Category: Ear

What is the cause of my ear pain?

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

The Common Causes of Ear Pain

People of all ages can suffer from ear pain. For some, the causes of ear pain involve an infection or an underlying condition. Earaches can strike at any time and can leave you in unbearable pain. To properly treat ear pain, it’s crucial to identify the leading cause.  

The most common causes of ear pain are:

Earwax:

Even though earwax is normal, it can cause some problems. Your ear is supposed to get rid of earwax naturally, but sometimes it can build up. When earwax begins to build up in your ear, it can harden and lead to a blocked ear canal. This is called impacted wax which can be painful. If you’re suffering from impacted wax, your ear may feel itchy and swollen. If untreated, an infection may form, which can cause more discomfort. 

Air Pressure:

Heading out on vacation sounds like a good time, but the flight could cause pain in your ears. As the flight takes off, the quick change in air pressure can cause your ears to pop. This is because the eustachian tube cannot quickly regulate the air pressure in your ears. This can sometimes cause a painful sensation in the ear and lead to trouble hearing. 

Swimmer’s Ear:

Swimmer’s ear is caused when water gets trapped in your ear canal. The trapped moisture can form germs in an itchy and swollen ear. If you have a swimmer’s ear, you may begin to experience pain and notice pus leaking out your ear.

Middle Ear Infection:

Middle ear infection is the most common cause of ear pain. This condition occurs after a cold or sinus infection causes the tubes in your middle ears to become blocked. When fluid builds up, it can lead to an infection and other bacteria forming. 

Toothaches:

Often the pain in your ear isn’t caused by an infection in your ears. Things like toothache might be the root cause of your discomfort. If you have a tooth that is infected or decayed, the problem can radiate from the jaw to the ear due to the proximity of the jaw joint (temporomandibular) to the ear.

Can you treat ear pain at home?

Depending on the causes of ear pain, you can treat it easily at home with over-the-counter pain relievers and ear drops. 

Ear pain caused by earwax can be treated with eardrops to soften the wax. If the issue persists, a doctor can remove earwax without damaging the eardrum. 

Ear pain caused by air pressure can be avoided by chewing gum while traveling.

Swimmer’s ear and middle ear infections can be treated with antibiotics. You can also avoid swimmer’s ear by keeping your ears dry while swimming. 

When Should I See a Doctor?

If you or your child are dealing with earaches, you don’t need to see a doctor immediately. You should only contact a doctor if the earaches occur alongside a high fever, swelling, and weakness in the facial muscles. 

Suffering From Ear Pain? Breathe Clear Institute Can Help Determine Why

If you’re suffering from frequent earaches, it’s essential to seek treatment to avoid long-term damage or complications. Schedule an appointment with our specialists to get immediate relief from ear pain.

What causes ear infections in adults?

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

What is the most frequent type of ear infections in adults?

Did you know 20% of adults suffer from frequent ear infections? An outer ear infection (also known as otitis externa or swimmer’s ear) is the most common type of ear infection adults suffer from. Outer ear infections are typically caused by moisture in the ear. After a shower or swim, there may still be water left in your ear. Because your ear canal is a warm, moist area, bacterial and fungal growth can occur. An outer ear infection can cause pain, swelling and redness around your ear. If your ear infection was caused by a virus, the symptoms will different, and in fact, more painful. 

 As an adult, you are most likely to develop an ear infection if you suffer from allergies, a cold, or a respiratory infection. Adults who smoke or live with smokers are more likely to develop frequent ear infections as well. 

How are ear infections in adults treated?

Ear infections are never fun but the good news is they often clear up on their own after a few days. If you’re suffering from an ear infection and the pain hasn’t decreased after two days, it’s best to see a doctor. 

 For adults with an ear infection, the first step towards relief is a trip to an ENT doctor. An ENT doctor will carefully clear out your ears and prescribe antimicrobial and antibiotic ear drops. If your ear infection is fungal, you may be prescribed antifungal medication. After taking the medication daily, all symptoms will quickly clear up.

If you still feel like there’s moisture trapped in your ears, there are simple treatments you can do right at home. To dry out your ears, it’s recommended that you avoid using Q-tips. Grab a dry cloth and gently wipe the opening of your ears while turning your head sideways. Doing this after every shower or bath, will help keep your ears dry and avoid infection. 

If you’re dealing with any type of ear infection and find yourself struggling to hear or experiencing a high fever, it’s best to see a doctor right away. 

How to prevent ear infections in adults

If you have frequently suffered from ear infections, they’re a few steps you can take to leave the ear pain in the past. Preventing an outer ear infections in adults is simple – keep your ears dry at all times! Follow these quick tips for prevention:

  • Always dry your ears carefully after swimming, taking a shower, or finishing a workout.
  • If you’re using earplugs while swimming, make sure they fit properly
  • Opt for a swimming cap that covers your ears properly
  • Avoid putting objects in your ears like Q-tips. This will only push ear wax deeper into your ear and trap moisture. 

Breathe Clear Institute Can Help Treat Ear Infections in Adults

 Our ENT treatments are here to get you back to feeling your best. When you book an appointment with us, you’ll receive a thorough examination and a treatment plan that works! Visit Breathe Clear Institute and discover much-needed relief from your ear infection.

What To Treat Impacted Earwax

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

What is earwax?

Earwax is a healthy part of your ears. Despite many people believing it is a sign of poor hygiene, earwax is vital to your ears. It helps protect your ear canal from infections caused by bacteria and fungi. It also blocks water from entering your ear canal. With little earwax, you’re actually at a greater risk of developing ear infections. That’s why many doctors are recommending people to leave their earwax alone. 

Is having too much earwax a problem?

Yes, having too much earwax can be a problem. Though many doctors warn people of the side effects of over-cleaning the ear, earwax buildup can cause symptoms that may bother you. Some symptoms of impacted earwax include hearing loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and general ear pain.

Ear infections, allergies, and other cold-like symptoms may be signs of earwax buildup or impacted ear wax. If your earwax is green, you may be dealing with a possible infection and should see a doctor. If you see your earwax is black, you may be dealing with earwax build up or impacted earwax. 

What Causes Impacted Earwax?

Q-Tips, earbuds, hearing aid, etc. can push earwax deeper, causing impacted earwax. This is why many specialists warn of putting things in your ear. When your earwax is pushed that deep into your ear, it can form a blockage impacting your hearing.

Even though your body naturally gets rid of earwax, having too much can cause infection. As it builds up over time, it may harden, which the body will struggle to rid itself of.

How Can Impacted Earwax Be Treated? 

When dealing with impacted earwax it’s important that you don’t continue to put any tools in your ear to remove it. Doing so will only push the earwax further in your ear and you can puncture the eardrum. The best thing to do is see a doctor who can properly examine your ear and advise you on the next steps. 

The good news is, there are some safe ways to clean your ears at home that don’t require sticking things in your ear!

Eardrops: There are plenty of over the counter ear drops that contain peroxide. This will soften the earwax so you can safely wash them out. It’s a quick and painless way to get the job done!

Baby Oil and Mineral Oil: Similarly to over-the-counter eardrops, this will loosen the earwax. Use a couple of drops and let it soak for five minutes. After the times up, simply tilt your head to the side and it will remove the oil and earwax. So quick and painless!

This is much safer and recommended by doctors instead of sticking tools in your ears. This helps you avoid further infection and damaging your eardrum. 

Earwax Removal By a Doctor

When you visit Breathe Clear Institute, we can help you tackle all your earwax problems. With a quick appointment with our doctors, we can help you discover relief. 

Our Earwax Removal Treatment is noninvasive, painless and helps relieve you from symptoms. We won’t put you under anesthesia and once the appointment is over you can leave our offices feeling an immediate difference!

Discover Earwax Blockage Treatment at Breathe Clear Institute

If you suspect that you are dealing with Impacted Earwax or Blockage, it’s important to seek treatment now to avoid any long-term damage. Schedule an appointment and get immediate relief from symptoms with treatment at Breathe Clear Institute.

Earwax Blockage Symptoms and Treatment

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

What is Earwax Blockage and How is it Treated?

Earwax is a natural substance that lubricates the ear and protects it from infection. In most cases, earwax can be removed by simply cleaning the outer part of your ear. However, sometimes an obstruction may occur in the ear canal, which can lead to discomfort and hearing loss. Earwax blockage is a common problem and can be painful. It is usually caused by excessive production of earwax, but it can also be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.

What are the symptoms of an earwax blockage?

Here are some of the signs that you have a blockage in your ear canals:

Itchy ear – This is one of the most common symptoms of an earwax blockage, and it can easily be mistaken for something else. The itching may be so severe that you can’t even sleep!

Earache – If you have a blocked ear, your eardrum will become inflamed and irritated, causing pain or discomfort.

Difficulty hearing/ringing in the ears/feeling of fullness in the ears – All these symptoms indicate that there’s something stuck or blocking your eardrum from letting sound through properly. It’s not uncommon to have wax build-up, but if you’re experiencing this type of problem, there’s a chance we may need to take care of it immediately!

How is earwax blockage diagnosed?

The first step in diagnosing an earwax blockage is a physical examination. The doctor will look at your ears with an otoscope, and if there is visible earwax in the canal, he or she can scrape it away with a curette. The doctor may also use an endoscope to examine the ear canal more thoroughly.

If you have chronic hearing loss and earwax blockage symptoms, you should make an appointment right away.

What are the complications of an earwax blockage?

  • Tinnitus. Earwax build-up can cause a ringing or buzzing sound in your ears, known as tinnitus.
  • Hearing loss. Earwax build-up can also cause hearing loss if it blocks the ear canal, preventing sound from entering your inner ear and being transferred to the brain for processing.
  • Swelling of the ear canal is another possible complication of an earwax blockage—the swollen tissue may feel sore or tender when touched.
  • A ruptured eardrum is another type of rupture that can occur if excessive force is applied to an ear with a buildup of wax on it. If you try to remove the wax by forcefully squeezing your fingers into the side of your head, it could burst through the fragile membrane that lines this area and causes pain as well as hearing loss (because the fluid will leak out). A ruptured eardrum may also lead to infection since there’s no barrier between you and germs.  There are two types: perforated eardrum (a tiny hole) and burst eardrum (a larger one). Both require medical attention because they’re both painful too.

Get Earwax Blockage Treatment at Breathe Clear Institute

If you suspect that your ears are plugged, it’s important to seek treatment to avoid long-term damage or complications. Schedule an appointment and get immediate relief from earwax blockage symptoms with treatment at Breathe Clear Institute.

Schedule an Appointment

How to treat swimmer’s ear

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

What is swimmer’s ear?

The reason this affliction is called “swimmer’s ear” is because it occurs very often in swimmers since they spend so much time underwater. It’s likely you’ve experienced swimmer’s ear once in your life and it wasn’t anything too serious besides some itching in your ear canal that lasted a day or two. But, swimmer’s ear can start off mild and become something quite severe if not treated properly.

So, why use the term hygiene? Are we talking about being clean while sleeping? Well, that’s part of it, but it’s more So, how does swimmer’s ear happen exactly? Ears have a natural defense mechanism against standing fluids and subsequent bacterial growth within the ear canal. The outer ear is the first line of defense, acting as a bodyguard stopping any foreign objects from entering the ear canal. The next line of defense is a healthy layer of earwax that lines the ear canal to keep liquids from sitting with its waxy texture, by way of creating a space for bacteria to grow.

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

  • Itching in the ear canal
  • Slight redness of the ear canal
  • Clear and odorless drainage from the ear canal
  • Slight pain when touching the ear itself
  • Partial blockage of the ear canal with a feeling of fullness 
  • Decreased or muffled hearing
  • Swelling of the lymph nodes or neck
  • Fever and severe pain (this is when you need to see a doctor)

Complications with swimmer’s ear

If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, it’s best to get ahead of swimmer’s ear before it becomes a more serious bacterial infection. You never want to probe your ear canal with an object (like a Q-tip) as it could push bacteria further into the ear and worsen the problem. If swimmer’s ear doesn’t resolve itself and you’ve tried over-the-counter treatments like drops and hot compresses, further complications could ensue, such as:

  • More wide-spread infection beyond the ear canal and into other parts of the body depending on how far and where the infection spreads
  • Deep tissue infection in the connective tissues of the skin
  • Long-term infection is when an infection persists for three months or longer
  • Bone and cartilage damage from infection that causes severe pain
  • Temporary hearing loss or muffled hearing that interferes with everyday life

While it’s hard to know if or when swimmer’s ear can happen, there are some preventative measures that can be taken to try and avoid it.

How to prevent swimmer’s ear

People have different sizes of ear canals, varying thickness of earwax, damaged or vulnerable ear drums and other medical conditions that might make them more susceptible to swimmer’s ear. Factors that can increase a person’s chances of getting swimmer’s ear include:

  • Use of ear devices like hearing aids and earpods that are not properly cleaned and stored 
  • Inserting object into your ears for cleaning purposes – only the outer ear should be cleaned with cotton swabs or Q-tips
  • Exposure to contaminated water with high bacterial levels such as a lake, ocean, or unkempt swimming pool or hot tub
  • Prolonged exposure to moisture and/or water like in humid climates or like its namesake implies – swimming with the ears underwater for long periods of time

Swimmer’s ear is quite common but it’s important to manage the symptoms and keep an eye on the symptoms so it doesn’t become a bacterial infection in need of seeing a doctor. However, if you do need to see a doctor for something like swimmer’s ear, Breathe Clear Institute is here to help treat the condition and investigate further for other ENT issues that might be a causing factor.

Make an appointment with Breathe Clear Institute for any ear, nose, and throat issues

Persistent ear aches and issues can be signs of a more complicated condition within the ears. Our staff of highly trained professional ENT specialists can help diagnose and treat whatever your condition might be.

Healthy tips for cleaning your ears

Posted on by Breathe Clear Institute

Earwax and what causes it

We all have earwax in our wars, but what exactly is it? Earwax is the build up of natural waxy oil called cerumen that connects to hair follicles in the ear canal, sometimes building up enough blockage that it causes hearing loss. While people might think that earwax is unappealing and want nothing to do with it, there is a bodily purpose for it. Earwax prevents bacteria, dust, water, and other germs from damaging the inner ear and obstructing airways. So, we do want to leave some wax in the canal but not too much that it affects our hearing. 

Symptoms of earwax buildup include a sensation of a plugged ear, headaches, dizziness, partial hearing loss, and strange sounds from within the ear. Ear wax typically has a yellow to orange coloring, depending on how old the wax is and how much air it’s been exposed to over time. If earwax is greenish, has blood in it, or is leaking out on its own, it is time to call a medical professional. 

How to safely clean your ears 

Earwax buildup is one of the most common reasons that people experience temporary hearing problems, but can be easily remedied. Most people have Q-tips in their bathroom for multipurpose use, but research has shown that Q-tips often push earwax buildup further into the ear canal. So, we wanted to give you some better methods to clean your ears and to ensure good hearing.  

Below are safe and effective ways to clear your ears at home. It must be noted that you should not clean your ears too often as some earwax is helpful and healthy for proper functioning.

  • Use a warm, damp washcloth (small enough to minimally enter the ear canal)
  • Over-the-counter liquid solution meant for ear cleaning (usually drops)
  • Earwax softener (do not use ear wax removal candles) 
  • A syringe with a solution to irrigate the ear canal (must follow directions)

If no at-home remedies are working, the buildup may be beyond what is available to you at the pharmacy. In that case, it’s recommended that you make an appointment to see us at the Breathe Clear Institute. 

Treatment we offer

Severe blockage or impaction of the ear canal might lead to a noninvasive surgical procedure to remove excessive earwax. Despite very few accounts of pain during the procedure, we will put you under anesthesia and can expect only minor discomfort. You will regain partial hearing that you lost, experience relief of the clogged or full sensation, and eliminate any itching within the ear caused by the blockage. The best part about this procedure is the results are immediate and you can go home right after your appointment. 

Schedule an appointment with Breathe Clear Institute 

Ear canal blockage can interrupt your hearing and cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. We have treatments to help clean your ear canals and restore hearing. Your ears not only serve the purpose of hearing, but they also are a key part of maintaining your balance.

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