Ear Pain
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI

Reviewed By:

Rohini R

Rohini R, MD (Ear, nose, throat (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.

Yoshinori Abe

Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal medicine)

Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.

From our team of 50+ doctors

Please choose the symptom you are most concerned about.

It will help us optimise further questions for you.

By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Find another symptom

How Ubie can help you

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

  • Over 1,000 medical centers, trained by over 50 doctors, and still improving.

  • Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms

Your symptoms

Input your symptoms

Our AI

Our AI checks your symptoms

Your report

You get your personalized report

Personalized Report

✔︎  When to see a doctor

✔︎  What causes your symptoms

✔︎  Treatment information etc.

People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Ear is uncomfortable

  • Hurting my ear

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Learn More

Content updated on Jan 4, 2023

About the symptom

An earache is a sharp, dull, or burning pain in one or both ears. The pain may last a short time or be ongoing.

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

  • Migraine

    A type of headache that typically presents as throbbing, pulsating pain on one side of the head, sometimes with associated nausea or sensitivity to light and sound. Sometimes, sensory disturbances, such as vision changes (seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines), can occur before the headache. The pain may worsen on exposure to bright lights or loud noise. Triggers for migraine include stress, poor sleep, caffeine, and hormonal changes in women.

  • Sinusitis

    Infection of the sinuses, which are cavities around the nose. The infection can be acute (lasting about a week) or chronic (lasting more than three months). It can be caused by viruses or bacteria.

  • Acute / chronic tracheitis / bronchitis

    Inflammation of the airways, typically caused by flu viruses spreading to the airways. Symptoms include strong coughing, increased phlegm, fever, and tiredness. It is usually caused by viruses rather than bacteria.

  • Otitis media
  • Acute tonsillitis / pharyngitis
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Temporomandibular arthrosis
  • Perilymph fistula
  • Polymyositis / dermatomyositis

Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom

  • Do you have ear pain?

  • Do you have a fever?

  • Do you have headaches or does your head feel heavy?

  • Do you have any skin problems?

  • Do you feel that your eyesight is worsening recently?

Other Related Symptoms

Similar symptoms or complaints

  • Ear itch

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

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earache/

Reviewed By:

Rohini R

Rohini R, MD (Ear, nose, throat (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.

Yoshinori Abe

Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal medicine)

Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.

From our team of 50+ doctors

User testimonials

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide

Shohei Harase

Shohei Harase, MD

Neurology

Kameda Medical Center, Japan

Yu Shirai

Yu Shirai, MD

Psychiatry

Yotsuya Yui Clinic, Japan

Yoshinori Abe

Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal medicine

Co-founder of Ubie, Inc.

Rohini R

Rohini R, MD

Ear, nose, throat (ENT)

Bayshore Health Centre, India

Seiji Kanazawa

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD

Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)

National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan

View our medical experts