What is the otalgia of the ear, because of what arises and how to treat the disease

1 Causes of the disease

In Latin, the word "otalgia" is translated as "earache".The peculiarity of this diagnosis is the absence of any pathological changes in the organ in the presence of pain syndrome.

Otalgia may be of a neurotic nature. It develops with neuritis of the glossopharyngeal, trigeminal and vagus nerves of the face. Such a disorder can give in the ear, causing pain.

There is also an irrational form of this disease. It appears due to inflammation of the throat or nose. Pain can also be caused by a primary lesion of the cartilage of the external ear, which can not always be determined at the first examination.

Otalgia often occurs due to infection of the ear. If the pain does not disappear after 3 weeks, there is a possibility of a tumor in any ear region.

The most common cause of otalgia is increased pressure in the Eustachian tube, which can cause fluid to flow out of the back of the throat, causing allergies and various pathologies of the nose. In this case, the pain will have an average intensity and after a while it will go away. If this does not happen, you need to consult with an otolaryngologist. Among other causes of the disease can be identified:

• pathology of gums and teeth;
• of temporomandibular joint disease;
• neoplasm in the temporal bone;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• is a tumor lesion of the bridge-cerebellar angle.

2 Clinical picture

Otalgia is a disease in which symptoms are determined by the cause of ear pain. If they have a neurotic character, one observes:

• insomnia;
• increased irritability;
• depletion of the nervous system;
• loss of appetite( especially often happens in young children).

Infectious lesions can cause a significant increase in fever, fever, rapid dizziness and severe disruption of the vestibular apparatus. This form of the disease is characterized by very severe pain in the first stages, when the nerve endings of the membrane are particularly sensitive to pressure changes. After a while, the membrane becomes stretched, and the pain becomes less pronounced.

If the cause of the pain is increased pressure in the Eustachian tube, yellow, white and brown discharge from the ears can be observed. In addition, due to the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the middle ear can be impaired hearing.

3 Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis and treatment should be trusted only by a specialist physician. Through the otoscope, he determines the presence of inflammation, swelling, or redness of the tympanic membrane. In addition, he can use a pneumatic otoscope to inspect the middle ear for the presence of fluid.

To diagnose ear infections, tympanometry is often used - a combination of sound and air flow for the purpose of determining fluid in the middle ear.

The scheme of treatment of the disease depends on what caused the pain syndrome. To eliminate the infection, antibiotics are used, and for pain relief - analgesics. With a significant fever and fever prescribed antipyretic agents.

If the fluid remains in the ear for more than 3 months, an outpatient surgical procedure is necessary. The doctor inserts metal or plastic tubes through the tympanic membrane of the patient to remove the liquid from there. This surgery is usually done under general anesthesia. The tubes are in the ear for 8-18 months, after which they drop out.

In case of untimely treatment, otalgia can lead to infection of the inner ear, scarring of the tympanic membrane, complete loss of hearing and paralysis of the face.

It is therefore very important to consult a doctor when the first symptoms of the disease occur.