The Ear Pain

This article discusses Otitis Media and Otitis externa, their symptoms, causes, and treatments. It also highlights the essential questions to ask a patient with ear pain. The article cites relevant sources to support the information provided.

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The Ear Pain
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Otitis Media and Otitis externa
Otitis externa abbreviated as OE can be defined as an inflammation associated with the
externa part of the auditory canal. According to Klein (2015), the disease is more common in the
age group. The infection is presented as the acute disease that results from the bacteria infections
on the ear canal's skin. The disease is characterized by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa or the
Staphylococcus aureus. The main physical findings of the Otitis externa is pain feeling by the
patients when pulpited upon the tragus muscles. The feeling can also be tested by applying
traction to the pinna. The other physical finding to be observed is the narrowing of the auditory
canal externa part, foul-smelling discharge and neck cellulitis.
Otitis media is linked to the pharynx which is connected with the eustachian tube. The
disease starts with the infections that result in sores in the throat, problems with the respiratory
system. The other physical finding is the otorrhea in which a discharge can be observed through
the newly perforated tympanic membrane. The infection is then transmitted to the middle part of
the ear. The infection is caused by the bacteria and the viruses pathogens. The severe cases are
experienced in children where the hearing process fails. Children have smaller eustachian tube
hence prone to the infections than the adults (Rosenfeld et al 2014).
Ear infection in children are often minor and can be transmitted faster compared to
adults. Adults who have signs of ear infections and these infections are predictions of more
serious problems of health. One of the main reason why children are more prone to ear infection
than adults is that the Eustachian tubes of children are smaller and levelled horizontally than the
adults' tubes (Hoberman et al 2016). This is the fact that children tubes have not developed and
have smaller slopes which makes them be at high risk of developing an ear pain infection. People
who smoke or stays within smoky areas are more susceptible to ear infections. Seasonal

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allergies, having a cold or having an upper respiratory disease put one at risk of ear infection
(Pelton,2015).
The essential question to be asked to the patient with ear pain include;
1.For how long have you been experiencing the ear pain?
Reason; this is to determine whether the pain is acute or chronic.
2. Is the pain bilateral or unilateral?
Reason; to determine if the infection is of one ear or both.
3.Which is the exact part of the ear that is experiencing the pain and where is the pain irradiating
to?
Reason; this helps in diagnosis, for example, behind the ear, inside the ear or below the ear.
4.Do you have any past medical history?
Reason; if there is allergic skin condition like eczema predispose one to otitis eterna. These
medical conditions increase the risk of developing an infection in the middle ear.
References

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Hoberman, A., Paradise, J. L., Rockette, H. E., Kearney, D. H., Bhatnagar, S., Shope, T. R., ... & Block,
S. L. (2016). Shortened antimicrobial treatment for acute otitis media in young children. New
England Journal of Medicine, 375(25), 2446-2456.
Klein, J. O. (2015). Otitis externa, otitis media, and mastoiditis. In Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's
Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (Eighth Edition) (pp. 767-773).
Pelton, S. I. (2015). 6 Otitis media and externa. Clinical Infectious Disease, 48.
Rosenfeld, R. M., Schwartz, S. R., Cannon, C. R., Roland, P. S., Simon, G. R., Kumar, K. A., ... &
Robertson, P. J. (2014). Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa. Otolaryngology—Head
and Neck Surgery, 150(1_suppl), S1-S24.