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What we treat › Ear Problems
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Ear Problems Treated Online

Most earaches, blocked ears and itchy ears are not serious, and many get better within a few days, but the cause decides what helps. A licensed doctor can assess ear problems by video, check the warning signs, and agree a plan with you: what to do, which tests you need and, when it is right for you, a prescription. Hearing that drops suddenly needs urgent assessment, and ear symptoms with facial drooping, weakness or slurred speech are an emergency: call 112.

  • Licensed doctors by video, daily 7am–11pm CET, usually within 15 minutes
  • If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you
  • Full refund if your doctor decides you need to be seen in person

Speak with a doctor: live video assessment, advice and treatment.

A prescription is never issued without a consultation.

On this page What is bothering your ear? At a glance Urgent care Hearing and ringing Dizziness and vertigo Seasons and travel Protecting your hearing Ear care When to see a doctor When to get in-person care Can an online doctor help? Health tools Conditions How Mobi Doctor works Frequently asked questions Sources
Medically reviewed

Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD Google Scholar LinkedIn

Internal Medicine Specialist
Cancer Immunology Researcher
Last reviewed
Key facts
  • Treated online: Yes, for many. Of the 18 ear conditions on Mobi Doctor, 9 are usually treated or managed by video, 3 partly, and 6 are assessed online and treated in person.
  • Most ear problems: earache, ear infections, earwax and blocked ears are common, and most middle ear infections clear within 3 days.
  • Sudden hearing loss: hearing that drops all at once or over a few days is a medical emergency for the ear: get medical advice the same day, because treatment works best early.
  • Leave wax alone: ears clean themselves. Cotton buds push wax deeper and are a common cause of blockages and ear canal infections.
  • Emergency: call 112 for ear symptoms with facial drooping, weakness, slurred speech or double vision, bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury, or earache with a stiff neck and confusion.
Emergency signs: act now, do not book an appointment

Call 112 or go to an emergency department for hearing loss or dizziness with facial drooping, weakness, numbness or tingling in an arm or leg, slurred speech, double vision or loss of vision; bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury; earache with a stiff neck, a high temperature, confusion, a rash or sensitivity to light; or numbness, weakness or breathing problems after a dive.

What is bothering your ear?

Choose the symptom that fits best. Each page covers the usual causes, what helps, what a doctor can do, and the signs that need urgent care.

Swelling, redness or tenderness behind the ear after an ear infection can be mastoiditis, smelly discharge from one ear that keeps coming back can be a cholesteatoma, and a painful rash around the ear with weakness of the face can be Ramsay Hunt syndrome. All three need care in person promptly.

Common ear problems at a glance

The table lists every ear condition on Mobi Doctor: what each usually feels like and how much of its care works online. 9 of the 18 are usually treated or managed online. Hearing loss, Ménière’s disease, pulsatile tinnitus, mastoiditis, cholesteatoma and Ramsay Hunt syndrome are assessed online, and their tests and treatment happen in person.

Ear problems: what they usually feel like, online care and where to read more
ConditionWhat it usually feels likeOnline careRead more
Earache and ear painPain in or around the ear; often an infection, but the teeth, jaw or throat can cause it tooTreated online
Middle ear infectionEarache, a high temperature, muffled hearing, sometimes discharge; most clear within 3 daysTreated online
Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa)An itchy, painful ear canal, sometimes with discharge, often after swimmingTreated online
MastoiditisPain, redness and swelling behind the ear after an ear infection; needs hospital careAssessed online
Blocked earA full, muffled ear from wax, a cold, a flight or waterHandled online
Earwax build-upMuffled hearing and a blocked feeling that build up over days or weeksPartly online
Eustachian tube dysfunctionMuffled hearing, fullness, popping and crackling with a cold or an allergyTreated online
Ear barotraumaPain and blocked ears during or after a flight or a diveTreated online
Perforated eardrumSudden muffled hearing, pain that may ease quickly, fluid or blood from the ear; usually heals within 2 monthsPartly online
Hearing lossGradual muffling over years, or hearing that drops suddenly, which is urgentAssessed online
TinnitusRinging, buzzing or hissing that only you can hearTreated online
Pulsatile tinnitusA whooshing or thumping in time with your heartbeat; always needs assessingAssessed online
Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritisSudden spinning dizziness after a cold or flu, easing over days to weeksPartly online
Ménière’s diseaseAttacks of spinning lasting 20 minutes to 12 hours, with ringing, fullness and hearing lossAssessed online
CholesteatomaSmelly discharge from one ear that keeps coming back, with fading hearingAssessed online
Itchy earsItchy, dry or flaky skin in or around the ear, from eczema, an allergy or an infectionTreated online
Infected ear piercingA red, swollen, sore piercing with pus; cartilage infections need prompt careTreated online
Ramsay Hunt syndromeA painful rash around the ear with weakness of the face; treatment works best within 3 daysAssessed online

What each online-care label means is explained under online care for ear problems.

Which ear problems need urgent care?

Ear symptoms with signs of a stroke, a head injury, meningitis or decompression illness after a dive are emergencies: call 112. Sudden hearing loss, swelling behind the ear, new weakness of the face, and a hot, swollen ear after a cartilage piercing need care in person, urgently.

Ear warning signs, what they can mean and what to do
Warning signWhat it can meanWhat to do
Hearing loss or dizziness with facial drooping, arm or leg weakness, slurred speech or double visionA strokeCall 112
Bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injuryA skull injuryCall 112
Earache with a stiff neck, a high temperature, confusion, a rash or sensitivity to lightMeningitisCall 112
Numbness, weakness, or problems with breathing, vision or speech after a diveDecompression illnessCall 112
Hearing that dropped suddenly in one or both earsSudden sensorineural hearing lossGet medical advice the same day
Swelling, redness or tenderness behind the ear, or an ear that sticks outMastoiditisGet medical advice the same day
New weakness of one side of the face with a painful rash around the earRamsay Hunt syndromeGet medical advice the same day
Severe ear pain with diabetes or a weakened immune systemA deep infection of the ear canal and the bone around itGet medical advice the same day
A hot, swollen, very painful upper ear after a piercingPerichondritis, an infection of the cartilageGet medical advice the same day
Redness spreading from the ear onto the face or neck, or an ear canal swollen shutA spreading infectionGet medical advice the same day
Tinnitus that beats in time with your pulsePulsatile tinnitus, which needs its cause foundAn urgent appointment with a doctor
Discharge from one ear that keeps coming back, with fading hearingA cholesteatoma or a long-lasting infectionBook a consultation

Do not drive yourself to an emergency department with sudden dizziness or a weak face: ask someone to take you, or call 112.

Hearing loss, ringing and pulsing: what they can mean

How a hearing change started is the first clue. Hearing that drops suddenly needs urgent assessment; gradual muffling in one ear is often wax; muffling after a cold or a flight is usually the Eustachian tube; and gradual loss in both ears over years is usually age or noise, which needs a hearing test.

Hearing changes, what they often mean and what to do
What you noticeWhat it often meansWhat to doRead more
Hearing that dropped all at once or over a few daysSudden sensorineural hearing lossGet medical advice the same day
Muffling in one ear that built up over days or weeksEarwaxSoftening drops; removal in person if they do not work
Muffling, fullness and popping with a cold or after a flightA blocked Eustachian tube or ear barotraumaEqualising and treating the nose
Both ears fading slowly over years, speech hard to follow in noiseAgeing of the inner ear or noise damageA hearing test, and hearing aids if they would help
Ringing, buzzing or hissingTinnitus, often with some hearing lossAssessment and a hearing test
A whooshing in time with your heartbeatPulsatile tinnitusAn urgent appointment to find the cause
Fading hearing in one ear with smelly dischargeA cholesteatoma or a long-lasting ear infectionAn ear examination and an ENT referral

Sudden hearing loss in numbers

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss affects an estimated 1 to 6 people in every 5,000 each year, most often adults in their late 40s and early 50s, and it usually affects one ear. People often put off getting help because they think it is wax, an allergy or a sinus infection. About half recover some or all of their hearing by themselves, usually within 1 to 2 weeks, but steroid treatment works best when it starts early, and treatment delayed by more than 2 to 4 weeks is less likely to reverse it.

Hearing loss and tinnitus worldwide

The WHO estimates that about 430 million people, more than 5% of the world’s population, need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, and that by 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss. Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss from unsafe listening, and unaddressed hearing loss costs almost US$1 trillion a year worldwide. Tinnitus is common too: surveys estimate that 10 to 25% of adults have it.

Dizziness, vertigo and the inner ear

Inner ear problems are the most common cause of vertigo, the feeling that you or the room is spinning. How long the spinning lasts and what sets it off point to the cause, but spinning with any stroke sign is an emergency.

Common causes of spinning dizziness and what points to each
What happensLikely causeRead more
One sudden, constant spell of spinning after a cold or flu, easing over daysLabyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis
Repeated attacks of 20 minutes to 12 hours, with ringing, fullness and hearing loss in one earMénière’s disease
Spinning brought on by particular head movementsBPPV
Dizziness in someone who gets migrainesVestibular migraine
Dizziness with blocked ears after a flight or a diveEar barotrauma
Spinning with facial drooping, weakness, numbness, trouble speaking or double visionA stroke

Vertigo can also be a side effect of some medicines. The vertigo page covers every cause, and an inner ear infection, also called labyrinthitis, causes dizziness, unsteadiness, sickness, hearing loss and ringing in the ear.

Ear problems by season and on the move in Europe

Ear canal infections peak in summer, with swimming, sweat and humidity. Colds and flu in winter bring middle ear infections and blocked Eustachian tubes, hay fever brings itchy ears and blocked ears in spring and summer, and flights, dives and mountain roads cause ear barotrauma all year.

When and where ear problems are most common in Europe
When or whereEar problems that are more commonWhyRead more
Summer, at the pool, the lake or the seaSwimmer’s ear and itchy earsWater, sweat and humidity strip the ear canal’s protection
Flights, dives and mountain roadsEar barotrauma and blocked Eustachian tubesFast changes in pressure
Autumn and winter colds and fluMiddle ear infections, blocked Eustachian tubes and labyrinthitisViruses swell the lining of the nose, throat and ear
Spring and summer pollenItchy ears and blocked Eustachian tubesHay fever inflames the nose and makes ears itch
A new piercing on holidayInfected ear piercingsSwimming before the piercing has healed

Before a flight with a cold or blocked ears, consider postponing, swallow and yawn on the way down, and use a decongestant only if it suits you. Divers should not dive with a blocked nose, and should leave the recommended interval before flying. After swimming, tilt each ear down and dry the outer ear, and keep cotton buds out of the ear canal.

How to protect your hearing

Noise is a leading avoidable cause of hearing loss, alongside ear infections and some medicines. Over 1 billion young adults are at risk from unsafe listening, and EU law sets limits on noise at work: hearing protection must be offered at a daily exposure of 80 dB(A) and worn at 85 dB(A).

  • Turn it down Keep music and headphones at a comfortable volume, take breaks from loud sound, and use safe-listening settings on phones.
  • Protect your ears at loud events Earplugs at concerts, clubs, motorsport and with power tools protect hearing without spoiling the sound.
  • Treat ear infections properly Long-lasting ear infections and fluid in the middle ear are causes of hearing loss that can be prevented.
  • Know your medicines Some medicines can affect hearing or cause tinnitus. Never stop a prescribed medicine yourself: ask the doctor who prescribed it.

Noise at work in the EU: what the law requires

Daily noise exposure at work under EU Directive 2003/10/EC, and what it means for you
Average daily exposureWhat the employer must doYour rights
80 dB(A): the lower action valueMake hearing protectors available, and give information and training on noise and the correct use of protectorsPreventive hearing tests where the risk assessment shows a risk to health
85 dB(A): the upper action valueMake sure hearing protectors are wornA hearing check by a doctor or another qualified person
87 dB(A): the limit valueReduce exposure immediately, find the cause and stop it happening againExposure above this level is not allowed

Looking after your ears: what to do and what to avoid

Ears clean themselves: wax moves out with jaw movement and falls out on its own. Most ear care is about leaving the ear canal alone, keeping it dry, and treating a blocked nose.

  • Leave the wax alone Wax protects the ear canal. Without it, ears become dry and itchy, and it only needs treating when it blocks the ear.
  • No cotton buds They push wax deeper, scratch the ear canal and are a common way for infections to start.
  • Dry your ears after swimming Tilt each ear down, gently pull the earlobe, and dry the outer ear with a towel.
  • Use decongestant sprays briefly No more than 5 days at a time, because longer use makes a blocked nose worse.

How should you clean your ears?

Ideally, ear canals never need cleaning. Wipe the outer ear with a cloth or a tissue over your finger, and leave the canal alone. If wax blocks the ear, softening drops are the safe first step, and removal by microsuction or irrigation is done in person. See the earwax build-up page.

How do you pop your ears?

Swallow, yawn or chew gum, which open the Eustachian tube. If that does not work, use the Valsalva manoeuvre: breathe in, then breathe out gently with your mouth closed and your nose pinched, until your ears pop. Sit down first, and never force it. On a plane, keep doing this on the way down, and stay awake for the descent.

Why do my ears keep popping?

Popping and crackling usually mean the Eustachian tube is opening and closing as it tries to let air into the middle ear, often during or after a cold, with hay fever or after a flight. It is common as the tube recovers. If it lasts more than 3 weeks, or your hearing gets worse, see a doctor. More on the Eustachian tube dysfunction page.

Hearing aids and earplugs

Hearing aids and earplugs push wax back into the canal and can trap moisture. Clean them regularly, remove hearing aids at night, and have your ear canals checked for wax every 3 to 6 months if you wear hearing aids.

When should I see a doctor about an ear problem?

Book a consultation if:

  • earache has not improved within 2 to 3 days, or you keep getting earache
  • you have fluid coming from the ear, a high temperature, or feel generally unwell
  • your ear has been blocked for more than a few days despite drops or equalising
  • your hearing is changing, especially in one ear
  • you have ringing in the ears that is constant, getting worse, or affecting your sleep
  • you get attacks of dizziness or spinning
  • your ears itch, flake or weep and it is not settling
  • you have an ear problem and diabetes or a weakened immune system

When to get in-person care

Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:

  • hearing loss or dizziness with facial drooping, weakness, numbness or tingling in an arm or leg
  • slurred speech, double vision or sudden loss of vision with ear symptoms or dizziness
  • bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury
  • earache with a stiff neck, a high temperature, confusion, a rash or sensitivity to light
  • numbness, weakness or breathing problems after a dive

Get medical advice the same day for:

  • sudden hearing loss in one or both ears
  • swelling, redness or tenderness behind the ear, or an ear that is starting to stick out
  • new weakness of one side of the face, especially with a rash around the ear
  • severe ear pain if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system
  • a hot, swollen, painful upper ear after a piercing, or redness spreading onto the face
  • something stuck in the ear

Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.

Can an online doctor treat ear problems?

Yes
Many ear problems: assessment and treatment online.

Yes, for many. Ear problems are assessed mainly from the story: how it started, what you notice, and how your hearing and balance have changed, with a look at the outer ear on camera. Of the 18 ear conditions covered on Mobi Doctor, 8 are usually treated online and 1 more is usually managed online, 50% in all; 3 are partly treated online, and 6, including hearing loss, mastoiditis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, are assessed online and treated in person. The doctor tells you when you need an examination, a test or emergency care.

What the doctor can do online

The doctor listens, looks at any photos you share and decides with you what helps. If a medicine is the right answer, the doctor prescribes it. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, the doctor tells you where to go.

  • Warning signs checked first Sudden hearing loss, stroke signs, spreading infection and swelling behind the ear are checked first, and you are sent to the right care if any is likely.
  • The cause, not just the symptom The doctor asks how it started and what came with it, to tell wax, a blocked tube, an infection and inner ear problems apart.
  • Drops and medicines chosen safely Before suggesting any drops, the doctor asks about a hole in the eardrum, grommets, pregnancy and your other medicines.
  • Tests when you need them The doctor tells you when you need an ear examination, a hearing test or a scan, and how soon.

What still needs in-person care

  • an examination of the eardrum with an otoscope or a microscope
  • wax removal by microsuction or irrigation, and cleaning of an infected ear canal
  • hearing tests, balance tests and scans
  • operations, such as eardrum repair, grommets and cholesteatoma surgery
  • emergency care for stroke signs, head injuries and spreading infection

Controlled medicines, such as opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines and nerve pain medicines like gabapentin and pregabalin, are never prescribed through online consultations.

What the online-care labels mean

The online-care labels used on Mobi Doctor’s ear pages
LabelWhat it meansConditions
Treated onlineUsually assessed and treated by video, with a prescription when one is needed8, including ear infections, swimmer’s ear, tinnitus and itchy ears
Handled onlineUsually managed online with advice, self-care and treatment when it helps1: blocked ear
Partly onlineSymptoms and treatment can be handled by video, but part of the care, such as wax removal or an ear examination, is in person3: earwax build-up, labyrinthitis and perforated eardrum
Assessed onlineAssessed by video, and the doctor tells you where to go; tests and treatment happen in person6: hearing loss, Ménière’s disease, pulsatile tinnitus, mastoiditis, cholesteatoma and Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Not sure what is going on with your ear? A doctor can help you work it out in one consultation.

See available times →

Ear health tools

Free tools on Mobi Doctor:

All ear problems

Many of these can be assessed and treated online. Each page covers the symptoms, causes and treatment, and the signs that need in-person care.

How Mobi Doctor works

  1. Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
  2. Speak to a licensed doctor about your ear: say which ear, when it started and how it has changed, and mention any change in hearing, dizziness, discharge or pain.
  3. Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
See available times →

No sign-up needed

Frequently asked questions about ear problems

What are the most common ear problems?

Earache, ear infections, earwax build-up and blocked ears are the most common. Tinnitus is common too, affecting an estimated 10 to 25% of adults, and about 10% of people get an ear canal infection (otitis externa) at some point in their lives.

What are the common symptoms of ear problems?

Earache, a blocked or full feeling, muffled hearing or hearing loss, ringing or buzzing (tinnitus), discharge from the ear, itching, and dizziness or a spinning feeling. Which ones come together, and how they started, point to the cause.

What are the symptoms of an inner ear infection?

An inner ear infection, called labyrinthitis, causes sudden dizziness or spinning, unsteadiness, feeling or being sick, hearing loss and ringing in the ear. It usually follows a cold or flu, and balance usually returns over 2 to 6 weeks.

What is chronic middle ear disease?

A long-lasting problem of the middle ear, such as an ear infection that keeps discharging through a hole in the eardrum, fluid that stays behind the eardrum, or a cholesteatoma. These are causes of hearing loss and need an ear examination by a specialist.

When is an ear problem an emergency?

Call 112 for ear symptoms with facial drooping, weakness, slurred speech or double vision, bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury, earache with a stiff neck and confusion, or numbness or breathing problems after a dive. Sudden hearing loss needs urgent assessment: get medical advice the same day.

Why does my ear feel blocked?

Usually earwax, a cold or an allergy blocking the Eustachian tube, a flight or a dive, water after swimming, or an ear infection. Hearing that dropped suddenly can also feel like a blocked ear: get medical advice the same day.

How do you pop your ears?

Swallow, yawn or chew gum. If that does not work, breathe out gently with your mouth closed and your nose pinched until your ears pop, sitting down first and never forcing it. On a plane, keep doing this during the descent.

How should I clean my ears?

Ear canals clean themselves, so wipe only the outer ear with a cloth. Do not use cotton buds, which push wax deeper. If wax blocks the ear, use softening drops, and have it removed in person if they do not work.

Why are my ears ringing?

Tinnitus is often linked to some hearing loss, from age or noise, and can also come from earwax, an ear infection or some medicines. Ringing in one ear only or in time with your heartbeat needs a doctor to look into it, and with sudden hearing loss, get medical advice the same day.

Why do my ears keep popping?

Usually because the Eustachian tube is opening and closing as it tries to let air into the middle ear, often during or after a cold, with hay fever or after a flight. See a doctor if it lasts more than 3 weeks or your hearing gets worse.

Can earache come from the teeth, jaw or throat?

Yes. Earache is often an ear infection, but a dental abscess, a sore throat or tonsillitis can cause ear pain too, and pain when swallowing points to the throat. A doctor can tell where the pain is coming from.

Can an online doctor treat ear problems?

Yes, for many. Of the 18 ear conditions covered on Mobi Doctor, 9 are usually treated or managed online. A doctor can assess your symptoms by video, check the warning signs, prescribe treatment when it is needed, and tell you when you need an examination, a test or emergency care.

Sources & further reading
  1. Earache, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 27 October 2025.
  2. Ear infections, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 16 January 2025.
  3. Hearing loss, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 30 May 2025.
  4. Sudden deafness, NIDCD, US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, updated September 2018.
  5. Deafness and hearing loss: fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 3 March 2026.
  6. Tinnitus, NIDCD, US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, updated 1 May 2023.
  7. Tinnitus, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 January 2024.
  8. Directive 2003/10/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (noise), European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 6 February 2003.
  9. Otitis externa, DermNet, New Zealand Dermatological Society, reviewed February 2024.
  10. Earwax build-up, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 5 January 2024.
  11. Earwax (cerumen impaction), ENT Health, American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, reviewed August 2018.
  12. Earwax, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 29 April 2026.
  13. Eustachian tube dysfunction, Patient.info, updated 30 March 2026.
  14. Ear barotrauma, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 29 April 2026.
  15. Decongestants, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 3 November 2022.
  16. Vertigo, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 2 May 2023.
  17. Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 6 August 2026.
  18. Ménière’s disease, NIDCD, US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, updated 15 August 2024.
  19. Perforated eardrum, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 19 April 2023.
  20. Mastoiditis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 17 August 2026.
  21. Cholesteatoma, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 20 February 2025.
  22. Ramsay Hunt syndrome, DermNet, New Zealand Dermatological Society, updated 2026.
  23. Pulsatile tinnitus, Cleveland Clinic (US), reviewed 9 September 2025.
  24. Perichondritis, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 10 November 2024.
  25. Hay fever, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 21 March 2024.
  26. Preventing swimmer’s ear, CDC, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reviewed 28 May 2025.

This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.

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