2.1.1 PAIN IN THE EAR (CALLED OTALGIA)

May be acute pain that can be due to

• Acute infection in ear canal (acute otitis externa). The pain may commonly be accompanied by fever.
• Acute infection of the middle ear (acute otitis media). Pain is commonly accompanied by fever and at times ear discharge.
• Ear wax: hard, impacted wax in some cases can lead to severe pain in the ear.
• Foreign body: Children may insert some object in their ear which can injure the ear canal or ear drum causing acute pain.
• Injury over the ear

At time patients complain of long-standing, dull pain or heaviness in the ear. This can be due to:

• Chronic infection in the ear canal
• Glue ear, where fluid is present inside the middle ear.

Sometimes pain is felt in the ear when it is actually coming from the jaw, teeth, neck, or throat. Examining the ear should allow you to find if ear pain is caused by ear disease.

 2.1.2 EAR DISCHARGE (OR OTORRHEA)

• Which refers to pus or liquid coming from the ear.
• This is commonly due to infection in the outer or middle ear.
• The discharge may be white, yellow, green or brown.
• Sometimes there may be blood in the discharge. At times it may be smelly.

2.1.3 HEARING LOSS

• At times, adults may say they have hearing loss. Often, when the hearing loss comes on slowly, they may not have noticed the problem themselves. Sometimes it is a friend or relative who notices that someone is not hearing or speaking loudly.
• Children may be brought by parents with the complaint that they don’t hear well. However, at times the parents complain of poor development of speech in the child or that s/he is not doing well at school or not paying attention. This can be a sign of hearing loss. It is important to remain vigilant and check the child’s hearing.

2.1.4 OTHER SYMPTOMS OF THE EAR INCLUDE

• Hearing noises in the ear, such as a buzzing or ringing sound, which we call tinnitus. Tinnitus can be caused by a problem in any part of hearing. It is often the first symptom of noise damage to the ear.
• Dizziness means that a person might feel unsteady or feel that s/he could fall. Dizziness can be a symptom of inner ear disease though it can also be caused by problems in other parts of the body.
•  Itching in the ear is a common complaint which may be due to dryness in the ear or wax accumulation. Severe itching may be caused by fungal infection or skin diseases affecting the ear canal. The ear should be examined.