What to do if it shoots in the ear

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Simple first aid rules and symptoms for which you need to run to the doctor.

Shooting pain in the ear is a short phenomenon, but due to the intensity it is memorable. And it is right. The fact is that lumbago is not necessarily associated with the ear. They can be symptoms of many extremely unpleasant diseases. With severe pain, the body draws your attention to possible danger.

Why does it shoot in the ear

There can be many reasons for a sharp short pain located at first glance in the ear.

1. Ear plug

A wax plug or a foreign object in the ear canal can press on the eardrum. This is caught by the nerve endings that surround the middle and inner ear in abundance, and you feel a shooting pain.

2. Acoustic trauma

A powerful sound attack - for example, at a rock concert, in a nightclub, at a fireworks show, or in a noisy production - can cause barotrauma: a stretched or even ruptured eardrum. Ear pain is a common companion of such injuries.

3. Incipient otitis media

A shooting ear pain is a common symptom of an ear infection such as otitis media. This unpleasant disease is fraught with hearing loss and the development of serious complications. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of otitis media, you should immediately consult a doctor. Especially when it comes to babies up to two years old.

4. Tooth decay, dental abscess or gum disease

The medical journal WebMD lists oral problems as one of the possible causes of ear pain. The fact is that the nerve endings in the head are closely connected with each other and the pain felt in one area (for example, in an inflamed tooth root) is often projected somewhere else.

5. Inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx

Angina, pharyngitis, tonsillitis often also echo with lumbago in the ears. The reason is the same as in the paragraph above: the close interconnection of nerve endings.

6. Neuralgia

The defeat of the facial or nasopharyngeal nerve, caused, for example, by hypothermia, makes itself felt, including ear pains.

When to see a doctor

The above is a far from complete list of reasons why it shoots in the ear. In some cases, the start of pain is given by:

1. Inflammation of the scalp after a failed piercing.
2. Arthritis or injury to the jaw joint.
3. Inflammation of the brain - meningitis.
4. All kinds of intracranial tumors.

These diseases can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, if the ear is shooting for more than 24 hours, you need to visit the lore as soon as possible. Other symptoms that require an urgent medical visit are:

1. Dizziness, headache, swelling around the ear, weakness of the facial muscles.
2. High temperature (a sign of a developing inflammatory process).
3. Sharp, prolonged ear pain that suddenly stops (this may be a symptom of a ruptured eardrum).

How to reduce pain immediately

If you are sure that the pain is not caused by dangerous causes

For example, water getting into the ear while swimming or, let's say, a pressure drop during an air flight.

1. Chew gum or eat lollipop

The work of the jaw joint will help equalize the pressure in the ear canal.

2. Swallow several times or yawn widely

Such actions will also make the jaw joint work, which will help to equalize the pressure.

3. Apply ear drops from plugs or liquid oil

The composition of pharmacy drops from corks contains substances that help soften and remove sulfur cork (for example, allantoin). Camphor or liquid paraffin heated in a water bath to body temperature has the same wax-softening effect.

Use pharmacy drops in accordance with the instructions. Instill 2-3 drops of oil (repeat if necessary after 6-8 hours).

4. Use anti-inflammatory ear drops, peroxide or alcohol solutions

They will help if the pain is caused by an infection in the ear canal. This happens, for example, while swimming in an open reservoir or if there are tiny wounds and scratches in the ear canal. This ear pain is usually not accompanied by a fever.

The composition of pharmacy drops includes analgesics and antiseptics (for example, lidocaine and phenazone), which relieve pain and fight inflammation.

Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol solutions have a similar antiseptic effect: tinctures of calendula, chamomile. If none of the above funds are at hand, you can use vodka.

Use pharmacy drops according to the instructions. Instill 2-3 drops of peroxide and alcohol solutions. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated after 6-8 hours.

5. Try blow drying your ear

This will help remove excess moisture that may be blocking your ear canal. Naturally, the hair dryer should be set to a comfortable thermal mode.

If you have no idea about the causes of pain

In this case, your goal is simply to relieve the condition before going to the doctor.

1. Apply a cold compress to your ear

For about 20 minutes, until pain decreases. But it is categorically not recommended to put a hot compress: it can accelerate the development of inflammation and a purulent process, if any.

2. Take a pain reliever

For example, ibuprofen.

3. Chew actively

Chewing can relieve pain caused by excessive pressure in the middle ear for otitis media.

And do not hesitate to visit the otolaryngologist. At best, your doctor will simply flush your ear canal. But it is possible that antibiotics or even surgery will be required to get rid of the pain.