Numerous conditions can cause deep ear pain. According to FamilyDoctor.org, a website produced by the American Academy of Family Physicians, ear pain, including deep ear pain, is often caused by infection. However, other conditions can cause deep ear pain too. Because the ear is located so close to the skull, pain deep in the ear can be mistaken for skull pain and vice versa. In some cases, ear conditions can cause pain in the skull. The severity of deep ear pain ranges from mild to severe, depending on the condition and the structures affected.
Ruptured Tympanic Membrane
A ruptured or perforated tympanic membrane or eardrum can cause pain deep in the ear. According to MayoClinic.com, a ruptured tympanic membrane is a hole in the eardrum--the thin tissue that divides the outer ear canal from the middle ear. The most common causes of a ruptured tympanic membrane include loud sounds or blasts, barotrauma or an imbalance between environmental air pressure and pressure in the middle ear, foreign objects in the ear, middle ear infection and severe head trauma. Common signs and symptoms associated with a ruptured tympanic membrane include sharp and sudden pain deep in the ear, pus-filled ear drainage, hearing loss, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, vertigo or a spinning sensation, nausea and vomiting. According to the MayoClinic.com, a ruptured tympanic membrane usually self-resolves within a few weeks.
Ear and Temporal Bone Cancer
Ear and temporal bone cancer can cause deep ear pain. The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a non-profit hospital and academic medical center based in Los Angeles, states that about 200 cases of ear and temporal bone cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. The temporal bone, located just above the ear, is part of the skull. While some tumors may originate on the outside of the ear, tumors can also manifest inside the ear canal, causing drainage from the canal and pain inside the ear. According to the CSMC, squamous cell cancer of the ear can grow deep inside the ear and is likely to spread to other parts of the body. If the tumor grows into the temporal bone, it may cause hearing loss, dizziness and facial paralysis. Chronic skin infections of the ear canal can increase a person's risk for ear and temporal bone cancer.
Otitis Media
Otitis media, also known as a middle ear infection, can cause pain deep within the ear. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, a middle ear infection is often caused by bacteria. Otitis media involves middle ear inflammation that occurs when fluid accumulates behind the tympanic membrane. Although anybody can get an ear infection, children are more susceptible than adults. In fact, 75 percent of children will experience at least one middle ear infection by the age of 3, according to the national institute. Common signs and symptoms associated with otitis media include pain deep in the ear, sleeping difficulties, irritability, balance problems, headache, fever of 100 degrees or higher, ear drainage, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. Otitis media is more common in children because their eustachian tubes are narrower and situated at a different angle than adults, which makes draining the tubes more difficult and increases the likelihood of blockages.
