Ear pain can be caused by various factors, including ear infections, fluid buildup, ruptured eardrums, airplane ear, toothache, and temporomandibular joint syndrome. Middle ear infection is the most common type of ear infection, while barotrauma can lead to ruptured eardrums. Toothache and TMJ syndrome can also cause ear pain.
Sharp ear pain can have a variety of causes, some of which may not be directly related to the ear. Ear infections are relatively common, and many earaches can come from infections of the middle ear, ear canal, or, in some cases, the bone behind the ear. Ruptured eardrums and airplane ear are additional ear conditions that can directly cause severe ear pain. Other indirect causes of ear pain include toothache or certain jaw conditions, such as temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).
Most cases of acute ear pain are caused by fluid buildup in the Eustachian tubes. This can have a variety of causes, including allergies, a cold, the flu, excess mucus, or exposure to irritants like tobacco smoke. Prolonged fluid buildup will most likely lead to infection, especially in children, which will exacerbate the buildup and lead to worse earaches. This is because bacteria or viruses infect the lining of the ear, preventing fluid from flowing out as it normally would. The bacteria then flourish in the fluid, aggravating the infection and causing the painful pressure behind the eardrum to increase.
Different parts of the ear can become infected. Middle ear infection, also known as otitis media, tends to be the most common. Swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the ear canal. Constant exposure to water often leads to a break in the skin in the ear canal, making way for bacteria. Infection of the bone behind the ear, or mastoiditis, can also be a cause of acute ear pain and most commonly arises from untreated acute otitis media.
Ruptured eardrums also cause ear pain. They can result from an infection, but are more commonly caused by drilling or loud, explosive noises. They should always be kept dry during the healing process to prevent infection. Most mild cases will heal within a few weeks, but more severe cases may require surgery.
Barotrauma, commonly experienced as air ear, refers to changes in air pressure that disrupt balance in the ear. In most cases, high-pressure air is trapped in the ear canal, either by earwax or scuba gear if it is used, and severe barotrauma can lead to rupture. For this reason, flying with a severe cold or flu is also not recommended, because the blocked Eustachian tubes combined with the change in air pressure can be enough to tear the eardrum.
Diseases of the teeth and jaw are common indirect causes of earaches. This is because the facial nerve, particularly around the upper molars, is closely connected to the ear. Chewing in hot and cold temperatures can exacerbate the sharp ear pain caused by toothache, and the pain can be chronic or sporadic. Often, the most effective relief for this type of referred pain is simply treating the underlying problem with the tooth.
The temporomandibular joint is particularly close to the ear canal. Consequently, untreated TMJ syndrome can be a consistent source of acute ear pain. There aren’t many effective sources of short-term pain relief for TMJ syndrome because the pain is based primarily in the nervous system and doesn’t respond well to most medications.
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