An otalgia is an earache that can be felt in any part of one's ear, inner, middle or outer. These conditions are not always related to disease or infection. However, it is necessary that if you feel this type of discomfort, you should go to your doctor as soon as possible so that he or she can determine its origin.

Symptoms of otalgia

The main symptom of otalgia is of course earache. The pain each patient feels may vary in intensity. It can be very mild or even very strong. It usually depends on the origin of the pain. It should be borne in mind that some health problems that are not related to the ears can cause the ears to suffer.

Causes of otalgia

Below we will review some causes that can be hidden behind otalgia. The main one is otitis, which is an inflammation that can affect the middle or outer ear. The origins of the problem can be various, a cold that has come to infect the ear, wounds produced by a stick or bacteria and fungi.

But apart from otitis, there are other reasons that may be behind the earache, they are these:

  • Acute coughing that lasts for several days.
  • Some types of allergies.
  • Shingles.
  • Injuries to the eardrum.
  • Obstruction of the ear canal for different reasons.
  • Tooth or jaw problems
  • Inflammation of the Eustachian tube.
  • Mumps.
  • Sudden changes in air pressure.

You should always try to get your ENT specialist to diagnose the source of your ear pain.

Treatment for otalgia

The treatment of otalgia always depends on its origin. If the pain is caused by any ailment unrelated to the ear, it will be necessary to treat the problem.

If the ear pain is caused by inflammation of the auricle, it will be necessary to use antibiotics and anti-inflammatory creams to cure the infection. If it is caused by inflammation of the middle ear, analgesics, anti-inflammatory and antibiotics will be used if there is an infection.

When the pain is caused by inflammation of the ear canal, anti-inflammatory drops and antibiotics will be necessary.

In some cases it will be necessary to intervene in the ear to open the eardrum in order to remove fluid from it. If there is an accumulation of wax, professional cleaning will be necessary. When there is a significant injury to the eardrum, surgery may be required to reconstruct the area, if the affected tissues do not heal themselves.

The most important thing is that you go to your ENT specialist as soon as possible to find out the cause of any earache.