Most ear pain is caused by inflammation or infection in the middle ear. Although ear infections are more common in children, adults can also develop middle ear infections, or otitis media. According to he American Academy of Otolaryngology, fluid...
Ear pressure occurs when pressure inside the eardrum differs from pressure outside the eardrum. This condition, called ear barotrauma, often causes discomfort, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Ear...
The symptoms of a middle-ear infection, also called otitis media, are more common in children but can affect adults as well. A middle-ear infection is typically caused by a viral infection that attacks the lining of the middle ear, though other...
Ear candles have been around for thousands of years. Used to clean the inside of the ear, this natural process requires a special candle made of linen or cotton that is soaked in wax and then hardened. The inside of the candle is hollow, allowing...
Sinus conditions affect more than 40 million people in the United States each year and Cleveland Clinic says the numbers are on the rise. Earache and temporary hearing loss may occur as a result of recurring sinus infections. While these side...
Ear infections occur most commonly in the inner ear. Also referred to as otitis media, these infections affect infants and children more often than adults because of the shape of their growing bodies. The eustachian tubes, which connect the ear to...
Many people experience the annoying sensation of water trapped in one or both of their ears after swimming. Not only is this experience tremendously irritating, water left in the ears can also lead to painful infections such as swimmer's ear....
An ear infection is the most common illness in childhood, according to MayoClinic.com. While most ear infections typically do not last very long and are uncomplicated, certain risks are involved when developing otitis media. The National Institute...
1. What Causes Ear Infections?
Ear infections are also known as "otitis media" or literally, infection of the middle ear. It is the most common reason for pediatric visits to the doctor as more than 60 percent of children will have at least one...
Each ear has a Eustachian tube that runs from the middle ear and drains normal fluids down the back of the throat. Colds, sinus infections, allergies, environmental irritants, infected or overgrown adenoids and excessive mucus produced during...
A cholesteatoma is an overgrowth of skin that occurs in the middle ear. The skin grows from the ear drum and accumulates in the ear behind the drum. The cholesteatoma can be either congenital or acquired. According to the Cleveland Clinic,...
Earwax, also called, cerumen, is actually a good thing most of the time. Without it your ears would be dry and itchy. Cerumen is a self-cleaning agent for the ear that has antibacterial and protective qualities. Most of the time your ears will...
Rubeola, commonly referred to as the measles, is a contagious viral infection. The infection spreads by breathing in droplets of moisture after an infected person coughs. Symptoms of rubeola include a red, itching rash, fever and a cough. A...
The Mayo Clinic says that a perforated eardrum, also known as a ruptured eardrum, refers to a hole or tear that occurs in the thin tissue that divides the ear canal from the middle portion of the ear. Symptoms of a perforated eardrum include a...
Petrositis causes hearing issues more often than other ear infections. The hearing loss may be only slight, but it is often enough to make the patient feel disoriented in some noisy environments. The hearing loss is accompanied by pain in the...
Glue ear, formally known as otitis media with effusion (OME) is a normally painless condition in which sticky fluid gathers in the middle (inner) ear behind the eardrum. In most cases, the condition clears up on its own. However, the "British...
Exercising can bring about pain in your left ear for a number of different reasons, including teeth problems, acid reflux, cold weather or even arthritis. See your physician to determine the exact cause of the ear pain and to get recommendations...
A cleft lip and palate is a birth defect that affects the structure of patients' mouths. With a cleft lip, patients have a split in their lips that can extend up to the nostril. A cleft palate affects the roof of the mouth. MedlinePlus explains...
Caring for a baby with a hearing aid is the same as caring for any baby with a few minor complications. There are several ways you can help your baby adjust to wearing these small devices behind the ears, which enable them to learn about and...
Tinnitus is a symptom associated with problems in the auditory system, including the brain, auditory nerve, ear and blood vessels. People with tinnitus describe the condition as a foreign noise in the ear, which may sound like a ringing, buzzing,...
Tinnitus is a condition characterized by chronic ringing in the ears. Other sounds may accompany the ringing, such as buzzing or whispering. The cause of tinnitus is unknown, although certain conditions, such as ear infections or hearing loss, may...
The ear divides into several areas, and each area has a function. One function of the outer ear canal is to produce earwax, also called cerumen. Wax glands in the ear canal form and excrete the earwax. This earwax serves several important...
Ear tube placement, medically termed myringotomy, is the most common surgery performed under anesthesia on children, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Used to reduce the frequency of ear infection in susceptible children, ear...
Vitamins are essential for ear health and in the prevention and treatment of impaired hearing conditions. Infections, injury and loud noises are common causes of hearing impairment. If left untreated, these conditions can worsen and cause...
Ear infections have a variety of names: swimmer's ear, otitis and acute ear infection, to name a few. But no matter how your ear infection is classified, it has the same symptoms. Pain, ringing in the ears, nausea and even hearing loss can plague...
For the parent of a new infant, the first year of your child's life is fraught with times in which you feel like you're blindly guessing how to keep him healthy and comfortable. If you notice your infant tugging at his ear, you may wonder if he...
Grommets are tiny tubes that are inserted in a child's ears to treat a common aliment called "glue ears." This health problem is due to trapped fluid in the middle ear that can result in infection and hearing loss. The fluid that generally drains...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use causes over 400,000 deaths a year, more than all deaths due to HIV/AIDS, murders, suicides, motor vehicle accidents, illegal drug use and alcohol use put together in...
Ear infections are a common ailment, especially in infants and young children. Otitis externa is an infection of the ear canal, and otitis media is an infection of the middle ear (behind the eardrum). The National Institute on Deafness and Other...