Earache

You don't always need to see a doctor for earache, because it usually gets better on its own within a few days.

Speak to a pharmacist for advice and treatment if you have earache. If it's needed, the pharmacist may suggest that you see a doctor.

See a doctor if you or your child have earache and any of these:

• a high temperature (fever)
• vomiting
• a severe sore throat
• hearing loss
• swelling around the ear
• discharge from the ear
• there is something stuck in your or your child's ear
• the earache doesn't improve within a few days
• your child is under 2 and has earache in both ears

If you can't reach a doctor, phone a doctor or the 16263 health line.

See a doctor if you or your child:

• have earache for more than 3 days
• keep getting earache

• ask your pharmacist about using over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, or eardrops to treat the pain
• place a warm flannel against the affected ear

• do not use eardrops or olive oil drops if the eardrum has burst

If you or your child has an ear infection, don't put anything in the ear, such as cotton buds, and don't let the affected ear get wet.

If an ear infection is behind the earache, you may see a watery or pus-like fluid coming out of the ear.

Outer ear infections (infections of the tube connecting the outer ear and eardrum) and middle ear infections (infections of the parts of the ear behind the eardrum) are very common causes of earache. Many ear infections clear up on their own in a few days or weeks, without treatment. In some cases, though, your doctor may prescribe eardrops or antibiotics.

Glue ear (also known as otitis media with effusion, or OME) is a build-up of fluid deep inside the ear, and it commonly causes some temporary hearing loss. The condition tends to be painless, but sometimes the pressure of the fluid can cause earache.

Glue ear will often clear up on its own, although this can take a few months. If the problem keeps going, a minor procedure to place small tubes called grommets in the ear may be recommended to help drain the fluid.

Earache can sometimes come from an injury to the inside of the ear. For example, you might scrape earwax out of the ear canal with a cotton bud, or poke a cotton bud too far into your ear and puncture the eardrum.

The ear canal is very sensitive and can easily be damaged. The ear should heal on its own without treatment, but a perforated eardrum can take up to 2 months to heal. If you have a perforated eardrum, you shouldn't use eardrops.

A build-up of earwax, or an object stuck inside the ear, can sometimes cause earache. If there is something in your ear or your child's ear that seems to be causing pain, don't try to remove it yourself. You may push it further inside and you may damage the eardrum.

If earwax has built up, your pharmacist can recommend eardrops to soften it so it falls out naturally. In some cases, your doctor will arrange for the wax to be removed (once it has been softened with eardrops) by flushing the ear with water. This is known as ear irrigation.

If there is an object in the ear, your doctor may need to refer you or your child to a specialist to have it removed.

If it hurts to swallow and you have a sore throat, your earache could be a symptom of a throat infection such as tonsillitis or quinsy. Quinsy is an abscess on the back of your throat, and it can sometimes make swallowing very difficult.

Some types of tonsillitis will clear up after a few days without antibiotics. But if you have quinsy, you will need to see your doctor as soon as possible for treatment. You may have quinsy if your sore throat gets worse very quickly.

Earache is occasionally caused by a problem with the joint of your jaw bone (where the jaw meets the skull). This is known as temporomandibular joint pain, and problems such as arthritis or teeth grinding can bring it on. Jaw pain can often be treated with painkillers, warm or cold compresses, and by trying not to clench your jaw or grind your teeth.

A dental abscess is a collection of pus that can form in your teeth or gums as a result of a bacterial infection. The main symptom is pain in the affected tooth, which can be intense and throbbing, although the pain can sometimes spread to your ear.

If you think you may have a dental abscess, make a dentist appointment as soon as possible. They may need to remove the abscess and drain the pus.