Earache – causes and treatments | healthdirect Sign in Join Sign in Menu Healthdirect Free Australian health advice you can count on Join Sign in Medical problem? Call 1800 022 222. If you need urgent medical help, call triple zero immediately healthdirect Australia is a free service where you can talk to a nurse or doctor who can help you know what to do. {{label}} Earache beginning of content Earache 5-minute read Print Share share via Facebook share via Twitter share via Email Save Share via email There is a total of 5 errors on this form, details are below. Please enter your name Please enter your email Your email is invalid. Please check and try again Please enter recipient's email Recipient's email is invalid. Please check and try again Agree to Terms required Thank you for sharing our content. A message has been sent to your recipient's email address with a link to the content webpage. Your name: is required Error: This is required Your email: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value Send to: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value Error: This is required I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy is required. Listen Key facts Ear pain can come from a problem in your ear, or as referred pain from another part of your body. Pain from a middle ear infection is likely to get better on its own within 7 days and usually won’t need antibiotics. Use pain relief medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen for short-term relief. Sometimes a sore ear is caused by a more serious problem and will need medical attention. Check your symptoms with the healthdirect online Symptom Checker for advice on when to seek medical attention. What is earache Earache (sore ear) is a common complaint, especially in children. It is most commonly caused by an ear infection. What causes ear pain Earache (sore ear) is a common complaint, especially in children. It is most commonly caused by an ear infection of the middle ear or outer ear. Other common causes of ear pain are: changes in air pressure, such as when you take off or land in a plane an object in the ear (a ‘foreign body’) an injury to your ear or eardrum a build up of ear wax Ear pain can also come from a problem in another part of your body, such as: referred pain from an infection near the ear, such as sinusitis or tonsillitis problems with the jaw joint (called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ) dental problems, such as teeth grinding or a dental infection When do I need to see my doctor for earache Sometimes a sore ear is caused by a more serious problem. It’s important to see your doctor if: your ear pain persists or gets worse you have discharge (fluid leaking) from your ear you feel sick or have a fever your hearing is getting worse you have diabetes or a lowered immune system your child under 2 years of age has a sore ear How can I treat earache How you treat your earache depends on what is causing your pain. If your pain is coming from a build-up of wax, you may need ear drops to soften the wax. You might need to have your ear canal cleaned by a health professional. If your earache is caused by a middle ear infection, it’s likely to get better on its own within 7 days and usually won’t need antibiotics. Until the pain gets better, you can use simple pain relief medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen. If your earache is caused by an outer ear infection, you may need a prescription for antibiotic ear drops to treat it. The drops may contain other medicines such as steroids. Never try to remove something stuck inside your ear by yourself - ask your doctor for help. What can I do to relieve ear pain Remedies that may give you some relief include: holding a warm cloth or heat pack along the outside of your ear taking pain relief medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen sleeping with your head resting on 2 pillows (or more) Don’t use over-the-counter ear drops or olive oil drops if your eardrum has burst. These can be harmful and will not relieve earache. Don’t clean your ears with cotton buds, they can damage your ears and don’t effectively remove the wax. If you have discharge from your ear, you can gently clean the outer ear with cotton wool. If there is discharge from both ears, use a new piece of cotton wool for each ear. If you are concerned, check your symptoms with the healthdirect online Symptom Checker for advice on when to seek medical attention. The Symptom Checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether it’s self care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero (000). CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Last reviewed: May 2022 Back To Top our site for Ear problems Ear infections Ear Swimmer's ear Need more information These trusted information partners have more on this topic. Top results Earache & Infection Treatment View our information about Earache Treatments, Ear Infection Treatments, Blocked Ear Treatments, Swimmers Ear Treatment and More! Read more on Ear Science Institute Australia website Earache in babies & children what to do Raising Children Network Earache in babies and children is very common. It’s a good idea to see your GP if your child complains of a sore ear or you think your baby has earache. Read more on raisingchildren.net.au website What every parent should know about coughs colds earaches and sore throats - NPS MedicineWise Children's coughs, colds, earaches and sore throats can worry you and make them miserable. Find out how to help your child feel better, and when to seek further advice. Read more on NPS MedicineWise website Otitis media in children - MyDr com au Otitis media (middle ear infection) is a common childhood illness causing earache and fever. It usually gets better quickly with pain relievers but sometimes antibiotics are needed. Read more on myDr website Ear problems - MyDr com au Common ear problems include otitis media, glue ear, ear wax and swimmer's ear. Read more on myDr website Ear wax in children what to do about it Raising Children Network Ear wax protects your child’s ear canal from water, infection and trauma. Ear wax build-up isn’t usually a problem, but see a GP if you’re concerned. Read more on raisingchildren.net.au website Tonsillectomy fact sheet Children s Health Queensland Children's health information fact sheet about tonsillectomy. Read more on Queensland Health website Show more Top results Earache Causes Symptoms and Treating Otalgia Ausmed Earache (otalgia) is the term used to describe feelings of discomfort including pain, pressure or blockage, in one or both ears. Read more on Ausmed Education website Show more Disclaimer Healthdirect Australia is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering. our site for Ear problems Ear infections Ear Swimmer's ear Symptom checker Is your ear sore? Select a symptom, answer some questions, get advice. Start Your Symptom Check Check your symptoms Find a health service Healthdirect 24hr 7 days a week hotline 24 hour health advice you can count on 1800 022 222 Government Accredited with over 140 information partners We are a government-funded service, providing quality, approved health information and advice Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present. Support for this browser is being discontinued Support for this browser is being discontinued for this site Internet Explorer 11 and lower We currently support Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. For more information, please visit the links below: Chrome by Google Firefox by Mozilla Microsoft Edge Safari by Apple You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Some features, tools or interaction may not work correctly.