Otalgia is expressed as pain felt in the ear. It is especially common in young children, but it is very common in the community. Ear pain can take two forms:
- Primary ear pain; is pain caused by a pathology in the ear.
- Secondary ear pain; It is the reflection of the pain in the ear caused by the pathology in any place adjacent or distant to the ear. That is reflected pain.
About half of earaches are caused by extra-ear semen. Ear pain can be caused by an insignificant cause or by a serious illness such as cancer.
Primary causes of otalgia originating from the ear
Auricular pains:
- Trauma, cut, or irritation (laceration)
- Hematoma, perichondritis; hematoma resulting from a blunt trauma to the ear and infection of the cartilage tissue
- Herpes simplex or herpes zoster oticus
- Preauricular cyst or sinus infection
- Frostbite or burns
- Abscess; It usually occurs behind the auricle.
- Chondromatitis
- Nodularis cronica
- Helicis
- Malignancies
- Infections
Pain originating from the external ear canal:
- Foreign body
- Furuncle; infection of hair follicles
- Eczema or contact dermatitis
- Cellulite or erysipelas; are infections.
- This is the impact
- Acute myringitis
- Trauma
- Lesions
- Keratosis obliterans; Dense keratin layer deposition in the external ear canal
- Otomycosis; external ear canal fungal disease
Joint pains:
- Traumatic membrane perforation
- Fluid entering the middle ear through the perforation
- Hemotympanium
- Barotrauma
- Acute otitis media
- Tumors
Pains of mastoid origin:
- Acute mastoiditis
- Chronic mastoiditis
- Petrosite
- Zygomatic mastoiditis
- Bezold’s abscess
- Neuralgias
- Facial paralysis
- Eosinophilic granuloma
Inner ear pain:
- Loud noise
- Tinnitus
- Meniere’s disease
- Otitis media
Causes of secondary otalgia
Pain originating from the mouth, jaw or teeth is reflected in the ear by the auriculotemporal nerve, which separates from the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve that extends to the jaw. If mouth and tongue cancers have started to cause ear pain, the prognosis is generally poor. Sometimes cancers in the back 1/3 of the tongue can also cause ear pain in the early period.
Inflammatory conditions of the pharynx and tonsils, which are the back of the mouth, can also cause ear pain. Pharyngitis, tonsillitis and abscesses in this area can also cause secondary ear pain.
Tonsillitis or eustachian dysfunction due to tonsillitis can also cause ear pain. Ear pain is a common complaint after tonsillectomy.
Ear pain (otalgia) can also be seen in cancer and inflammation of the larynx, which is the area where the vocal cords are located at the entrance of the trachea. Persistent ear pain is frequently seen especially in laryngeal cancers.
When there is any discomfort in the neck muscles and bones, they may also be accompanied by ear pain.
Mumps is also a disease with frequent ear pain. It should not be missed if there is unilateral salivary gland involvement or if there is only ear pain.
If you or your child has an earache, consult your doctor. Young children may not be able to express their earache. Signs such as your child’s constant rubbing of his ear, his reaction by crying at loud noises, his fever, irritability, not eating, and starting to lose his balance may indicate an earache.