Ear pain can be referred from teeth, the jaw joint, tonsils or throat without inflammation inside the ear. A normal ear examination does not mean pain has no cause.
Links with chewing, dental pain, swallowing difficulty and voice change help identify the source. The clinician may also examine the mouth, throat and neck. Persistent one-sided pain, especially with smoking, a neck lump or weight loss, should not be delayed. Ear drops do not treat the source of referred pain; dental, jaw or ENT treatment depends on the cause.
The ear canal and eardrum are examined; hearing tests and tympanometry may be needed. Do not insert cotton buds or other objects. If you have a perforation, a tube or previous ear surgery, a clinician should choose drops or irrigation.
Sudden hearing loss, facial weakness, severe dizziness, swelling behind the ear or rapidly worsening pain require urgent assessment.
This information does not replace an individual consultation. Diagnosis and treatment depend on a medical assessment.
Consultation and treatment