Can ear pricking cause ear pain and hearing loss?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am suffering from severe ear pain in my left ear. Today is the third day, and I cannot hear properly. It resulted due to pricking my ear.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

After reading your complaints, two possibilities are there which can lead to the symptoms you are perceiving. It could be that you already had an underlying infection of the middle ear, which can lead to an earache, and pricking was incidental, or that fiddling with the ear may have led to the infection of the external ear canal, which could lead to symptoms.

I would like to know the following:

If you had a common cold, runny nose, or pharyngitis before an earache and decreased hearing appeared.
Is there any discharge from the ear?
Does moving your pinna cause any pain?

In either case, you need an antibiotic and analgesics. If you have any history of cold, you need decongestants as well.

Please revert further in case you have further queries.

All the best.

Thank you for consulting me.

You can always come back and reach me at icliniq.com.