Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
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With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.
Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
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When I pull my ear, the ear pain gets worse
Ear is uncomfortable
Ear pain gets worse when I pull my earlobe
Ear discomfort
Ear pain gets worse when I pull my ear
Hurting my ear
Ear pain worsens when I pull my ear
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About the Symptom
An earache (also known as otalgia) is a sharp, dull, or burning pain in one or both ears. The pain may last a short time or be ongoing. This can be due to a number of things including ear infections (middle or outer), viral illnesses, or even referred jaw pain. If an earache is severe or lasts longer than a few days or is accompanied by ear drainage (otorrhea), consider seeking medical attention.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Numbness / sensory disorder
Difficulty breathing / breathlessness
Chest pain during swallowing
Dysphagia
Possible Causes
Generally, Ear pain can be related to:
Infection of the middle ear (area just behind the eardrum) by bacteria or viruses. Contributing factors include nasal obstruction by adenoids and allergic rhinitis. The symptoms can include ear pain or fullness, fevers, and muffled hearing. This is more common in children but can also present in adults. In severe cases, the eardrum may rupture leading to drainage coming out the ear canal.
Relapsing polychondritis is a rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly damages and causes inflammation in cartilage tissue. Cartilage deterioration can affect any part of the body where cartilage is present, but the most commonly affected tissues include the cartilaginous parts of the nose, ear, airways, and joints.
Occipital neuralgia is a rare type of headache characterized by intense, brief, throbbing, electric-shock-like pain in the back of the head or behind the ears. It can occur on one or both sides of the head, and is thought to result from pinching of a nerve by scalp or neck muscles, neck injury, as well as neck or skull base surgery.
Related serious diseases
Sometimes, Ear pain may be related to these serious diseases:
A hole in the eardrum. It is typically caused by direct injury, but can also be caused by severe infections in the middle ear (otitis media).
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
Are your ears hurting?
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References
Conover K. Earache. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2013 May;31(2):413-42. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2013.02.001. PMID: 23601480.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733862713000102?via%3Dihub
SMITH EJ. Earache. Can Med Assoc J. 1952 Mar;66(3):234-7. PMID: 14905378; PMCID: PMC1822153.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1822153/
Earache - NHS UK
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earache/
Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
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