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SYMPTOMS |
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DIAGNOSIS |
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SELF-CARE |
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| 1. Do you have
a fever? |
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Go to Question
6.* |
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| 2. Do you have
a pain deep in the ear? |
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You may have an
infection of the middle ear,
OTITIS
MEDIA. |
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See your
doctor. |
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| 3. Do you have
thick drainage from the ear canal that started
after the pain? |
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The infection
may have caused a RUPTURED EARDRUM. |
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See your
doctor. |
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| 4. Do you have
drainage from the ear canal and redness and
swelling of the outer ear and the surrounding
skin? |
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Your ear canal,
outer ear and skin around your ear may be
seriously INFECTED. |
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URGENT
See your doctor right away. |
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| 5.
Do you have pain behind your ear or tenderness
when you touch the bone behind your ear? |
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Your pain may
be from an infected bone behind the ear,
MASTOIDITIS, or from an ENLARGED LYMPH NODE. |
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URGENT
See your doctor right away. |
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| *6.
Does your ear hurt when you pull on the ear
or earlobe? |
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Your pain is
probably from an infection of the canal,
OTITIS
EXTERNA (swimmer's ear). |
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See your
doctor. You can prevent swimmer's ear by placing
three to five drops of a half-alcohol,
half-white-vinegar solution in the ear after
swimming or taking showers. |
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| 7. Does your
jaw joint "crack" when you open your mouth or do
you feel tenderness in front of your ear when
you press? |
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TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) SYNDROME
(jaw-joint problems) may be the source of your
pain. |
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Use an
anti-inflammatory medicine. If there's no
improvement in a week or two, see your dentist
or doctor. If you're having severe pain or you
can't open your jaw, call right away. |
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| 8. Do you hear
fluid in your ear, feel pressure or stuffiness
that can't be cleared with coughing, yawning or
swallowing, and do you have cold or flu
symptoms? |
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Your ear
discomfort may be due to a BLOCKED EUSTACIAN
TUBE. Colds and flu are common illnesses that
lead to this condition. |
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Try an
over-the-counter decongestant medicine for a few
days. If the pain is intense or doesn't resolve,
see your doctor. |
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| 9. Do you have
tooth pain when you bite on the same side as the
ear pain? |
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A tooth problem
can radiate pain to the ear on the same side. |
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Use some mild
analgesics and see your dentist if the pain
continues or becomes severe. |
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| 10. Did your
ear pain start after an airplane ride or with a
slap or hit to the ear? |
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You may have a
RUPTURED EARDRUM because of the change in
pressure. |
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Make an
appointment with your doctor. |
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| 11. Can you see
or feel a "pimple" in the ear canal? |
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A small
INFECTION in the ear canal may be the cause. |
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This infection
will usually subside by itself in two to five
days. Use a mild analgesic and see your doctor
if the pain becomes severe or if redness and
warmth spread into the ear. Warm compresses
sometimes will help. |
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| 12. Is the
person a child who is also having problems
hearing? |
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This ear may
have a buildup of fluid (SEROUS OTITIS) or a
buildup of wax in the ear canal (CERUMINOSIS). |
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Yawning may
"pop" the pressure differences in the ear. Call
your doctor and get instruction on how to treat
the wax problem or how to treat the fluid with
over-the-counter medicines. |
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| For more
information, please consult your doctor. If you
think the problem is serious, call right away. |
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