Symptom: Earache

Introduction: Earache

Aching or pain in the ear is called otalgia (see also detailed disease information for earache). Ear pain is usually caused by an infection of the ear area, including outer ear infections, mastoiditis, or middle ear infections. However, pain in the ear can also arise from infections or conditions in nearby regions that affect the ear nerves. This is called "referred pain" and may arise from dental conditions, jaw disorders, or afflictions of the upper digestive tract and throat area. There are a variety of possible causes of ear pain and any ear pain symptoms needs prompt professional medical advice.

» Review Causes of Earache: full list

Causes of Earache:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Earache. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Ear trauma
  • Ear slap - causing ear trauma
  • Ear trauma from loud sound or blast
  • Excessive ear picking - causing ear trauma
• Ear conditions
  • Earache
  • Ear infection
  • Middle ear infection
  • Otitis media
  • Otitis externa
  • Swimmer's ear
  • Acute serous otitis media
  • Ear foreign body
  • Ear wax
  • Eustachitis
  • Eustachian catarrh
  • Mastoiditis
  • Impacted cerumen
  • Ear infections
  • Middle ear tumor
  • Tympanic membrane perforation
  • Foreign body in ear
  • Boil in the ear canal
  • Cold sore in the ear canal (see Ear infection)
  • Perichondritis
  • Rodent ulcer
  • Ear cancer
• Possible causes of external ear pain:
  • Ear trauma
  • Otitis externa

See full list of 177 causes of Earache

» Review Causes of Earache: full list

Earache: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Earache, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Earache: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Earache and Head symptoms (71 causes)
• Earache and Nerve symptoms (68 causes)
• Earache and Face symptoms (67 causes)
• Earache and Sensations (67 causes)
• Earache and Pain (67 causes)
• Earache and Ear symptoms (59 causes)
• Earache and Throat symptoms (35 causes)
• Earache and Hearing symptoms (30 causes)
• Earache and Mouth symptoms (30 causes)
• Earache and Deafness (29 causes)
• Earache and Headache (28 causes)
• Earache and Hearing impairment (27 causes)
• Earache and Fever (25 causes)
• Earache and Temperature symptoms (25 causes)
• Earache and Sore throat (24 causes)
• Earache and Swelling symptoms (23 causes)
• Earache and Digestive symptoms (23 causes)
• Earache and Respiratory symptoms (22 causes)
• Earache and Tinnitus (19 causes)
• Earache and Eating symptoms (19 causes)

See full list of 977 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Earache

Home Diagnostic Testing and Earache

Home medical tests possibly related to Earache:

• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
  • Home Fever Tests
  • Home Ear Infection Tests
  • Home Flu Tests
• Ear Infections: Home Testing:
  • Home Ear Tests
  • Home Hearing Tests

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Pain (3014 causes)
• Ear symptoms (1150 causes)
• Sensations (3186 causes)
• Nerve symptoms (3495 causes)
• Common symptoms (4555 causes)
• Head symptoms (3858 causes)
• Face symptoms (2766 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Earache

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Earache:

• Ear pain (177 causes)
• Ear discharge (26 causes)
• Ear symptoms (1150 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Earache

Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Earache from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Earache. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Earache

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Misdiagnosis and Earache

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off...read more »

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other causes. See causes of leg cramps or misdiagnosis of diabetes....read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis...read more »

Ramsay Hunt syndrome- recovery depends on nerve damage: The Ramsay Hunt syndrome is herpes zoster affecting the geniculate ganglion. This syndrome develops when the varicella virus becomes reactivated from the geniculate...read more »

Dizziness in children: Dizziness although not a common cause in children can have threatening causes and requires quick diagnosis as the possibility of tumours such as medulloblastoma is possible but the most...read more »

Painful ear conditions: A patient with a painful ear often requires urgent attention and most of these cases are expected to have acute otitis media. It can occur at any age but is most common in children where otitis...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Earache

Diagnostic tests for Earache:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Earache. Some of these are listed below :

• General observation
  • Observe the person's general state and behavior e.g. sudden, jabbing pain may indicate trigeminal neuralgia or glossopharyngeal neuralgia
• Physical examination
  • Manipulate the pinna to establish if this aggravates the pain - would suggest otitis externa, foreign body, impacted wax, furunculosis, ear lobe infection or perichondritis.
  • Examine the skin of the pinna for pathology such as skin tumor

See full list of 23 diagnostic tests for Earache

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Earache. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you had the ear pain? - to determine if acute or chronic.
• Where exactly do you experience the ear pain and where does the pain radiate to? - may assist in diagnosis e.g. in ear, behind ear, below ear.
• Is the pain unilateral or bilateral?
• Can you describe the nature of the pain?
• Have you had a recent upper respiratory tract infection? - e.g. sore throat, runny nose, sinusitis - may suggest acute otitis media or myringitis bullosa (occurs with influenza, Haemophilus influenza and mycoplasma pneumoniae infections).

See Diagnosis Checklist for Earache (24 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Earache) may include:

• Ear discharge? - Acute ear discharge suggests acute otitis media (middle ear infection) with a rupture of the ear drum, otitis externa (outer ear infection) or myringitis bullosa. A chronic ear discharge may suggest cholesteatoma, chronic otitis media or mastoiditis.
• If a discharge is present, what is the nature of the discharge? - A mucopurulent discharge (mucous to pus-like) suggests chronic otitis media and mastoiditis. A offensive discharge with whitish debris suggests cholesteatoma. A bloody discharge may suggest myringitis bullosa.
• Fever? - suggests otitis media, mastoiditis, tonsillitis, sinusitis or tooth abscess.
• Hearing loss? - may suggest acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, otitis externa, foreign body, mastoiditis, cholesteatoma, eustachian tube catarrh and barotrauma.
• Symptoms of acute otitis media? - e.g. deep-seated ear pain, deafness , fever, a discharge may follow if the tympanic membrane ruptures which results in relief of pain and fever.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Earache (24 listings)

Stories from Users for Earache

Real-life user stories relating to Earache:

• Plugged (fluid) ears, ear pain 4 months!
• Help: Young but Hurting
• eye,neck,ear,and face pain!!!
• Ear Fullness Pain Rining
• Hearing loss/fullness in ears with face pain
• really hurting.
• Hurting real Bad.
• Pain in neck, ear & tongue.. ??
• Sharp pain behind left ear
• Unexplained Ear Pain
• Right eye ptosis,tearing,ear,jaw and neck pain
• hurt myself while asleep
• Severe deep stabbing Ear Pain
• White painful hard lump inside of ear
• Ear pain and dental pain together
• What Could This Be? (ear pain, headaches,...)
• Months of Misery - PLEASE HELP - Vertigo, Clogged Ear, Severe Pain
• my mom hurts
• ear and mouth pain
• Undiagnosed Ear Pain

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Earache or relevant symptoms:

• ENMT (Ears, Nose, Mouth and Throat) (275)
  • Swelling in roof of mouth
  • Pain on one side of throat
  • Please help! Mucus/dark circles/bad breath...
  • Painful white bumps on tongue
  • Sinus headache & eye area pain
  • More user stories
• Neurological (Nerves) (357)
  • Could this be MS?
  • Numbness and tingling all over
  • Tingling/numbness in arms/hands/legs/face/head [more symptoms]
  • Eye twitch
  • Essential tremor
  • More user stories
• Allergic/Immunologic (88)
  • Chronic hives
  • Spontaneous flushing and redness of face and body.
  • Non-stop itching, no rash
  • Swelling & itching
  • Problems with my scalp can anyone help me
  • More user stories

Videos for Earache

Patient Surveys for Earache

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about diseases related to your Earache
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Causes of Earache listed in Disease Database:

Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible causes of Earache as a symptom include:

• Adenoiditis
• Arnold's nerve cough syndrome
• Bell's palsy
• Cerumen impaction
• Cholesteatoma
• Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis
• Functional disorders
• Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
• Head injury
• Keratosis obturans
• Laryngeal carcinoma
• Myringitis bullosa
• Otitis externa
• Pharyngitis
• Ramsay Hunt syndrome
• Suppurative otitis media
• Tongue cancer
• Tonsillar cancer
• Tympanic membrane rupture
• Upper respiratory tract infection

See full list of 177 causes of Earache
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Medications or substances causing Earache:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Earache as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Mesalamine
• Sulfasalazine
• See also drugs causing earache
• Vesanoid
• Pimecrolimus

See full list of 36 medications causing Earache

Definitions of Earache:

Earache: Pain in the ear. SYN: otalgia, otodynia.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Earache; a pain localized in the middle or inner ear.
- (Source - Diseases Database)

An ache localized in the middle or inner ear
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Organs affected by Earache:

The list of organs typically affected by Earache may include, but is not limited to:

• Ear

Detailed list of causes of Earache

The list below shows some of the causes of Earache mentioned in various sources:

• Acute barotrauma
• Acute mastoiditis
• Acute otitis media
• Acute serous otitis media
• Adenoiditis

See full list of 177 causes of Earache

How Common are these Causes of Earache?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Earache. Of the 177 causes of Earache that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 6 causes are "very common" diseases
• 4 causes are "common" diseases
• 3 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 1 causes are "rare" diseases
• 9 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 163 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 177 causes of Earache

Conditions listing symptoms: Earache:

The following list of conditions have 'Earache' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Earache Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Earache based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: