Earaches Treatment Urgent Care in Plymouth, & Bloomfield Hills, MI
Ear pain is often caused by ear infections. If left untreated, they can lead to unnecessary pain and permanent hearing loss. Plymouth Urgent Care and Bloomfield Urgent Care offer trusted and comprehensive treatment for earaches. For more information, contact us now or schedule an appointment online. Urgent Medical Care has convenient locations in Plymouth MI and Bloomfield Hills MI.
Table of Contents:
What are the symptoms of an earache?
What causes earaches?
What are my treatment options for earaches?
When should I see a doctor for an earache?
Our ears connect us to the world in a very unique way. By enabling us to hear, the perception of sound allows us to communicate, listen to music, and hear emergency vehicles in traffic. The ears are incredibly complex organs and because of their intricate design, they can be subjected to infection, pain, and other uncomfortable conditions. Earaches are a common symptom that can arise from several different causes, from something as benign as a change in air pressure, to jaw-related problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
The signs and symptoms of an earache vary in children and adults. In children, symptoms include:
• Ear pain, especially when lying down
• Tugging or pulling at an ear
• Trouble sleeping
• Crying more than usual
• Trouble hearing or responding to sounds
• Loss of balance
• Fever of 100ºF or higher
• Drainage of fluid from the ear
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
In adults, earache symptoms include:
• Ear pain
• Drainage of fluid from the ear
• Trouble hearing
There are many causes of earaches, one of the most prominent being ear infections. These can occur in the inner, middle, or outer parts of the ear.
Outer ear infection can be caused by:
• Swimming
• Wearing hearing aids or headphones
• Putting objects in the ear canal, including cotton swabs and fingers
• Middle ear infection can be caused by:
• Respiratory tract infections
• Fluid buildup behind the eardrums
• Inner ear infections can be caused by viral or bacterial infections that stem from respiratory illnesses and are known as labyrinthitis.
Other common causes of earaches include:
• Change in pressure (flying on a plane or opening a vehicle window)
• Earwax buildup
• A foreign object in the ear
• Strep throat
• Sinus infection
• Shampoo or water trapped in the ear
• Use of cotton swabs in the ear
Less common causes of earaches include:
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
• Perforated eardrum
• Arthritis affecting the jaw
• Infected tooth
• Impacted tooth
• Eczema in the ear canal
• Trigeminal neuralgia (chronic facial nerve pain)
The treatment options for earaches vary depending on the cause of the pain and range from medications to TMJ disorder treatments. In the case of a bacterial ear infection, a course of antibiotics will be prescribed which should be taken in completion to ensure that the infection is gone, even if symptoms have subsided before the end of the antibiotics. If earaches are caused by wax build-up, wax-softening eardrops will likely be prescribed. These special eardrops allow wax to break apart more easily, which can then be washed out with water.
At-home remedies for earaches include:
• Apply a cold washcloth to the ear
• Avoid getting the ear wet
• Sit upright to help relieve ear pressure
• Use over-the-counter (OTC) ear drops
• Take OTC pain relievers
• Chew gum to help relieve pressure
In many cases, earaches can clear up on their own without medical intervention. However, certain signs and symptoms indicate a more serious problem that should be addressed by a professional right away, including:
• Severe ear pain
• Dizziness
• Bad headache
• Swelling around the ear
• Drooping of the facial muscles
• Blood or pus draining from the ear
At Plymouth Urgent Care and Bloomfield Urgent Care, we care about your health and are dedicated to providing you with all of your urgent care needs. Our kind and compassionate professionals are experienced in treating earaches and can help you make an expeditious recovery. We serve patients from Plymouth MI, Bloomfield Hills MI, Livonia MI, Novi MI, Worden MI, Canton MI, Southfield MI, Troy MI, Farmington Hills MI and BEYOND.
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Additional Services You May Like
▸Urgent Care
▸Covid-19 Testing
▸Primary Care
▸Occupational Health
▸Physicals
▸Digital X-ray
▸Lab Testing
▸Telemedicine
▸Ear Wax Removal