Ear infections are more common than you think. Lots of people get them, and they vary in severity. If you are experiencing an ear infection, then you’ll know it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world. Thankfully, treatments are available from a good ENT doctor, so you should be back to normal in no time.

With that in mind, it’s good to act on your ear infection as soon as possible. If you catch it early on, then it’s a lot easier for an ENT doctor to treat it. Plus, you won’t have to deal with as much pain! So, the best way to know if you have an ear infection is to look for these common signs and symptoms:

Ear pain

The first sign of an ear infection is persistent ear pain. It’s normal to have a bit of ear soreness now and then – particularly when there’s a change of air pressure, like on a plane. But, if your ear hurts for more than a day or two, then it could be a sign of an ear infection.

If the pain feels like it comes from inside your ear, then you most likely have a middle ear infection. With this, your eardrum experiences discomfort, hence the pain. If it originates more on the outside, then it’s probably an outer ear infection. Don’t worry, your ENT doctor will diagnose the specific infection when you visit them.

Plugged ear sensation

When you have a cold, your sinuses get affected, and this often leads to the feeling of plugged or blocked ears. The same thing happens when you have an ear infection. As such, look out for this very telltale sign. In fact, when you combine this sensation with persistent ear pain, then it’s one of the best ways to indicate you have an infection.

The plugged sensation most likely comes from bacteria getting trapped behind your eardrum. If you try and unblock your ears, but nothing works, then the chances are you definitely have an infection.

Problems with your hearing

As you can imagine, an ear infection will mess around with your hearing. Middle and inner ear infections are particularly guilty of this. If you start to experience changes in your hearing, then this points to an infection.

This is because your eardrum has become inflamed and irritated due to the infection. As a result, it loses its ability to be sound sensitive. Therefore, you don’t hear as well as usual, and there’s also a build-up of bacteria or pus that blocks your hearing too.

Fluid leaking from your ear

In many cases, you will experience fluid leaking from your ear as well. This doesn’t always happen; it depends on the location of your infection. Usually, this is a common sign of a bad middle ear infection. The leakage comes when your eardrum gets damaged or bursts because there’s too much pressure in your ears.

However, fluid leaking from your ears can be a sign of something more serious as well. The best course of action is to see your ENT doctor right away.

Dizziness and headaches

Your ears play a vital role in how you balance yourself. This is why people with hearing loss are prone to falling over; their ears don’t function as they should, so they lose their balance. The same goes for an ear infection, it can lead to bouts of dizziness and nausea, which lead to headaches.

If you feel like you’re getting dizzy and nauseous all the time, or your head won’t stop pounding, then there could be chance you have an ear infection.

Rash and itchiness

Outer ear infections are prone to rashes. If your ear feels incredibly itchy, then it’s highly likely there’s some sort of infection present. The infection could’ve come about from using a contaminated object to clean your ears – or maybe just from germs on your finger.

Try not to scratch the rash as you will make it worse and the infection will spread inside your ear! Instead, see your ENT doctor for the best treatment.

Fever

A ear infection can result in a fever as well. This tends to be the case for ear infections that haven’t been treated straight away. Hopefully, if you spot any of the previous signs & symptoms, then you can catch the infection before a fever sets in.

See an ENT doctor for help with ear infections

If you think you have an ear infection, then book an appointment with an ENT doctor today. At ENT Physicians Inc. we can help with a range of ear, nose and throat problems. Please don’t hesitate to call us at (419) 318-4987 to learn more about our services and how we can help you!