Otalgia? What is this? What causes this problem? Is it curable? What are the signs and symptoms? How can homeopathy help you? All of this and more answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!
What is Otalgia?
Otalgia is defined as pain in the ear. Earache can be caused due to infection of the external ear and temporal bone or pain in nerves due to various causes.
What are the types of Otalgia?
• Primary otalgia: Earache caused due to the ear infection.
• Secondary otalgia: an earache due to referred pain from other body parts.
What are the causes of Otalgia?
• Allergies are one of the common cause
• Infections are the most common cause.
• Blockage of Eustachian tube
• Extensive use of cotton buds or ear plugs
• Habits like picking or fidgeting with the ear
• Foreign particle in the ear (insect etc)
• Impacted ear wax can cause troubled hearing along with pain.
• Sinusitis usually maxillary sinusitis
• Mastoiditis
• Meniere’s disease
• Polyps or adenoid which get infected
• Folliculitis
• Sjögrens syndrome
• Acoustic neuroma
• Tobacco smoking
• Exposure to hairspray or dyes /colors
• Professional Swimmers and deep-sea divers
• Cold weather or a cold draft
• Change in altitude or acclimatization.
• Recurrent upper respiratory infection.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Otalgia?
•Earache
• Discomfort or irritation
• Hearing impaired
• A sensation of fullness in the ear
• A sore throat
• Ringing and buzzing in the ear- Tinnitus
• Swelling
• High grade ever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea along with Occasional Dehydration
• Itching
• Discharge from the ear
What are the investigations advised?
• Complete case history and case study.
• Examination with an otoscope.
• Audiometry Test
• X-rays
What treatment is advised in such cases?
• Analgesics
• Treat underlying causes.
What is the prognosis?
Most of the cases detected of otalgia are treated symptomatically, Hence Homeopathy plays an important role.
What is the Differential Diagnosis?
– Parotitis
– External ear infections
– Malignant tumors of the sinuses
– Malignant tumors of sinuses
– Middle ear mastoiditis
– Allergic rhinitis or recurrent cold and coryza
– Barosinusitis
– Bell palsy
– Chronic laryngitis
– Contact granulomas
– Fractures, maxillary, zygomatic
– Contact granulomas
– Adenoidectomy
– Acute laryngitis
– Parapharyngeal space tumors
– Parotitis
– Acute or chronic sinusitis
– Thyroid cancer
– Tonsillitis or Tonsillectomy
– peritonsillar abscess
Management of Otalgia?
• Avoid much use of earbuds or continuous use of earplugs.
• Do not overuse earphones
• Regular dental checkup to avoid secondary cases.
• Use proper safety gears while swimming. Dry ear after swimming.
• Treat causes like allergies, sinusitis, LRTI, and parotid gland infection to avoid otalgia.
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid too cold weather or AC drafts for a long time.
What Homeopathy medicines are indicative?
Homeopathy can help in such cases as these cases are best treated symptomatically. Homeopathy treats primary as well as secondary causes. .It also helps relieve symptomatically like pain and fullness etc.
Aconitum napellus:
Belladonna
Calcarea phosphorica
Pulsatilla
Silicea terra
Sulphur
Mercurius dulcis
Elaps corallinus
For more information, you can visit NCBI and Wikipedia.
