Ear Pain: Causes and When to See a Doctor Skip to content

Ear Pain: Causes and When to See a Doctor

An ear can hurt from an infection, a cold, water in the ear, and sometimes because of teeth, the jaw or the throat. Here is ear pain in adults and children, discharge, hearing loss and urgent signs.

Ear, nose and throat

When to see a doctor urgently

  • Swelling, redness or pain behind the ear, the outer ear sticks out
  • Pus, blood or fluid runs from the ear
  • Hearing dropped or ringing in the ear appeared
  • A high fever and chills
Show all signs (8)
  • A drooping face, weak facial muscles, severe dizziness
  • A severe headache, a stiff neck or drowsiness
  • A foreign object in the ear, or an injury to the ear or head
  • Pain that lasts more than three days or keeps coming back, or both ears hurt in a child under 2

If you have any of these signs, call 112 or go to emergency care.

Possible Causes

This is not a diagnosis: a doctor will determine the cause.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
Pneumococcal disease

What ear pain is and where it comes from

Ear pain comes in two kinds. In the first the ear itself hurts: the ear canal, the eardrum or the middle ear, where the tiny hearing bones sit. In the second the pain is referred: the source is in the teeth, jaw, throat or neck, but you feel it in the ear because their nerves are connected. So the same pain can mean different things. A diagnosis cannot be made from a text, but the accompanying signs show how urgent a doctor visit is.

Ear pain with a cold and ear infection

The most common cause is inflammation of the middle ear, a middle ear infection. It often develops after a cold or a runny nose: deep pain, a blocked feeling, reduced hearing and a fever appear. For more on a runny nose, see Runny nose. Some of the germs behind middle ear infections are pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae, which have vaccines: ask a pediatrician about the vaccination schedule. Another form is an outer ear infection, inflammation of the ear canal, or "swimmer's ear". It typically causes pain when you touch or tug the outer ear, itching and sometimes discharge.

Ear pain in a child

Ear pain is common in children and is usually linked to a viral infection. A small child cannot say that the ear hurts: the child is fussy, sleeps and eats poorly and touches the ear. But touching alone is not enough for a diagnosis. See a doctor if the pain lasts more than three days or keeps coming back, if fluid runs from the ear or hearing has dropped. Get urgent help if the child is under 2 and both ears hurt, has a high fever, is drowsy or has swelling near the ear. See a pediatrician or an ear, nose and throat doctor.

Ear pain without an infection

If the ear hurts and there are no signs of infection, the cause may be teeth, especially a wisdom tooth, the jaw joint, which hurts when chewing and clicks, or a sore throat: see Sore throat. Other causes are an earwax plug, water in the ear and pressure changes during a flight or diving. These conditions are also worth showing to a doctor, especially if the pain returns.

Ear pain with discharge and hearing loss

Discharge from the ear, pus, blood or watery fluid, can mean inflammation or damage to the eardrum. Sometimes the pain eases after the eardrum bursts, but this is not recovery: the ear needs to be checked. Reduced hearing and ringing in the ear after pain are also a reason to go. See a doctor within the next few days, and the same day if the pain is severe or the fever is high.

Ear pain with swelling behind the ear, dizziness and facial weakness

Redness, swelling and pain behind the ear, an outer ear that sticks out, a drooping face or weak facial muscles, severe dizziness and a severe headache are signs of a complication that needs urgent help. For similar symptoms, see Dizziness and Headache. If a person has a high fever and a stiff neck, call 112.

What you can do before the visit

  • Do not poke inside the ear or use cotton swabs, and keep the ear dry.
  • Do not put drops, oils or home remedies in the ear before an exam: if the eardrum is damaged, they can do harm.
  • Do not warm the sore ear until a doctor has looked at it.
  • Choose a painkiller, especially for a child, together with a doctor or pharmacist according to age and condition.
  • It is better to sleep with the head raised, and a child should drink more.
  • If there are warning signs, do not wait: call 112 or go to the emergency department.

How a doctor finds the cause of ear pain

The doctor asks how the pain began, about fever, colds, hearing and recent flights or swimming, and examines the ear canal and eardrum with a special instrument, as well as the throat, nose, jaw and teeth. If needed, hearing is tested and a swab is taken from the ear. Treatment depends on the cause: some people need only pain relief and watching, others treatment of an infection, removal of a plug or help from a dentist.

Frequently asked questions

Which doctor should I see for ear pain?
An ear, nose and throat doctor. A child can see a pediatrician or an ear, nose and throat doctor. If the pain comes with swelling behind the ear, a drooping face or a severe headache, do not book a visit: call 112.
Can I put drops in the ear or warm it for pain?
Before a doctor has examined you, it is better to do neither. If the eardrum is damaged, drops can do harm, and warmth sometimes makes an inflammation worse.
Why does my ear hurt with a cold?
Mucus and swelling in the nose and throat can block the tube that joins the middle ear to the back of the nose, so fluid builds up in the ear and it becomes inflamed. That is why a middle ear infection often follows a cold.
Can an ear hurt when it is healthy?
Yes: the pain is often referred and comes from the teeth, jaw, throat or neck. If the ear hurts and there are no signs of inflammation, the doctor will look at these causes too.