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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Earache is assessed by video from the pattern of the pain; antibiotics, ear drops or jaw-pain treatment are prescribed when they fit the cause, and the doctor says when the ear needs an in-person look.
- What it is: pain in or around the ear from the ear itself (middle or outer ear infection, wax, pressure changes) or referred from nearby structures (the jaw joint, teeth, throat and neck), which share the ear's nerve supply.
- Pain relief: regular paracetamol or ibuprofen, taken on schedule rather than at crisis point, is the first treatment for almost every earache; most ear-infection pain settles within 2 to 3 days.
- Not the ear: earache that is worse on chewing with clicking points to the jaw joint; on biting or with hot and cold food to the teeth; with swallowing to the throat; earache in a normal-feeling ear is referred pain until proven otherwise.
- The 4-week rule: one-sided earache lasting more than about 4 weeks with a normal-feeling ear always needs an in-person head and neck examination.
- Emergency: call 112 for earache with a stiff neck, rash, confusion, a seizure, or a child who is floppy or hard to wake; swelling behind the ear, facial weakness, a blistering rash around the ear or sudden hearing loss need in-person care now.
Get in-person care the same day for earache with swelling or redness behind the ear, new facial weakness or a blistering rash around the ear, a stiff neck with fever, a child who is floppy or hard to wake, or anything lodged in the ear. A button battery in the ear is an emergency. Earache with sudden hearing loss also needs urgent assessment rather than a routine booking.
Can an online doctor help with earache?
Often, yes. Earache has many causes, and a structured video assessment can usually separate the common ones: middle ear infection, ear canal infection, jaw joint strain, earwax, and pain referred from the throat or teeth. Treatable causes get a treatment plan in the same consultation; an earache that genuinely needs the ear, teeth or throat examined in person is told so plainly.
This page is for ear pain when the cause is not yet clear. If you already know an infection is brewing, go straight to the ear infection page, which covers antibiotic criteria and children in detail, or to the swimmer’s ear page if the trouble started in the pool. Mobi Doctor is built for exactly this kind of sorting consultation: one call that turns "my ear hurts" into a named likely cause and a plan.
How an online consultation helps with earache
- A cause, not just a painkiller: the doctor works through the pattern (pain type, triggers, hearing, discharge, jaw and throat symptoms) until the earache has a likely name, because the name decides the treatment.
- The earache that is not the ear: a large share of ear pain is referred from somewhere else: the jaw joint, the teeth, or the throat. Video assessment is genuinely good at finding these, because they are diagnosed from the story, not the eardrum.
- Treatment that matches: pain relief plans, ear drops, jaw routines or antibiotics when criteria are met, prescribed only after the consultation and never on autopilot.
- A clear line on examination: some earaches need otoscopy, a dental check or a throat examination. You leave knowing which one you need, where to go, and how urgently.
What the doctor checks in an online earache consultation
Ear pain is diagnosed mostly from the history, which is why a video consultation gets so far. The doctor will typically assess:
- The character of the pain: deep pressure and throbbing point to the middle ear; surface soreness that worsens when the ear is touched points to the canal; shooting pain with chewing points to the jaw or teeth.
- The tragus test, guided on camera: pressing the small flap in front of the ear canal, and gently pulling the outer ear, hurts with canal infections and not much else.[2]
- Context: a cold in the last week points to the middle ear; swimming, humidity or cotton buds point to the canal; a long flight or dive points to pressure injury.
- Jaw signals: clicking, morning stiffness, teeth grinding, stress, and pain that tracks with chewing rather than with swallowing.
- Throat and dental signals: sore throat, painful swallowing, toothache, recent dental work, or pain triggered by hot and cold food.
- Hearing and blockage: gradual muffling with little pain suggests earwax; sudden hearing loss alongside ear pain is treated as urgent.
- Discharge and fever: fluid from the ear, its smell and colour, and how unwell you are overall.
- Duration and pattern: earache that has persisted for weeks on one side, especially with normal hearing and a normal-feeling ear, is flagged for in-person examination rather than reassurance.
What causes earache besides an ear infection?
Roughly half of ear pain does not start in the ear. The jaw joint sits directly in front of the ear canal, the throat and teeth share nerve supply with the ear, and wax can block the canal painlessly until it suddenly does not. That is why an earache with a completely normal eardrum is common, and why the story matters more than a quick look.
Jaw joint and muscle pain
The temporomandibular joint is the most commonly missed cause of ear pain in adults. Clues: pain in front of the ear that spreads into it, clicking or grating when you open wide, jaw stiffness in the morning, and flares during stressful weeks or after dental work. Clenching and grinding, often in sleep, drive it. It settles for most people with jaw rest, a soft-food period, heat, simple pain relief and awareness of daytime clenching; persistent cases deserve a dentist’s assessment for a bite guard.
Referred pain from the throat and teeth
Tonsillitis, a severe sore throat or a wisdom tooth problem can all present as earache, because the same nerves serve both areas. Earache with painful swallowing and a normal ear is usually the throat talking; the sore throat page covers when that needs treatment in its own right. Dental causes give themselves away with pain on biting or with hot and cold food, and need a dentist rather than ear treatment.
Earwax and blocked ears
Impacted wax more often causes blockage, itching, muffled hearing and mild discomfort than severe pain. Softening drops (olive oil or sodium bicarbonate) over several days often clear it; when they do not, removal by irrigation or microsuction is an in-person procedure, and cotton buds only pack wax deeper.[4] Wax that keeps blocking hearing is covered further on the hearing loss page.
Pressure changes, flights and skin causes
Ear pain during or after flying or diving usually reflects pressure injury to the eardrum and middle ear: unpleasant, usually self-resolving, and worth assessment if pain or muffled hearing lasts beyond a few days. Skin problems matter too: a crop of blisters in or around the ear with burning pain suggests shingles, and if facial weakness joins it, that combination is an emergency needing same-day in-person care.
When does earache need an in-person examination?
An earache needs in-person examination when the diagnosis depends on seeing the eardrum or canal, when something must be physically removed, or when pain persists without explanation. Concretely: discharge that continues beyond a week, suspected foreign objects, wax that drops have not shifted, earache with sudden hearing loss, and any one-sided earache lasting more than about four weeks with a normal assessment.
That last one deserves emphasis. Persistent one-sided ear pain in an adult, with a normal ear on examination, is a recognised reason for a thorough head and neck assessment, particularly in smokers and heavy drinkers, because referred pain can occasionally be the first sign of something in the throat that needs finding early. It is rarely that, but "rarely" is not "never", and honest triage means saying so: that earache gets examined, not managed by video indefinitely.
Which earache treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows the cause. This is the decision framework the doctors use, aligned with the cited guidance:[1][3]
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Presentation | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When referral or in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep ear pain during or after a cold, muffled hearing, often fever | Likely middle ear infection: regular pain relief; antibiotics only when guideline criteria are met | Usually yes | Red-flag signs, or not improving after 2–3 days |
| Sore canal after swimming or earbuds, itch, pain when the ear is pulled | Likely ear canal infection: antibiotic or antiseptic drops plus keep-dry care | Usually yes | Spreading redness or swelling, severe pain, diabetes or immunosuppression |
| Pain in front of the ear, worse with chewing, jaw click or grinding, normal hearing | Likely jaw joint strain: jaw rest, soft food, heat, simple pain relief, clench awareness | Usually yes | Jaw locking, persistent or worsening symptoms: dental or specialist review |
| Earache with sore throat and painful swallowing, ear itself normal | Referred pain: treat the throat cause; the ear needs nothing directly | Usually yes | One-sided throat pain with difficulty swallowing, drooling or trismus: urgent in-person care |
| One-sided earache for over 4 weeks with a normal ear, especially in smokers | Structured in-person head and neck examination | Assessment and referral, not ongoing management | Always: persistent unexplained one-sided pain must be examined |
Not sure which row is your earache? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for earache and ear pain
What you can do yourself
Regular paracetamol or ibuprofen, taken on schedule rather than in crisis, is the first treatment for almost every earache while the cause declares itself.[1][5] A warm compress against the ear or jaw soothes; chewing gum or hard foods are worth pausing if the jaw is the suspect; swallowing and yawning ease pressure after flights. Keep everything out of the ear canal: cotton buds, fingers, hairpins and "ear candles" all make things worse, and oil drops are for softening wax, not for treating an infected, painful ear.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation, and for earache it always targets the cause found in the assessment: antibiotics for middle ear infections only when guideline criteria are met, because most clear within about three days without them;[3][5] antibiotic or antiseptic ear drops for canal infections;[2] targeted treatment for throat causes; and antiviral treatment started promptly when shingles is suspected. Antibiotics are never a treatment for jaw joint pain, referred dental pain or wax, which is precisely why the sorting matters.
Earache in children
Children get earache more than anyone, and most of it is the middle ear infection that follows every second nursery cold. The same principles apply, compressed: treat pain properly with weight-dosed paracetamol or ibuprofen, judge the child rather than the thermometer, and re-assess if things are not improving after two to three days.[3] Two child-specific cautions: a child too young to say "my ear hurts" may just pull the ear, cry at night and refuse feeds, and a child with anything pushed into the ear needs it removed in person, never at home with tweezers. The full childhood detail, including antibiotic criteria and glue ear, lives on the ear infection page.
When earache is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: earache with a clear likely cause that suits remote treatment: middle ear infections against guideline criteria, canal infections needing drops, jaw joint strain needing a structured routine, referred throat pain needing throat treatment, and wax needing softening drops before any removal.
In-person care: suspected foreign objects and batteries, immediately; discharge or suspected perforation that needs the eardrum seen; wax needing physical removal; dental causes, to a dentist; shingles with facial weakness, urgently; earache with sudden hearing loss, urgently; and persistent unexplained one-sided earache, to a proper head and neck examination. The consultation ends with a named next step either way.
When to get in-person care
Seek urgent in-person care for earache with swelling or redness behind the ear, a protruding ear, a blistering rash around the ear, new facial weakness, or a button battery or other object in the ear. If earache comes with a stiff neck, rash, confusion, a seizure, or a child who is floppy or hard to wake, call 112 immediately.
Treating earache at home: what helps and what does not
Many earaches settle within a few days with home care: regular simple pain relief, a warm compress held against the ear, and staying upright as much as comfortable. Nothing should be poked into the ear, including cotton buds, which reliably make things worse.
What home care cannot do: you cannot examine your own eardrum. Pain that worsens beyond two or three days, discharge, muffled hearing, dizziness, or earache with a high fever needs someone who can look, judge and treat. Recurrent earaches in an adult also deserve investigation rather than a rolling supply of painkillers.
The strongest at-home treatment is still a doctor. A video consultation brings one to your sofa: you can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes, for an honest assessment. If treatment is right, the doctor may prescribe it, to use at a pharmacy near you. Book a video consultation: the exact price is shown before you pay.
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, exact price up front.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about earache and ear pain: a private video call: you describe what you feel, the doctor asks what matters, and you agree the right plan together.
- Leave with your plan: everything agreed before you hang up: your plan, and a prescription to use at a pharmacy near you where medication is clinically right for you. If your doctor decides you need to be seen in person, you get a full refund.
No sign-up needed
Earache can have more than one cause. Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Ear Infection can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about earache and ear pain
What causes earache?
The commonest cause of earache is an ear infection, in the middle ear after a cold or in the ear canal after swimming. Other causes are a build-up of earwax, pressure changes when flying or diving, a boil or eczema in the canal, and pain referred from the jaw joint, the teeth, a sore throat or tonsillitis, the neck, or shingles starting around the ear. The pattern of the pain points to the cause.
Why does my ear hurt if there is no infection?
Because much earache is referred from nearby structures. The jaw joint sits directly in front of the ear canal, and the throat and teeth share nerve supply with the ear, so jaw strain, dental problems and sore throats regularly produce ear pain in a perfectly healthy ear. Earwax, pressure changes and skin problems in the canal are the other non-infection causes.
Can earache come from my jaw or teeth?
Yes, very commonly. Jaw joint earache typically sits in front of the ear, worsens with chewing, and comes with clicking or morning stiffness, often driven by clenching and grinding. Dental causes hurt on biting or with hot and cold food. Both are treated at the source, with jaw rest, a bite guard or dental care, not with ear drops.
Why is earache worse at night?
Earache peaks at night because lying flat raises pressure in the middle ear, there are fewer distractions, and pain relief taken in the afternoon has worn off. Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen on schedule in the evening, sleeping with the head raised and the sore ear uppermost, and a warm compress usually get you through the night; an ear infection that still hurts after three days needs review.
How do I stop earache fast?
To ease earache fast, take paracetamol or ibuprofen at the label dose and keep taking it on schedule, hold a warm compress against the ear, sleep with the sore ear up, and chew gum or swallow repeatedly if the pain followed a flight. Do not put oil, cotton buds or drops into the ear unless a doctor has advised them. Earache from the jaw eases with soft food and jaw rest.
Can an online doctor prescribe treatment for earache in Europe?
Yes, after a consultation. A prescription is never issued without one: the doctor first works out the likely cause of the earache by video, then prescribes what fits it, whether that is antibiotics meeting guideline criteria, ear drops for a canal infection, or anti-inflammatories for jaw pain, with the prescription sent to a pharmacy near you.
How long does earache last?
Earache from a middle ear infection usually eases within two to three days and goes within a week, though muffled hearing can linger for weeks. Canal infections improve within days of drops. Earache from a flight settles within hours to a day. Jaw-related ear pain comes and goes with clenching for weeks. One-sided earache lasting more than four weeks with a normal-feeling ear needs an in-person head and neck examination.
When is earache serious?
Rarely, but the serious versions of earache are distinctive: swelling or redness behind the ear, an ear starting to stick out, facial drooping, a blistering rash around the ear, earache with a stiff neck and fever, or earache with sudden hearing loss. In adults, a one-sided earache lasting weeks with a normal ear needs the throat and neck examined, because referred pain can come from a growth.
My child keeps getting earache. What should I do?
Frequent earache in a child is usually recurrent middle ear infection, which is common and mostly outgrown. Treat each episode with proper weight-dosed pain relief, use antibiotics only when criteria are met, and keep count: frequent episodes, or persistent muffled hearing between them, deserve an in-person ear, nose and throat review. Children are seen in person; this service is for adults.
Is earache different in pregnancy?
Earache in pregnancy has the same causes and is treated with paracetamol first; ibuprofen is avoided in the third trimester and used cautiously before. Decongestant tablets are avoided, so earache from a blocked tube is managed with steam and saline. Antibiotics safe in pregnancy are prescribed when an ear infection meets the criteria, and ear drops can usually be used.
How can I prevent earache?
Prevent earache by treating colds, allergies and sinusitis promptly, not using cotton buds, drying the ears after swimming, equalising pressure during flights by swallowing or yawning, not flying with a heavy cold if you can avoid it, managing jaw clenching with a bite guard, keeping up with dental checks, and not smoking. Flu and pneumococcal vaccines reduce the infections behind middle ear earache.
- Otitis media - acute: Clinical Knowledge Summary, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries, revised 2024.
- Otitis externa: Clinical Knowledge Summary, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries, revised 2024.
- Otitis media (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NG91), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018 (updated 2022).
- Earwax: Clinical Knowledge Summary, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries, revised 2024.
- Earache: symptoms, causes and treatments, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), accessed August 2026.
- Earache, NHS, National Health Service (UK), accessed October 2026.
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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