It happens that the ear hurts outside. It hurts to touch, touch the body, even at rest. What to do in such a situation, the doctor will tell. There are a lot of reasons for such sensations, and they choose the option of getting rid of the mouth pain, starting from the factors that provoked it. The ear system is rather complicated, therefore self-medication in this case is not allowed, the danger is too great to harm yourself.
Everything is interconnected
Elements of the hearing aid are closely related to each other. If one starts to hurt, soon sensations can spread to all other parts of this system. If the ear hurts outside, it hurts to touch this part of the organ, we can assume a rupture of the inner membrane, perforation of the site. Sometimes the pain indicates an injury. In other cases, indicates an infection of the internal part of the auditory system.
The ear is closely connected with the nose, throat. If the external part of the auditory system hurts, then most likely the pathology has already spread to nearby organs. As medical studies have shown, in some, the external part of the apparatus is affected due to joint ailments. In all cases, treatment involves determining the root cause.
How to find out?
To understand what to do if the ear hurts outside due to diseases localized outside the organ, you need to visit a doctor. The doctor will examine the patient and listen to his complaints. Send for a blood test - general and biochemistry. Usually additionally take urine samples. Based on the primary results, additional diagnostic measures are prescribed - ultrasound, MRI, CT, puncture, tissue biopsy.
After an accurate diagnosis has been made, appropriate medicines are selected for the patient. If the pathology is of an infectious origin, antibiotics effective against the provoking agent will be prescribed. With influenza and colds, it is indicated to take antiviral drugs. If this is a joint disease, a complex course of anti-inflammatory and local defenders is prescribed. Along with other manifestations, ear soreness will also go away over time.
Cartilage zone
If a child, an adult has an external ear hurt, it may be due to damage to the cartilage of the organ. Most often it is due to the injury. You can damage the cartilage, frostbite or burn. It is characterized by elasticity and flexibility, due to which injuries of this zone are a rather rare occurrence. If a strong blow came here, the tissues are cut or torn, the pain will surely bother for a long time - until the zone heals. Burns, frostbite are also accompanied by a violation of the integrity of organic tissues. Dangerous bacteria can accumulate in the area due to a wound. Sometimes the pain is caused by the aggressive influence of harmful chemistry.
What to do?
In any of the above cases, the patient usually himself knows why the ears hurt from the outside. To eliminate unpleasant sensations, it is necessary to process the damaged area. Since this area is close enough to the brain, for any injury it is better to contact a doctor. Improper processing can adversely affect the condition of vital organs.
The doctor will evaluate the degree of damage, treat the resulting wound, select the drugs that need to be used locally. If the wound is large, there are signs of inflammation, use drugs that eliminate the pathological microflora. If it is necessary to disinfect the focus, antiseptics are used. In order for the injury to disappear faster and the tissues to regenerate, they use reporters. The necessity of wearing dressings and the frequency of local treatment will be chosen by the doctor, assessing the severity of the case.
Cartilage diseases: what are they?
In most cases, patients are worried about why the ears hurt from the outside in the absence of obvious injury. There are several possible reasons: sensations can be triggered by an allergic reaction, local infection, inflammatory processes in the nervous system. Cartilage responds with pain if nerves suffer: glossopharyngeal, intermediate, trigeminal.
There are cases when the symptom indicated perichondritis, that is, inflammation localized in the perichondrium, skin integument. If all the ear cartilage is covered by an infectious process, the doctor determines the condition as chondroperichondritis. Often, it follows an untreated cold, which led to complications. To exclude such risks, you need to start therapy on time.
How to fight?
If the ear hurts outside when pressed, and examinations showed perichondritis, you will have to undergo a full multicomponent drug course. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. Steroid drugs are sometimes used. They can prescribe medications for local application or drugs for systemic use. If the process is complicated by bacterial invasion, antibiotics are prescribed.
In order to maintain the body's normal and minimize unwanted aspects of the therapeutic program, they use means to strengthen immunity, substances to correct the acidity of the gastric environment, and vitamin complexes. The patient's task is to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. With irresponsible treatment, there is a risk of deterioration and the appearance of complications.
Ear tip hurts
If the ear hurts inside and out, and the strongest sensations are localized in the upper tip of the organ, occipital neuralgia can be suspected. This is a serious pathological condition. With this disease, the nerve trunks near the face become the focus of localization of inflammatory processes. The pain provoked by such a disease covers various areas of the head, including the external part of the hearing system.
Sometimes the tip of the ear hurts because the jaw joints have become inflamed or a similar syndrome has affected part of the head. There are frequent cases of boils in this part of the body. This area of the body is subject to insect bites, which also cause pain.
Can it be cured?
If the pain is due to occipital neuralgia, the doctor will prescribe a combined drug course. Be sure to prescribe drugs that relieve muscle tension. Almost always recommend taking anticonvulsants. Most often prescribed "Clonazepam." Non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated for stopping this reaction. If, due to occipital neuralgia, the ear shell from the outside hurts, Diclofenac will help to cope with the inflammatory process.
All these groups of drugs are potent, with a high degree of probability they provoke side effects. In particular, anti-inflammatory compounds can cause stomach ulcers associated with medications. To minimize risks, self-medication should be avoided.
Auricle
This part is formed by cartilage, perichondrium. If ears hurt outside and sensations are localized somewhere in the sink, only a doctor can determine the exact location of the focal point that provoked the onset. Modern medicine has discovered a huge number of diseases affecting cartilage. Most often, inflammatory foci are diagnosed. The processes are serous, purulent. Both options force urgent treatment.
The cause of perichondritis and chondroperichondritis, due to which the ears hurt from the outside, can be bacteria, sticks. Quite often, analyzes show staph, streptococcus. There is a risk of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. If you leave the disease without adequate treatment, the microbes will multiply and cover other areas. Perhaps the spread of the focus of inflammation on the brain tissue.
Is it possible to get rid?
When ears are sore from the outside due to an inflammatory process in the auricle, antibiotic treatment should be started. In some cases, penicillin, erythromycin are indicated. Sometimes combined formulations are needed, including Amoxiclav. The drugs are used systemically or locally - at the discretion of the doctor who understands the etiology of the disease.
If the process is very difficult, there is a high probability of the spread of the focus on vital tissues, a person can be placed in a hospital for treatment. It is not possible to prescribe antibiotics on your own, assuming that the ear hurts due to bacterial invasion. Unjustified use of drugs is associated with the risk of superinfection that is resistant to most antimicrobial agents. It will be very difficult to cope with such a disease.
The course of treatment is usually supplemented with pre-, probiotics. They somewhat smooth out the side effects of antimicrobial drugs. The duration of the antibacterial course is from a week to two, less often a longer duration is needed.
What else happens?
If the ears hurt from the outside, clicking on this area is painful and unpleasant, the edema of the external organs is disturbing, tissue reddening is observed, it can be assumed that this is purulent perichondritis. Most patients suffering from this disease complain of general weakness, malaise. To make such a diagnosis, you need to contact the clinic. The doctor will examine the patient, direct him for blood tests, and possibly prescribe other studies. Sometimes the pain when pressing the auricle is explained by otitis media, complicated by suppuration processes.
Complex treatment is prescribed. Prescribe drugs to eliminate pathological microflora, anti-inflammatory drugs. In some cases, the use of antiseptics for local processing of tissues is indicated. To improve the general condition and increase the protective functions of the body, vitamin and mineral complexes, probiotics and other drugs useful for immunity are prescribed.
Reasons: is it possible to list everything?
Any experienced doctor knows that it’s very difficult to immediately understand why the external part of the patient’s auditory system hurts. The condition is possible against a background of injury, including received due to pressure. There is a chance of an insect bite that a person did not even notice. Some people have pain in their ears because they do not clean them properly. If hygiene rules are not followed, sulfur plugs are formed. Manifestations of external symptoms can occur due to the ingress of water into the inner zone. Possible deterioration of the Eustachian tube or neurological disease. Pain in the outer part of the ear is a signal of acne, boil, dermatological disease.
If the pain is pulsating, accompanied by lumbago, it can be otitis media. To correctly determine the cause of the condition, you need to come to the hospital. Before that, you do not need to do anything with the ear. When the pain is unbearable, it is allowed to take pain medication.
Therapeutic measures
If a reason is identified from the list, ear warming may be prescribed. If the condition is too running, the patient will be prescribed an operation. Physiotherapy includes exposure to ultrasound, ultraviolet, microwave and UHF. Sometimes magnets and electric currents are used to treat the ear.
There are cases when the outer part of the hearing system was ill due to invasion of fungi. In this case, antimycotic therapy is indicated. Use drugs for local and general use. Among the effective ones is Metronidazole. The doctor may prescribe Fluconazole, Clotrimazole. There are drugs for local and systemic use. The choice of a specific form of medication is the area of responsibility and awareness of the doctor, evaluating the scale of the inflammatory process.