While young children are more prone to getting earaches than adults, an adult can just as easily suffer from ear pain. Earaches have many causes, ranging from something as simple as a cold to something as major as ear trauma. The minor pains, with proper care, will go away on their own, but if you experience ear pain that is severe or lasts more than a few days, visit your doctor to seek treatment. Prolonged earaches may be a sign of deeper problems and, in extreme cases, can cause hearing loss.
Barotrauma
Barotrauma is usually the most short-lived of earaches; it is the pain and discomfort associated with change in air pressure, often making your ears “pop.” You may have experienced this if you’ve traveled by plane, driven through mountains or higher elevations, or gone scuba diving. You can even experience minor barotrauma from swimming at the deep end of a pool. But if pain or discomfort lasts more than a day or two, visit the doctor to check for more serious underlying issues.
Middle Ear Infection
In a healthy ear, the fluids that build up in the middle ear--behind the eardrum--are drained through the Eustachian tube. But when the Eustachian tube is blocked, usually due to colds or allergies, and the buildup inside your ear does not properly drain, it can become infected. In these cases, you need to see your doctor for antibiotics to clear out the infection and return your ear to normal.
Outer Ear Infection
An infection of your outer ear, or ear canal, may also cause an earache. This kind of infection, better known as swimmer’s ear, occurs when water from bathing or swimming is not properly dried. You can also get an outer ear infection if soap or shampoo lingers in your ear after you wash. Cotton swabs, when used too harshly or inserted too deeply, can cause irritation that builds into an outer ear infection, as well.
Earwax Buildup
When earwax becomes impacted in your ears--usually as a result of a good faith effort to clean inside your ears--you can start getting a plugged, stuffy feeling that may escalate into an earache. With earwax buildup, you may also experience mild hearing loss and buzzing or ringing in your ears. Impacted earwax is very difficult to remove, so do not attempt to clean your ears on your own if you suspect this may be the cause. Instead, seek medical attention to rule out anything more serious, then have your ears professionally cleaned.
Ear Trauma
Most versions of ear trauma are physical; getting hit near your ears may cause internal trauma, as can constant picking at your ears. Breaking the ear drum is another form of ear trauma, one that is exceptionally difficult to remedy. Other types of ear trauma result from deafening noises and sounds, such as an explosion, as well as prolonged exposure to moderate noise, such as concerts, buzz saws or jackhammers.
Referred Pain
Referred pain occurs when your ears feel pain as a result of another issue; often, the source of referred pain is outside the ear, but feels as if it is in the ear. Dental pain, sinus infections, laryngitis, neck pain, lymph problems and thyroid problems are some of the more common causes of referred earaches.
