Ear
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Are you experiencing a warm or wet feeling inside one or both ears? There are a number of reasons it feels like there's water in your ear, and most are common and can be treated by your primary care doctor.
Hearing a thumping in your ears, also known as pulsatile tinnitus, can be caused from Meniere's disease, which can affect your balance and hearing. Other causes of pulsing in the ear include earwax buildup or temporomandibular joint dysfunction disorder. Read below for more information on causes and treatment options.
Find out how to treat your non-urgent tinnitus needing hearing tests
Earache is pain in the inner or outer ear that may interfere with your hearing. Injuries and infections can cause earache. Infections of the ear can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Children are most likely to have ear pain from infections.
A lump in front of your ear can be a swollen lymph node, a pimple, or a skin cyst. But it might be skin cancer, so let your doctor take a look.
Outer ear pain can most commonly be caused by environmental conditions such as water exposure or extreme cold weather that can lead to frostbite of the outer ear. Other causes for ear pain include irritation from obtrusive objects like cotton swabs or fingers.
Swelling behind the ear is most commonly caused by swollen lymph nodes or an ear infection caused by bacteria, fungus or a virus. Most individuals with swollen glands behind the ear may also be experiencing pain behind the ear or headaches. Most of the time, if the swelling happens gradually over time and is not particularly bothersome, it will resolve on its own and we recommend a few home treatments below. But if accompanied by fever, pain, or worsening redness, seek an ENT doctor.
Hearing loss in one or both ears can be caused by an infection, ear wax blockage, exposure to noise, or normal aging. Here’s how to tell how serious your hearing loss is.
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) can be a temporary annoyance or a constant problem. Because tinnitus can seriously affect your quality of life, it’s important to see your doctor to get relief.
Find out how to treat your foreign body in ear
Bleeding from the ear is hard to ignore. It is important to known which part of the ear is bleeding because the location is a tell for the cause. Bleeding can come from damage to the ear canal skin, ruptured eardrum, especially if there is a foreign object in the ear or a middle ear infection.
Ear discharge is fluid located in the ear that can have many different characteristics. While white yellow earwax is an expected and healthy ear discharge, abnormal discharge colors can be caused by an ear infection affecting the ear canal, or a ruptured eardrum.
Otitis externa (known as swimmer’s ear) is an infection in the outer ear canal, which causes inflammation, pain, and some temporary hearing loss. It’s easily treated when addressed early.
Ménière's disease is an inner ear condition that can cause dizziness, vertigo, trouble with balance, ringing in the ear or hearing loss. Usually it only affects one ear. There’s no cure, but treatments can relieve symptoms.
Earwax can build up in your ear canal and affect your hearing. Earwax blockage is easy to treat, but it should be done by a doctor. Don’t try to treat it at home with cotton swabs or ear candling.
A cholesteatomas is a non-cancerous growth in the ear made of skin cells. It can get bigger and start to affect your hearing and balance. While not an emergency, it needs to be removed surgically.
Clear, odorless ear discharge may just be thinning ear wax. But if it’s accompanied by pain, dizziness, or hearing loss, it may be a sign of a growth or infection and may need medical attention.
Ear swelling may be from an injury, irritation, or infection of the ear. You may need to be seen by a doctor if the swelling is serious.
When you have pain behind the ear, it can be a sign of many things, like an infection called swimmer’s ear. Or from a buildup of earwax. Other times, the pain may not even be coming from your ears, but is a sign of a problem in a different area, including your jaw (TMJ) or a dental issue.
An infection of your ear canal is called otitis externa or swimmer's ear. Learn about the symptoms of ear canal pain and why the inside of your ear hurts.