Otalgia, earache english: earache
Definition
Earache is a painful, often inflammatory discomfort in the ear region.
Accompanying symptoms
Ear pain can be accompanied by numerous symptoms, and the doctor should be informed of their occurrence. These primarily include discharge from the diseased ear. This can be clear, purulent or even bloody.
Sometimes an unpleasant smell is noticeable. In the case of an inflammation of the external auditory canal, caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a typical odor occurs, which is described as sweetish violet-like. In case of advanced inflammation, the auricle and the skin surrounding the ear may be reddened.
Another classic sign of inflammation is often an overheating of the skin and the auricle. Occasionally, there is swelling of the lymph nodes in the head and neck area. Furthermore, fever is a common side effect of many ear diseases, especially if they are caused by bacteria.
In case of a febrile illness a doctor should be consulted in any case to check the necessity of treatment with antibiotics. Another common symptom of ear pain is hearing loss on the affected side. This can have various causes and usually subsides as the underlying disease subsides.
Very unpleasant, but in the context of various painful ear diseases, symptoms are dizziness and nausea. Due to the close anatomical relationships between the auditory and vestibular organs, inflammation of the inner ear, for example, can also affect the arcade system, which is responsible for perceiving the position in space. A typical symptom of ear disorders is vertigo, which is characterized by the feeling that the environment is spinning like on a merry-go-round.
In addition, jerky, horizontal movements of the eyeballs can occur, which are called nystagmus in medical terminology. More rarely, the facial nerve can also be affected by an inflammation. This sometimes leads to a hemiplegic weakness of the facial muscles. This symptom, which is very worrying for most patients, disappears in almost all cases within a few weeks.
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