Many people who have a sore auricle prefer to ignore this symptom, but it should be borne in mind that serious illnesses can be the cause of the pain. Pain is the primary signal that an inflammatory process or infection is present in the body. It is worth knowing about possible changes in advance in order to take preventive measures.
Causes of external ear pain
Unpleasant sensations in the inner part of the ear and the outer region of the auricle most often appear due to infections of a bacterial or viral nature, various injuries, fungal diseases and other reasons. The most common disease is otitis media, which usually spreads to the entire part of the ear or its edge, including the cartilage tissue. With this disease, patients also note that their auricle hurts a lot from the outside. People with weakened immunity who have received hypothermia, mechanical injury or infection are at risk.
If the appropriate treatment is not prescribed, the disease can actively progress, it reduces hearing acuity, and subsequently leads to deafness.
It is quite simple to diagnose otitis media, it is enough just to press the tragus, if after that the patient feels a sharp pain, he is diagnosed with such a diagnosis and the appropriate treatment is prescribed. This disease is also characterized by a rise in temperature and "shooting" pains in the inner side of the ear.
Due to the large number of possible diagnoses, it is worth consulting with a doctor in order to establish the exact cause of the pain and in order to avoid the development of the disease.
An even more dangerous disease is periochondritis, which develops as a result of Pseudomonas aeruginosa entering the auricle. Its symptoms are similar to otitis media; it provokes an acute inflammatory process in the area of cartilage and perichondrium. As it develops, a soft lump with purulent contents forms in the ear. Usually, otolaryngologists prescribe drugs to patients that help resolve this seal, since without treatment, pus can destroy and completely destroy cartilage tissue.
Pain in the auricle from the outside can also occur for other reasons that are not associated with infections and soft tissue damage. Such symptoms occur after the accidental ingress of water into the ear canal, violation of the rules for cleaning the ears, the formation of boils, frostbite or burns. There are other pathologies, the list of which includes:
Mumps;- Inflammation of the tympanic membrane;
- Eczema of the ear canal;
- Eustachitis and mastoiditis;
- Numerous neurological disorders.
Mumps;Problems due to poor hygiene
The auricles can also hurt due to the large amount of accumulated sulfur, which gradually reduces the patient's hearing and subsequently begins to cause unpleasant and painful sensations.
Only a doctor can clean the ear canals with a special syringe, injecting a special medicine that softens sulfur plugs.
It is imperative to maintain good hygiene and learn how to clean your ear canals in a timely manner. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the tissue, since there is a risk of mechanical injury, in which case the treatment will be delayed for a longer period.
If your ears hurt all the time, it is possible that there are already traffic jams in the aisles. In this case, it is worth visiting the ENT as soon as possible in order to avoid deterioration.
Pain in children
Otitis media often develops in children due to the anatomical features of the Eustachian tube, which is still too short, because of which bacteria can easily penetrate into the auricle. Foreign objects can also get into the auditory canals of young children, if the child does not inform the parents about it in time, an inflammatory process develops in the ear, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort when pressing on the ear tissue from the outside. It is not necessary to carry out treatment at home with the help of improvised means, in this case, the child must immediately be taken to a pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist who can make an accurate diagnosis. Serious signs include:
- Restless sleep;
- Lack of appetite;
- Discharge from the auricle;
- Inflammation of the outside and inside of the ear.
Diagnostics and treatment
When the auricle hurts, a specific treatment is usually prescribed by a specialist, depending on the diagnosis made after the diagnosis. In the presence of an infection, antibiotics are usually prescribed in combination with pain relievers, the complex of drugs may also include a vitamin, antiseptic, antimicrobial and antihistamines. When patients show signs of improvement, they are offered a list of physiotherapy procedures, such as warming up, UHF or microwave.
In severe cases of periochondritis, doctors usually recommend surgery, during which the affected part of the auricle is carefully cut, an abscess is opened, and pus is pumped out. If the ear is damaged as a result of minor trauma, it is treated with iodine solution and protected from hypothermia and exposure to high temperatures. Children are prescribed treatment depending on their age, despite the fact that babies are often diagnosed with otitis media, antibiotics are not prescribed for everyone. Therefore, it is so important to consult a specialist already at the first symptoms of the disease, since it is not always possible to determine exactly why the auricle hurts at home. In many cases, the problem can be eliminated already in the early stages and the transition of the disease to a chronic form is prevented.
