Earaches

Things You Should Know

Earaches are generally not serious but can be painful and distressing, so prevention is a good idea. Here are some ideas on how you can help your child avoid ear pain:

• Make sure your child isn't around second hand smoke. If you smoke, do it outside the house. For the health of you and your family, consider either cutting down, or quitting.
• If your baby tends to get a lot of ear infections, feed him or her in a relatively upright position to prevent milk entering the eustachian tubes.
• Limit the contact your child has with other children who have colds.
• Although residual ear canal moisture can cause swimmer's ear, avoid inserting objects like earplugs, lamb's wool or cotton-tipped swabs into the ears to clean or dry them, as this can cause irritation. Jumping to shake water out of the ears or gentle drying with a hairdryer may be helpful.
• To prevent the overproduction of earwax that can lead to ear blockage, avoid dusty or debris filled areas.
• Your doctor may recommend using nasal sprays, or decongestants during colds if your child suffers frequent ear infections.

There are different types of conditions that can cause acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) ear pain:

• Otitis externa, commonly known as "swimmer's ear," is a type of ear infection that affects the ear canal, or part of the ear that extends from the eardrum to the outside. The pain of swimmer's ear worsens when the earlobe is pulled. This condition is brought on by excess moisture, particularly if the water is polluted or chlorinated. Irritation from an external source, like cotton swabs or earplugs, or a lack of protective earwax, can also cause swimmer's ear.
• Otitis Media, or a middle ear infection, can cause inflammation and infection in the inner ear. This type of ear pain is usually associated with the presence of colds or allergies.
• Ear pain can occasionally be a result of wax blockage; however, the most common symptom is sudden unilateral deafness. The hair follicles and glands that line the ear canal produce a waxy oil called cerumen, which protects the ear by trapping foreign particles like dust and microorganisms before they can cause damage. This wax usually drys out and is shed from the ear canal without our notice. Sometimes too much wax is produced and blocks the ear canal by hardening within it. Attempts to try and clean out earwax can actually push it deeper into your ear and this may damage the ear drum.
• Ruptured or perforated eardrums are another source of ear pain. The eardrum is a barrier that keeps out foreign material, like bacteria. If the eardrum is damaged, bacteria can easily travel to the middle ear and cause infection. There can also be sharp pain at the moment the eardrum is ruptured. Common causes of a ruptured eardrum include infection, insertion of foreign objects into the ear and sudden barotrauma (damage due to pressure changes e.g., in an aircraft, or diving).