Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 12 and Older
About this symptom
Ear
problems may be caused by many different health
problems. In children, ear pain is more likely to be a symptom of an
inflammation, infection, or fluid buildup in the external or middle ear. But
ear pain at any age may be a symptom of:
- Infection of the middle ear (acute otitis media).
- Inflammation or infection of the ear canal (otitis externa).
- Buildup of fluid behind the eardrum (otitis media with effusion), without infection.
Ear problems caused by an injury to the ear can occur at any age. Common injuries include the following:
- A fall or a forceful, direct blow to the side of the head can burst the eardrum or damage the tiny bones in the inner ear that send sound to the brain.
- Loud noises or explosions can damage the eardrum (acoustic trauma).
- Atmospheric pressure changes (barotrauma) can cause problems with the eustachian tube and trap air in or keep air out of the middle ear. Middle ear problems can be severe (for example, the ear drum can burst or the middle ear can fill with blood or pus) or mild and only be felt as changes in pressure.
- Cuts or scrapes may injure the outside of the ear or ear canal. For more information, see the topic Ear Canal Problems (Swimmer's Ear).
- Cleaning the ear canal too often, too forcefully, or with a cotton swab, bobby pin, or sharp fingernail can cause irritation or injury.
- Burns or frostbite can cause ear injuries (thermal injuries).
- Objects placed in the ear can cause injury to the ear canal or the ear drum (tympanic membrane).
Hearing loss often comes with age. As people get older, ear problems are more likely to be related to:
- Heredity. The age of onset and how quickly the hearing loss progresses can often be determined by studying family members with hearing loss.
- The buildup of earwax. For more information, see the topic Earwax.
- Exposure to loud noises, such as setting off an air bag during a car crash, machines at work, power tools, gunshots, or loud music.
- Other serious medical problems, such as Ménière's disease or an acoustic neuroma.
- Skin reaction (dermatitis) on the outside of the ear or in the ear canal from perfume, hair dye, or wearing hearing aids.
The ear shares nerves with other parts of the face, eyes, jaw,
teeth, and upper neck. Pain that feels as if it is in the ear may be coming
from another part of the head or neck. This is called
referred ear pain and is more common in older adults.
Causes of referred ear pain can include dental problems, jaw pain (temporomandibular disorder), salivary gland infection , or a
sinus infection.
Use the Check Your Symptoms section to decide if and when you should see a doctor.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: February 12, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
from
- Facebook is now fueling organ donations
- Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound
- Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek
- Ask Jenna: I've hit a weight loss plateau. What do I do?
- He poses in a tutu to laugh in face of wife's cancer
- After chemo hair loss, 'henna crowns' help heal
The iVillage Network