If you’re experiencing an earache, it’s important to get to the bottom of what’s causing it in order to seek the appropriate treatment. Two potential causes of an earache are the common cold and an ear infection. We review how to tell the difference between these conditions below.
The Common Cold
According to one 2020 article published in the National Library of Medicine, “Colds are very common, especially in children. It’s quite normal for children to catch 6 to 10 colds per year – at school, daycare or kindergarten. Adults have 2 to 4 colds a year on average, mostly during the colder time of year.”
Colds can cause ear pain because the eardrum becomes inflamed when you’re sick. This can cause a dull, sharp or burning earache.
Other symptoms you’ll experience with a cold include:
- Congestion
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Joint pain
- Mild fever
To clear an earache caused by a cold, you essentially need to take a wait-and-see approach. Once you clear the illness, your earache should go away. Getting lots of rest and staying hydrated can help you get over your sickness faster. You can also take over-the-counter cold medications from 3 Rivers Pharmacy on Anthony Boulevard to help manage symptoms in the meantime.
Ear Infection
An ear infection, referred to medically as acute otitis media (AOM), is caused by inflammation brought on by an illness or allergies. If the Eustachian tubes—the passageways between the middle ear and back of the throat—become inflamed, fluid can become trapped behind the eardrum, putting pressure on it and causing an earache and other symptoms.
Symptoms of an ear infection include:
- Pain that does not go away when you clear your illness
- Drainage from the ear
- Muffled hearing
- Dizziness
- Fever
In many cases, bacteria grow in the built-up fluid. If this is the case, you’ll need to get a prescription for antibiotics in order to clear it. For more information about how to find relief from ear pain or to schedule an appointment with an expert ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician, call Ear, Nose & Throat Associates today.