Otalgia is any paroxysmal ear pain that arises and resolves spontaneously without the need for urgent medical intervention. Otalgia is closely related to discomfort / pain in the trigeminal or glossopharyngeal nerve. In order to diagnose otalgia, any radiation-related ear pain should be ruled out (the pain may be due to inflammation in the mouth, face or teeth)
Otalgiatoearachebut no organic disease. It is closely related to the rich innervation of this area: the trigeminal glossopharyngeal or vagus branch of the trigeminal nerve. Therefore, if there is discomfort within other structures, but supplied by these nerves, ear pain may occur.
In order not to overlook the development of a serious illness, you should carefully watch for ear discomfort. Lack of changes in the otoscopy as well as the absence of general symptoms such as fever, weakness, fatigue should be the reason for extending the diagnosis.
Otalgia: reasons
The causes of otalgia are determined by the type of innervation. Changes that may cause ear pain lying on the course of the trigeminal nerve - ear-temporal branch:
- inflammation and degeneration of the temporomandibular joints
- inflammatory changes affecting teeth, mainly molars
- inflammation of the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands
- tumors of the jaw, jaw or tongue (front part)
Sensory fibers of the facial nerve are not abundant, therefore otalgia is very rare. Usually, ear pain occurs with nerve VII tumors or ear herpes zoster.
The situation is completely different in the context of the glossopharyngeal nerve (tympanic nerve). Diseases that can be manifested by otalgia include:
- inflammation in the palatine tonsils
- peritonsillar abscesses
- condition after tonsillectomy - tonsillectomy
- tongue cancer
The last nerve that is important in the diagnosis of ear pain is the vagus nerve, and more specifically its ear twig. The earache is then associated with:
- diseases of the esophagus
- thyroiditis
- diseases of the larynx
Otalgia: varieties
Ear pain attacks occur spontaneously andspontaneously withdraw. There are types of otalgia in the medical nomenclature.
The first of them is strictly related to the damage of the sensory branch departing from one of the above-mentioned nerves, the second is based on the principle of radiation. The pain arises at a distance from the ear, but through the nerve connections it is felt within the ear.
The last type of otalgia results from pain in the vicinity of the ear.
Otalgia: treatment
Treatment of paroxysmal ear pain is difficult and is primarily aimed at locating the source of the ailment. All other treatments are symptomatic and will not eliminate the root cause.
Hot compresses, painkillers or supplementing your diet with products rich in vitamin B1 are a great way to temporarily control pain.
Significant pain relief can be achieved by illuminating the sore area with a Sollux lamp.
Symptomatic treatment should not be an alternative to targeted therapy, but should be introduced while waiting for an appointment with an ENT specialist.
Otalgia: prevention
Actually, there are still no guidelines for the prevention of otalgia. It seems, however, that proper hygiene of the hearing organ should be practiced on a daily basis. The basic rules are:
- oils for disinfection instead of traditional sticks, the improper use of which may result in pushing earwax into the ear canal
- cleaning your nose regularly during a runny nose, but avoid blowing your nose sharply as this may damage your ear canal
- Avoiding listening to loud music through headphones, when the noise has direct contact with the ear canal, being in noisy rooms should encourage you to buy specially prepared earplugs that eliminate too much noise.