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Earache
Category: Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat · All head & senses symptoms
What it can feel like
Earache is pain in or around the ear. In children it is one of the commonest reasons for an urgent appointment; the pain may come from the ear itself (outer ear canal or middle ear) or be referred from the teeth, jaw joint, tonsils or neck, which share nerve pathways with the ear.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Earache can be associated with middle-ear infection, outer-ear infection (swimmer's ear), wax impaction, a foreign body in a child, and referred pain from toothache, jaw joint strain or tonsillitis.
Other possible causes
Persistent earache can be associated with a perforated eardrum, fluid behind the eardrum, infection spreading to the mastoid bone behind the ear, and, rarely — particularly one-sided pain in an adult with a normal-looking ear — tumours of the throat or voice box referring pain to the ear.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Earache with swelling, redness or tenderness behind the ear, or the ear sticking out
- Earache with high fever, severe headache or neck stiffness
- Earache with discharge, hearing loss or dizziness that persists
- One-sided earache in an adult lasting more than a few weeks, especially in smokers
What a clinician may do
A clinician will look in the ear with an otoscope, check temperature, and examine teeth, jaw joint and throat if the ear looks normal. Hearing tests, ear microsuction for wax or debris, and ENT referral follow the findings.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why does the doctor look in my mouth for earache?
Because the ear shares nerves with the teeth, tonsils and jaw joint, pain from those structures is often felt in the ear. A normal ear examination redirects the search — dental and tonsil causes are common findings.
Do all ear infections need antibiotics?
No — many middle-ear infections settle with pain relief over a few days, and guidelines often advise a watchful approach in otherwise well children. Antibiotics are used promptly for the very young, the severely unwell, discharge, or infections that fail to settle.
Related symptoms — Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Browse the E section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.