Ear pain
Mild to moderate ear pain is commonly caused by a partial vacuum that builds up in the space behind the eardrum (middle ear) because of a temporarily blocked eustachian tube. The pressure can usually be relieved by yawning or chewing, which opens the eustachian tube, allowing air pressure in the middle ear to equalize with air pressure outside the ear.
The ear shares nerves with other nearby structures, including the face, eyes, jaw, teeth, and upper neck. Pain that feels as if it is in the ear may actually originate in another structure in the head or neck. This is called referred pain. The incidence of referred ear pain increases with age. While ear infections can occur in adults, other causes of ear pain include:
- Referred ear pain. This can be caused by:
- Diseases of the joints and muscles of the jaw (temporomandibular [TM] dysfunction or TM disorders).
- Neck or cervical spine problems.
- Dental problems, such as impacted third molars (wisdom teeth) or dental infections in the upper back teeth.
- Other infections. Examples are:
- Sinusitis.
- Infection of the throat (pharyngitis).
- Infection of the voice box (laryngitis).
- Salivary gland infection.
- Inflammation of the blood vessels in the temple (giant cell arteritis).
- Nerve problems such as trigeminal neuralgia, which affects the nerves of the face.
- Cancer of the head or neck.
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: February 13, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology | |
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