If you’re experiencing an earache as an adult, you might assume it’s an ear infection. That’s why kids’ ears normally hurt, right? But ear pain in adults is usually not caused by infection.
“Often, it’s not even caused by the ear — it could be the jaw or throat,” says Kimberly Bean, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care (located in the Okatie Medical Plaza). “It’s rare, but sometimes, ear pain could be a sign of a serious underlying condition, such as blood vessel inflammation or a tumor, and even hearing loss, so it’s important to talk to a doctor about your symptoms.”
Read More: Where Do I Go for Care?
Causes of Earaches in Adults
Your ear has three main parts: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Many earaches happen when fluid builds up in the middle ear, leading to infection and pain. Some causes of ear pain include:
- Arthritis in your jaw
- Cyst
- Dental infection
- Ear infection
- Ear injury
- Eardrum rupture
- Earwax buildup
- Foreign object in your ear
- Ménière’s disease, when fluid builds up in the inner ear
- Sinus infection
- Swimmer’s ear, an infection in the ear canal caused by bacteria commonly found in water
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, a group of conditions that cause pain in the jaw, neck and head
- Tumor
Read More: Antibiotics: Not Always the Best Answer
What Adults Can Do for an Earache
If your ear pain is mild, a cold compress placed on the ear and over-the-counter pain medications may be enough to relieve your symptoms. But you should talk to your primary care provider if you experience ear infection symptoms, such as:
- Discharge that is white, yellow, clear or bloody
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Hearing loss
- Itching
- Ringing in your ear
- Trouble swallowing
- Severe pain or pressure
“While some conditions could resolve on their own, we can help you find the right treatment,” Bean says. “We can refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist if we need to, and we can work to help you prevent ear infections, for example, with giving you the flu vaccines and helping you quit smoking or vaping, which can increase your risk for ear infections.”
If ear pain is getting you down, a Beaufort Memorial primary care provider can help. Find a provider accepting new patients.
