Suggest Treatment For Sever Pain In The Inner Ear

I went walking in cold weather last week and experienced severe inner ear pain in both ears. After warming a hat in the dryer, I wore it for 1/2 hr. The pain lasted for about an hour. Ever since then, my right ear has been plugged and hurting; the left ear is fine. I can t find anything about cold air causing an ear infection. Is this possible? How long should I wait before I make an appointment with my doctor to get this checked out?