Sore ear occurs mainly due to an irritation or potential infection to the cutaneous area of the outer ear canal or the pinna. The symptoms of painful or sore ear are variable, including an itching or pain sensation in the affected area, ear secretions, and transient hearing impairment. Treatment of sore ear depends greatly on the cause and the degree of the problem.
Inflammation of the outer ear, or otitis externa, can occur due to an allergic reaction to certain types of drugs, like antibiotic ear drops, or due to an infection affecting the skin of the external part of the ear. This condition occurs for people at any age, it can affect children, adults as well as seniors.
The ear cleans itself normally by gradually getting rid of the dead cells, dust particles and microorganisms. Sometimes, this self-cleaning system suffers from malfunctioning. The symptoms of sore ear can develop in no time; sometimes it takes few hours to appear, especially, after prolonged swimming, or it may be slower in onset but chronic in reaction. Otitis externa or sore ear often occurs in warm and moist conditions, amongst swimmers, and people who have very narrow ear canals that may entrap the affected water.
The presence of a furuncle or a boil at the beginning of the ear canal is very characteristic in otitis externa, which is formed due to infection of a hair follicle. Though the place itself is small, the auricle will be painful to touch.
Treatment of Sore Ear depends mainly on the extent of the problem, in the mild cases; an ear spray with acetic acid can offer a great relief, as it preserves the natural acidity of the ear canal. In the severe case, it is a mandatory to seek for some medical assistance. The medical personal will clean the ear canal from debris and discharges immediately. In cases of dry, inflamed but not infected sore ears, prescribed steroid ear drops will be very useful.
If the ear is infected, an antibiotic ointment dressing will be inserted in the ear canal for a few days. But if the infection is persistent and starts to affect the area surrounding the ear, in the face and the scalp, the doctor will prescribe a course of oral antibiotics.
Chronic sore ear may occur sometimes due to certain fungal infection. It is known by the nature of the ear discharge and the degree of pain. In such cases, the ear canal should be cleaned
