ear, nose, and throat disorders
Earache
Treatment of Earache
Underlying disorders in patients with ear pain are treated. Pain is treated with oral analgesics; usually a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) oracetaminophenis adequate, but sometimes a brief course of an oral opioid is necessary, particularly for cases of severe otitis externa. In cases of severe otitis externa, effective treatment requires suction of debris from the ear canal and insertion of a wick to allow for delivery of antibiotic ear drops to the infected tissue; oral antibiotics are not used unless part or all of the pinna is erythematous, suggesting spread of infection. Topical analgesics (eg, antipyrine/benzocainecombinations) are generally not very effective but can be used on a limited basis. Patients should be instructed to avoid digging in their ears with any objects (no matter how soft the objects are or how careful patients claim to be). Patients with otitis externa should keep their ears dry. Also, patients should not irrigate their ears unless instructed by a physician to do so, and then only gently. An oral irrigator should never be used to irrigate the ear. 