brilliantbaby.com the website that can help you have a happy, smarter child.

Ear ache (otalgia) is one of the most common reason why parents bring their child to a pediatrician. There are many causes of ear ache. The most common is middle ear infection. The next one is fluid in the ear or serous otitis media. The third is swimmers ear.

Primary causes of Ear Ache

A. External Ear -- Otitis externa (swimmers ear), Foreign Body, Ear trauma, Impacted cerumen, Cellulitis, Furuncle or abscess, Chronic eczema, Herpes simplex, Herpes Zoster, Relapsing polychindritis

B. Middle and Inner Ear -- Acute otitis media (ear infection), Serous otitis media (fluid in the ear), Barotrauma, Bullous myringitis, Eustachia tube obstruction, Mastoiditis, Bell Palsy, Temporal bone neoplasms, Petrositis

Secondary causes of Ear Ache

A. Pharyngeal Lesions -- Acute pharyngititis, Tonsillitis, Retropharyngeal abscess, Following tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy, Nasopharyngeal fibroma

B. Orfal Cavity Lesions -- Acute stomatitis or glossitis, Dental problems

C. Laryngeal and Esophageal Causes -- Laryngeal ulceration, Cricoarytenoid arthritis, Esophageal foreign body, Esophageal reflux

D. Miscellaneous Causees -- Mumps, Postauricular lymphadenopathy, Sinusitis, Acute tyhroiditis, Temporomandibular arthritis, Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Reference: Signs & Symptoms in Pediatrics, 2nd Edition, Walter Tunnessen, Jr., Page 157

Leo Leonidas, MD, FAAP

[Home] [Smart Baby] [Baby Math] [Our Graduates] [Toddlers] [Pre-School] [Today] [Diagnosis] [Wheezing] [Enlarged Glands] [Limp] [Red, Green Urine] [Seizures] [PDA] [Fever] [Fever > 4 days] [Osteomyelitis] [Medical Errors] [Physical Examination] [Treatment] [Best Practice] [Parents Grand Rounds] [Medical Decisions] [About Us]