Earache (ear pain) is one of the most common reasons we take our children to see their healthcare provider or seek help for our own painful ears. Earaches can be a symptom of ear infections or a sign of an underlying condition. Rarely, an earache or ear pain is a sign of a serious illness. Treatment depends on the cause.
Earache (ear pain) is one of the most common reasons we take our children to see their healthcare provider or we seek help for our own painful ears. Earaches can be a symptom of ear infections or a sign of an underlying condition. Rarely, an earache or ear pain is a sign of a serious illness. Treatment depends on the cause.
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Just about anyone can develop earaches. However, young children are more likely to have ear pain than older children and adults. One study shows that by their third birthday, 80% of children will have a middle ear infection (acute otitis media).
Many things may make your ears hurt. Healthcare providers place ear pain in two categories: primary and secondary.
Common primary causes of ear pain include:
Common secondary causes of ear pain include:
People often assume an aching ear means they have an ear infection. Here’s information to help you understand the difference:
The COVID-19 virus affects people in different ways, but earaches are not a common symptom of COVID-19.
Your provider will ask about your symptoms. They’ll examine your ears.
If your child's ears look healthy, your provider may look for underlying conditions that may cause secondary ear pain. Depending on what they learn, they may recommend you talk to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) provider.
Providers focus on finding and treating earaches’ underlying cause. For example, if your child has an ear infection, your provider may recommend over-the-counter pain medicine to ease ear pain. They may also prescribe antibiotics. Likewise, if sore throats cause your child ear pain, your provider will treat your child’s sore throat.
You can try some remedies at home to ease your ear pain. Over-the-counter pain medicine may help. Some people benefit by placing warm or cold compresses on their aching ears. Keep in mind an earache may be a sign of infection or another problem. Talk to your healthcare provider if your ear pain persists for more than two or three days or gets worse.
Earaches happen for lots of reasons. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing an earache:
There are several reasons why your child may have an earache. Some earaches go away on their own. Contact your healthcare provider if your child’s earache lasts more than two days or you notice other symptoms such as fever, chills or congestion.
Many things can cause earaches, from infections to changes in air pressure to underlying conditions that affect your ears. Once you know what caused your earache, ask your healthcare provider about steps you can take to reduce the risk of recurring ear problems.
If you have earaches, here are some questions you may have:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Most of us will have an earache (ear pain) at some point in our lives. Earaches and ear infections are the most common reasons for children’s visits to their healthcare providers. Adults develop earaches for everyday reasons such as barotrauma from flying in an airplane to having temporomandibular joint syndrome. You may be tempted to ignore your aching ears simply because earaches are a common problem. But left untreated, earaches can become increasingly painful. More than that, earaches may be a sign of underlying medical conditions that could be serious. Talk to your healthcare provider about your ear health any time you’re concerned about earaches.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/08/2022.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy