Ear pain
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Ironically, the cause of this young man's ear ache is sinusitis.
Definition
Epidemiology
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.
Referred pain
- Tonsillitis
- Any cause of facial pain can present as ear pain, such as sinusitis and tempero-mandibular joint disorder.