Hurts Behind Left Ear: Causes and Treatments

The fact that the ears are so close to the brain makes any sort of discomfort or sharp pain behind ear rather worrisome. The pain might imply lots of things and you have to get it examined to comprehend which sort of pain it is. If the pain is accompanied by fever, then it might be an ear infection which needs to be immediately alleviated in order to prevent the infection from getting worse. A number of factors like frequency, strength and seriousness are all considered when determining the cause behind the pain.

Causes and Treatments for Hurts Behind Left Ear

It is very important to detect and treat pain behind ear in order to ensure it does not progress to something more severe and dangerous. Following is a list of some common causes and particular treatments of pain behind ears:

1. Otitis Media

This virus or bacteria ear infection normally affects the air-filled area behind the eardrum including the tiny vibrating bones. This condition is more common in children and can cause sharp pain behind ear due to the accumulation of fluids and inflammation in the middle ear.

Treatment: The condition gets fixed by itself; hence, the treatment for otitis media concentrates on keeping track of the condition to ensure it doesn’t get worse and to handle pain if it gets unbearable. The doctor might recommend antibiotics for severe cases as leaving it neglected could cause complications.

2. Mastoiditis

The mastoid bone, situated behind the ear, is made up of air spaces operating as drain for the middle ear. Mastoiditis occurs when a bacterial infection influencing the mastoid bone or the middle ear, or when a skin cyst at the centre of the ear blocks drainage. Symptoms associated with mastoiditis consist of swollen ear lobe, sleepiness, irritability, fever, inflammation or tenderness behind ear, bulging of the ear and drain.

Treatment: The doctor will recommend antibiotics and eardrops, and will set up ear clean-up frequently. For severe cases, a surgery might be required.

3. Swimmer’s Ear

As the name suggests, this condition is primarily caused by the staying water in the ears after taking a swim. It influences the external canal of the ear that links the outside of the head and the eardrum. Swimmer’s ear can also be caused by damaging of the thin-layered skin lining the ear canal. The lining can be damaged by putting fingers or other things like cotton swabs in the ear.

Treatment: Sharp pain behind ears brought on by this condition is alleviated with eardrops and OTC painkiller, such as naproxen and ibuprofen, might be advised. Immediate medical aid is required in order to avoid wear and tear.

4. Temporomandibulur Joint Disorders

The joint that connects the lower jawbone and the temporal bone is called the temporomandibular joint, and the disorder in this joint is brought on by a whiplash injury, jaw injury or other contusions.

Treatment: The symptoms might end with no treatment. But if they do not, your doctor will recommend muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants and painkiller. Surgery or therapy might be required to replace or repair the joint.

Information verified by the iytmed.com team.

5. Ceruminosis (Too Much Earwax)

Ceruminosis refers to the excessive accumulation of wax in the ear canal. Symptoms consist of itching in the ear, hurts behind left ear and muffled hearing. Extreme ear wax builds up if the ear canal is to slim, if the ear glands produce excessive ear wax or if the ear wax is pushed in while using ear buds.

Treatment: Special instruments like forceps, suction device or a cerumen spoon together with a wax softening representative are used by a doctor to remove wax.

6. Blocked Eustachian Tube

Sharp pain behind ear can be triggered by the clog of the Eustachian tube due to a sinus infection, flu, a cold, allergic reactions or air pressure changes due to unexpected change in altitude.

Treatment: The condition generally goes away by itself. Yawning and chewing gum might likewise help. To pop open the tube, hold the nose with hands and close the mouth, then lightly blow your nose.

7. Swollen Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes are little glands found at the back of the ears, groin area and armpits. They typically swell due to viruses, inflammation, infection or even cancer.

Treatment: If the swelling is caused by infections, doctor will prescribe antibiotics. But a proper diagnosis is needed to discover the underlying cause of the swelling in order to get rid of the possibilities of any severe conditions.

8. Oral Problem

Hurts behind ear is frequently brought on by a tooth infection or a tooth abscess as they cause the lymphatic glands to swell up.

Treatment: In order to treat the earache you will first have to treat the tooth pain. You can use over the counter medications to alleviate pain for the time being, however you will have to check out a dental professional as soon as possible to obtain the tooth taken a look at. Mouth rinses with warm salt-water are likewise valuable in momentarily relieving the symptoms.

9. Headache

Because the ear is located so close to the brain, it is quite typical for the pain to leak its method to the ears, however the causes are not always the exact same. Following are some common causes of headaches that are also associated with pain behind ear:

Ice-Pick Headache: This stabbing pain, although associated with the eyes, can also take place behind the ear too and only last for a few seconds. There is also a variation of the pain, described as the “epicrania fugax” that just lasts for a split second and takes a “zig-zag” pattern through the head.

Hemicrania Continua: This is a one-sided headache that can affect the ears and is typically eliminated with the aid of strong-anti-inflammatory drugs like Indomethacin. It is a chronic pain that usually happens on a regular basis. In most cases, no underlying cause is determined.

Besides the 2 noted above, there are other kinds of headaches that can cause sharp pain behind ears: