What does it mean when my ears hurt?
What does it mean when my ears hurt?
Many things may make your ears hurt. Healthcare providers place ear pain in two categories: primary and secondary.
- Primary ear pain comes from your ears. For example, ear infections cause primary ear pain. More children than adults have primary ear pain. Primary ear pain typically gets worse over time.
- Secondary ear pain happens when your ears become innocent bystanders to medical conditions that affect other parts of your body. For example, someone who has an impacted wisdom tooth may have ear pain. This is referred pain. Referred pain happens because your ears and nearby body parts share the same nerves with your brain.
Here is more information on common primary and secondary ear pain causes and symptoms:
Common Primary Ear Pain CausesEar Pain Symptoms
Barotrauma
(Caused by extreme pressure change).
Your ears start hurting or feel full while you’re flying in an airplane or scuba diving. Barotrauma can cause ruptured eardrums.Foreign object in your child’s ear.Your ear hurts and you can’t hear as well. Small children exercising their curiosity often end up lodging small objects such as food, pebbles or beads in their ears.Eustachian tube dysfunction.Your ears hurt or feel full. You may have tinnitus (ringing in the ear) or hear popping sounds.Swimmers ear (otitis externa).Middle ear infections often happen when children have upper respiratory infections that cause congestion and make their eustachian tubes swell. If a very young child is pulling on their ears, it may be a sign they have an ear infection.Otitis media (middle ear infection).Middle ear infections often happen when children have upper respiratory infections that cause congestion and make their eustachian tubes swell. If a very young child is pulling on their ears, it may be a sign they have an ear infection.Otitis interna (inner ear infection).Symptoms include dizziness, hearing loss, nausea and vomiting and rapid involuntary eye movement.Common Secondary Ear Pain Causes