My daughter has ear numbness. What are the treatment options?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 12-year-old daughter feels like she is going deaf. She has numbness in the ear and on-and-off pain. This is happening for three days, and she is on Claritin.

What should I do?

Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

Firstly, I would like to give you an overview of your daughter's condition.

Since you mentioned that she has taken Claritin, I assume she has a history of allergic rhinitis.

Other than causing paroxysmal sneezing, a blocked nose, and frequent blowing of the nose, allergic rhinitis also causes eardrum retraction.

The retraction, in turn, causes temporary deafness and pain in the ears, which would eventually revert to normal. For some children and adults, there might also be a perforation or a tear in the eardrum besides just retraction, and to conclude, her ears need to be inspected carefully by a doctor.

I suggest you inspect your daughter's ears to ensure she has no pus or any discharge coming out of her ears to rule out any underlying infection.

Either way, you do not have to worry as it is treatable, and your daughter would be completely fine.

As of now, you need to take her to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist and have her ears inspected for any tears or infections so that proper treatment can be started.

Do not worry at all. I hope this information will help you.

Thank you.