CAUSES

Injury, infection, irritation in the ear, or referred pain may cause ear problems and earaches. Referred pain is pain felt somewhere other than the infection or injured site. For example, pain that originates in the jaw or teeth may be felt in the ear. Causes of earaches can include:

Ear infections

Ear infections are a common cause of earaches or ear pain. Ear infections can occur in the outer, middle, and inner ear.

• Outer ear infection can be caused by swimming, wearing hearing aids or headphones that damage the skin inside the ear canal, or putting cotton swabs or fingers in the ear canal.
• Middle ear infection can be caused by infections that stem from a respiratory tract infection. Fluid buildup behind the ear drums caused by these infections can breed bacteria.
• Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder that’s sometimes caused by viral or bacterial infections from respiratory illnesses.

Other common causes of ear problems

• change in pressure, such as when flying on a plane
• earwax buildup
• a foreign object in the ear
• strep throat
• sinus infection
• shampoo or water trapped in the ear
• use of cotton swabs in the ear
• temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
• perforated eardrum
• arthritis affecting the jaw
• infected tooth
• impacted tooth
• eczema in the ear canal
• trigeminal neuralgia (chronic facial nerve pain)

Less common causes of ear problems

• temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
• perforated eardrum
• arthritis affecting the jaw
• infected tooth
• impacted tooth
• eczema in the ear canal
• trigeminal neuralgia (chronic facial nerve pain)

RISK FACTORS

• Age. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are more susceptible to ear problems because of the size and shape of their eustachian tubes and because their immune systems are still developing.
• Group child care. Children cared for in group settings are more likely to get colds and ear infections than are children who stay home. The children in group settings are exposed to more infections, such as the common cold.
• Infant feeding. Babies who drink from a bottle, especially while lying down, tend to have more ear problems than do babies who are breast-fed.
• Seasonal factors. Ear infections are most common during the fall and winter. People with seasonal allergies may have a greater risk of ear infections when pollen counts are high.
• Poor air quality. Exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of ear problems.
• Alaska Native heritage. Ear problems are more common among Alaska Natives.
• Cleft palate. Differences in the bone structure and muscles in children who have cleft palates may make it more difficult for the eustachian tube to drain.

COMPLICATIONS

Most ear problems don't cause long-term complications. Ear problems that happen again and again can lead to serious complications:

• Impaired hearing. Mild hearing loss that comes and goes is fairly common with an ear infection, but it usually gets better after the infection clears. Ear infections that happen again and again, or fluid in the middle ear, may lead to more-significant hearing loss. If there is some permanent damage to the eardrum or other middle ear structures, permanent hearing loss may occur.
• Speech or developmental delays. If hearing is temporarily or permanently impaired in infants and toddlers, they may experience delays in speech, social and developmental skills.
• Spread of infection. Untreated infections or infections that don't respond well to treatment can spread to nearby tissues. Infection of the mastoid, the bony protrusion behind the ear, is called mastoiditis. This infection can result in damage to the bone and the formation of pus-filled cysts. Rarely, serious middle ear infections spread to other tissues in the skull, including the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis).
• Tearing of the eardrum. Most eardrum tears heal within 72 hours. In some cases, surgical repair is needed.

PREVENTION

Self-management of ear problems, particularly earache and ear discharge, is not recommended. However, the following tips may help prevent ear problems.

• Do not use cotton buds or other devices for cleaning your ears. Repeated attempts to remove earwax with a cotton bud or similar object may result in the wax becoming more deeply impacted.
• If you have a swimmer's ear, you should use earplugs to help prevent water entering your ears.
• If you are working in a noisy environment, including a home environment, use ear protectors.
• Blow your nose correctly. Do not squeeze the nose when blowing and do not sniff.

It is important that you get any hearing loss checked.

DIAGNOSIS

• The doctor will likely use a lighted instrument (an otoscope) to look at the ears, throat and nasal passage. He or she will also likely listen to your child breathe with a stethoscope.
• Pneumatic otoscope - This instrument enables the doctor to look in the ear and judge whether there is fluid behind the eardrum.

Additional tests

Your doctor may perform other tests if there is any doubt about a diagnosis, if the condition hasn't responded to previous treatments, or if there are other long-term or serious problems.

• Tympanometry. This test measures the movement of the eardrum.
• Acoustic reflectometry. This test measures how much sound is reflected back from the eardrum — an indirect measure of fluids in the middle ear.
• Tympanocentesis. Rarely, a doctor may use a tiny tube that pierces the eardrum to drain fluid from the middle ear — a procedure called tympanocentesis. The fluid is tested for viruses and bacteria. This can be helpful if an infection hasn't responded well to previous treatments.
• Other tests. If your child has had multiple ear infections or fluid buildup in the middle ear, your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist (audiologist), speech therapist or developmental therapist for tests of hearing, speech skills, language comprehension or developmental abilities.

TREATMENT

1.Pain Relief -If a virus or bacteria is causing the infection and you have to wait for it to get better, you don’t need to live with the pain.

Your doctor may recommend a pain reliever, typically acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which also helps reduce a fever. Pain can also be reduced by using low heat from a heating pad.

2.Antibiotics -If your doctor decides to go with antibiotics, follow all the instructions. Take all of the doses even if you or your child are feeling better.If you don’t take the whole course, your infection could come back and become resistant to more treatments.

3.Drainage -If an infection causes serious complications, fluid remains in the ear for a long time, or your child has ear infections that keep coming back, your doctor might want to do a procedure called a myringotomy.She creates a small hole in the eardrum so fluids such as water, blood, or pus can drain out. In many cases, she will put in a tube so it won’t get backed up again.

The tube, which will usually fall out on its own in about 6 to 18 months, lets the fluid out and air flow through to keep the middle ear dry. Tubes also:

• Reduce pain
• Improve hearing
• Cut down on the number of infections your child may have.

4.Natural Remedies

You can do things at home to ease your symptoms. Talk to your doctor first about these tips:

• Warmth: You may find a heated compress brings comfort.
• Feedings: If you feed your baby with a bottle, do it standing up. Don’t put your infant to bed with one. Try to take your child off it as soon as the doctor thinks he’s ready.
• Gargling: In older children or adults, salt water helps soothe a raw throat and may help clear the Eustachian tubes.
• Stand tall: Holding your head erect can help drain your middle ear.
• Fresh air: Smokers should refrain from smoking inside the house or anywhere near your child.

EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system to release biochemical into muscles, the spinal cord and the brain. These biochemical can affect, for example, the experience of pain and/or release of other biochemical, such as hormones, that influence the body’s self-regulating systems.Acupuncture affects immunological function in two directions: either strengthening the weak responses; or in cases of over-expressive responses regulating or inhibiting the over activities.Acupuncture also increases blood flow to organs.Several experimental research studies demonstrated the positive influence of acupuncture on chronic inflammation.All these effects, and probably many more, contributed to the reduction in ear problems.

MECHANISM OF ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture therapy successfully manages chronic ear problems. The chronic otitis externa was related to Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder meridian and an underlying Spleen Qi deficiency. Using acupuncture points to tonify the Spleen and expel the Damp-Heat from the Gallbladder greatly reduces the clinical symptoms of the otitis externa and is helping to manage the chronic inflammation.

BEST CURE FOR EAR PROBLEMS

Looking for the best relief for all ear problems in Chennai, here’s why you should reach out to the expert Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath from the best rated clinic Dr.Bharath’s Acu Heal. He is currently treating patients for a wide range of conditions. As a best acupuncture practitioner with 15 years of experience, and having worked with several otolaryngologists Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath can create the treatment plan for the best cure for all ear problems to manage the condition that's tailored to your needs, which can break a cycle of long-lasting pain and discomfort in the ear. As the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai he has witnessed acupuncture doing wonders for people suffering from ear problems. The effectiveness rate increases several times just with one course of Acupuncture. So, take some time to find the right pain management and best remedy for acupuncture approach that suits you. Most of the people swear by acupuncture, citing it as a best cure and a ‘miracle’ to improving their quality of life. To contact the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai, Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE DOCTOR NEAR ME

To choose the Best doctor for Acupuncture, it's important that the Acupuncturist should have a decade of experience and treated at least 1000 to 2000 patients.

You can also search for the Best Acupuncture Doctor near me or ask your primary care physician to refer an experienced Acupuncturist nearby. Once you find the Best Acupuncture Doctor in Chennai, you may go through their google reviews first and then fix an appointment with the doctor only when you are satisfied with the reviews.

The Best Acupuncture Doctor should address your concerns and help you feel more comfortable before your first session. Acupuncture usually takes numerous sessions or several weeks to get a complete cure in any ailment but within 3 or 4 sessions the patients will experience positive differences.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC NEAR ME

There are numerous clinics popping up and it is sometimes skeptical to choose the best or even the safe one. To address such concerns, you can look into the following points to choose the best acupuncture clinic for treating all ear problems. Acupuncture is also offered in hospital pain clinics and by healthcare organizations but it is ideal to visit the best Acupuncture Clinic. If you are not sure, it would be a good idea to contact your local doctor to see if they would be prepared to refer to the best rated acupuncture clinics.Acupuncture is offered in top rated acupuncture clinics near me because conventional treatment has failed or produces unacceptable side effects. Most of the best acupuncture clinics will spell out very clearly what type of acupuncture they practice and how professional they are - at present anyone can set themselves up as an acupuncturist but reputable practitioners will belong to an organization. So while you are filtering the best clinics for acupuncture that treats ear problems, you can look out for these factors.Treatment without surgery for all ear problems is possible through Acupuncture and it gives the best result.

We have been rewarded a 5-star rating from Google & Practo. You can also check the reviews there.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Proper treatment for your ear infection should eliminate any complications. If you let an ear infection go too long without treatment, you risk permanent hearing loss and possibly having the infection spread to other parts of your head. If you suspect that you may have an ear infection, have it checked out by our doctor by Dialing: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

Scientific References:

• Hansen PE, Hansen JH, Bentzen O. Acupuncture treatment of chronic unilateral tinnitus--a double-blind cross-over trial. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1982;7(5):325–9.
• . de Azevedo RF, Chiari BM, Okada DM, Onishi ET. Impact of acupuncture on otoacoustic emissions in patients with tinnitus. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;73(5):599–607.
• Podoshin L, Ben-David Y, Fradis M, Gerstel R, Felner H. Idiopathic subjective tinnitus treated by biofeedback, acupuncture and drug therapy. Ear Nose Throat J. 1991;70(5):284–9.

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FAQ:

What are the services provided for ear problems by Dr. Bharath’s Acu Heal?

There are many different types of ear problems. For example, ear pain may be caused by infections of the tonsils, jaw or sinuses. Chronic infection, for example, glue ear, can cause hearing loss that can affect learning and disrupt lifestyle, and exposure to loud noise can also damage hearing. As well as infections, dermatitis can occur in the ears as a result of reactions to topical medicines, wearing jewellery, cosmetics or methacrylate ear plugs.

After a thorough investigation by pulse and tongue diagnosis, condition of the disease is understood by the Acupuncturist .

The treatment will be given based on the disease’s chronicity and acuteness. In the first few sessions, positive changes may be experienced and after several more sessions probably the patient may be cured of the disease .This treatment will help in inducing sound sleep which will help and play a vital role in reversing this ailment.

What are the benefits of acupuncture for ear problems ?

This is a drugless therapy and there are no side effects. During or after completing the course of treatment any form of medication if any can be stopped.

How many sessions do you need for ear problems?

It takes around 10 to 40 sessions in a period of 1 to 5 months.