The most common cause of ear pain and headache at the same time is outer ear and middle ear infections. Such ear infections are more common, especially in children. The most common symptom of an ear infection is a tingling in the ear, often when the ear is lifted.
Common symptoms associated with earache and headache
Ear pain and headache may come and go and are mild or more severe when the infection is present.
When infected, the inner part of the middle ear may become inflamed.
The ear may feel full or very full, with no sound. The ear may be filled with gas and feel wet or cold. The ear can feel cold or wet.
Ear pain or headaches may be accompanied by severe pain in the right ear, the left ear, or both ears.
Pain can be extreme, causing you to feel weak.
If pain is severe, you may have trouble swallowing or breathing.
Infection of the middle ear occurs most often because the blood supply to the ear is very shallow. This may also be called a perforated eardrum, which means blood is not allowed to drain out of the ear through the eardrum.
The infection may occur with or without symptoms of other ear infections, such as meningitis or eardrum infection.
If you have persistent ear pain and headache from an infected ear, call your healthcare provider.
Causes
Infections may result from a combination of factors, including:
A condition called eardrum hypoplasia, which causes one or both ear to be undersized.
Some medications, such as warfarin or antibiotics.
Ear infections can affect adults, adolescents, and children of any age.
Risk factors
Factors associated with having an ear infection include:
Age. Infection is more common in children than in adults.
Infection is more common in children than in adults. Ear malocclusion, which can occur when a person is born with an abnormal shape of the ear, such as having a malocclusion.
Hearing loss
Infections may cause ear damage if the ear is inflamed or compressed.
Occupational accidents
Some occupational conditions, such as welding or wood working, may also cause infection.
Genetics
Some people may have a higher risk of ear infections.
Sex
In some cases, men may become infected after exposure to infected women.
Complications
Complications of ear infections include:
Problems with breathing or swallowing.
Heart problems
These complications may include a stroke, heart valve surgery, or aortic aneurysms.
Eye infections
Infection in the left eye can be life threatening.
Complications of infections in the middle ear may include:
Infection may prevent the natural production of oxygen, which may cause ear infections to occur more frequently.
Infection may lead to scarring and inflammation of the membrane in the inner part of the middle ear, resulting in the pain of a tinnitus.
Complications of ear infections in children may include:
Aphasia
Aphasia or difficulty speaking may occur.
Deafness
The ear may sound muffled.
Risk factors
Factors that increase your risk of having an ear infection include:
Maternal smoking
Some studies suggest that pregnant women may be more likely to have ear infections than those who are not pregnant.
Men
Men are more likely to become infected in the ear than women.
Occupational accidents
Ear infections might be a contributing factor.
Health care provider mistakes
Health care providers may mistakenly treat symptoms of ear infections.
Infections are more likely to occur during periods of stress.
Prognosis
Sometimes, ear infections resolve on their own in time. For other reasons, there may be recurrences of ear infections.
Treatment options
For some ear infections, antibiotics are the most effective treatment.
Some common antibiotics used to treat ear infections include ciprofloxacin, a drug used to treat certain types of infections (for example, herpes simple ringworm) and doxycycline (Dox) (for bacterial infections). Other antibiotics used to treat ear infections include metronidazole and diltranil (for cytolyloxacin).
