How Can Pain In The Ear Be Relieved?

Posted on Wed, 25 Apr 2012

Question: I am 27 and i've had an ear infection since march. i used some ear drops i had and i used them on and off until i finally went to the dr. on April 26 and she prescribed me eardrops that i used right this time for 10 days. I still had a little bit of pain i thought it would go away but just got worse. I went to a different dr. May 25 and she gave me a shot of antibiotic (ances) and a 5 day treatment of Z PACK. My ear got better, but again little by little pain started to come. It is constant but I get the most pain when i yawn, hiccup or birp. When I do any of these it feels like its going to burst. I went back to the original dr. and said i no longer had an infection, but she could see a lot of white stuff that was possibly leftover from the eardrops. She did a wash and most of it came out. However my ear still hurt so I went to another dr. for something else and asked him to check my ear, I told him everything from before and he also said he saw a little bit of the white stuff (eardrop medicine) and said that my eardrum was not pink that it was white. He had me pinch my nose and blow and said that my eardrum wasn't moving at all. He told me to see an ENT, but my appointment is not until August 22. I cannot wait that long the pain gets worse by the day. Please help.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (29 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing to us.

Pain in the ear specially associated with yawning or hiccups which is recurrent is likely to be due to many reasons out of which most likely ones are-

1.Otitis media- middle ear infection- As you have already taken antibiotic for five days with partial relief, you now need to have a swab culture done and take a vigorous antibiotic treatment under the guidance of an ENT specialist who will guide you the antibiotic best for you.

2.Dental problem- it can be a referred pain. Warm saline gargles thrice in a day with hot fomentation will help relieve the symptoms till you get a dental appointment.

3.Fungal infection of the ear causing dryness and flaking. Again a specialist only can differentiate after a detailed examination.

I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. If there are additional concerns, I am available for your followups.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (29 minutes later)

Is there anything over the counter or homemade remedies that I can take until I see an ENT because my appointment is until August. So it can still be an infection even though the last two doctors said I no longer had one.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (10 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing back.

Ear infection can only be treated with Oral Antibiotics or Antifungals. These are only available on prescription. Milder local Antibiotic ear drops are not likely to help but can be tried or can see your GP for prescriptions till your appointment with the ENT specialist.

Meanwhile you can follow these measures:
1. Regular cleaning of your ears with buds.
2. Ear plugs while bathing to avoid entry of water in the ear canal.
3. Salt water gargling to avoid any oral infections.
4. Consume boiled water only.

Hope this answers helps you.

Wishing you an early recovery.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar