If pain suddenly begins in the area of the ear canal, then, with a high probability, it is an ear cold, the symptoms of which are manifested by itching of the auricle, pain, hearing impairment, etc. What is popularly called "a cold in the ear" is called in the language of medicine " acute otitis media "- an inflammatory disease of the organ of hearing in its middle part, mainly localized in the area of the tympanic membrane.
Causes of the disease
Pain in the ear canal is a consequence of the ingestion of pathogenic bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci) that cause an inflammatory process. The disease can be provoked by a number of factors:
- complication after flu or colds (acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections), which was not properly cured, but transferred "on his feet";
- angina;
- sinusitis;
- hypothermia;
- water ingress into the ear canal;
- injury.
Diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, weakened immunity and vitamin deficiency also contribute to the development of colds on the ear.
In the case when the ear hurts with a cold, it can be concluded that otitis media has joined the usual respiratory infection. Blowing your nose (especially in two nostrils at the same time), coughing, sneezing contribute to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and viruses from the sinuses and nasopharyngeal mucosa into the ear through the Eustachian tubes. This method of infection is especially common in children, whose anatomical feature is a wide and short auditory tube, which contributes to the rapid penetration of the pathogen into the organ.
Symptoms of the disease
The two main types of acute otitis media are:
- catarrhal;
- purulent.
If a person has a cold ear, the symptoms of the catarrhal form will be as follows:
- itching of the auricle;
- feeling of stuffiness and noise;
- pain inside the organ of hearing;
- hearing impairment;
- green or yellow nasal discharge;
- fever and fever;
- insomnia, irritability, poor appetite, dizziness.
The intensity of pain in acute otitis media can vary from mild to very severe, almost unbearable.
If the ear has a cold, then the pain can be different: dull, sharp, burning, aching, throbbing. Sometimes it gives off to the teeth or head and intensifies if a person is lying down.
The appearance of pain syndrome is associated with the pressure of fluid on the eardrum rich in nerve endings, which causes its vibration and edema. The membrane becomes sore to touch and reddened. Effectively and timely therapy of the underlying disease (flu, tonsillitis, ARVI), as a rule, leads to a cure for colds in the hearing organs, the pain goes away.
When the ear is chilled, and the symptoms differ from catarrhal by the presence of discharge from the ear canal, we can talk about purulent otitis media. It is usually an unpleasant and dangerous consequence of inadequate treatment of a catarrhal disease. Concomitant factors in this are diseases of the upper respiratory tract (adenoiditis, curvature of the nasal septum, sinusitis, sinusitis), weakening of the body's immune response, seasonal or as a result of antibiotic treatment.
The clinical picture of the catarrhal form of the disease is complemented by the following signs:
- constant or periodic leakage of pus from the ear canal;
- hearing impairment (sometimes severe), depending on the degree of damage to the auditory ossicles;
- perforation (perforation) of the tympanic membrane.
Otitis media can be bilateral or unilateral. Pain with purulent otitis media gives to the head, the patient's condition is quite serious. After rupture of the tympanic membrane and the release of most of the exudate, the patient's condition quickly improves.
Diagnosis of the disease
If unpleasant sensations appear in the ear canal and otitis media is suspected, you should contact an otolaryngologist as soon as possible. This is especially important if a child, nursing or pregnant woman is sick.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints and examines the clinical symptoms. For a more accurate definition of the disease, the auditory canal is examined using an otoscope.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints and examines the clinical symptoms. For a more accurate definition of the disease, the auditory canal is examined using an otoscope.If an infection is present, the eardrum appears edematous and red instead of the usual gray-pinkish color. The presence of fluid in the tympanic cavity is checked using a pneumatic otoscope, which puts some air under pressure into the ear canal, or by tympanometry, which uses air pressure and sound. Sometimes an x-ray is taken of the temporal lobe of the head.
Even in the case of pain of low intensity, medical attention should not be neglected, because otitis media, especially in a purulent form, can cause serious complications such as meningitis, mastoiditis or hearing loss.
