - kids love to stuff things in their ears. This can cause ear pain, or precipitate infection.
Referred pain
- Tonsillitis
- Any cause of facial pain can present as ear pain, such as sinusitis and tempero-mandibular joint disorder.