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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Ear Ache

Had two cavities on top right of mouth, webt to the dentist got them filled. Now a day after my left hear started hurting. It has now been 5 days later and it now feels clogged. Should i wait to see if it goes away on its own or schedule an appt with my primary doc?
Thu, 11 Sep 2014
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ENT Specialist 's  Response
Hi. Dental pain is known to radiate to the ears due to a common nerve supply. However in your case since you have a left sided ear pain (Right ear pain is expected from right sided tooth pain) the cause seems to be unrelated to the dental cavities and procedure (dental pain cannot cause the ears to feel clogged). It appears to be that you may have either a eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction or impacted wax in your left ear. These conditions explain both the symptoms of pain and clogged ears.

If your left sided ear pain and clogging started after a bath or when water accidentally went into your ear, then that is indicative of impacted ear wax.

The eustachian tube (ET) connects the back of the nose to the middle ear region. The ET is important for equalizing the pressure between the ear and the atmospheric environment. Secretions or mucus collecting within the ET, can block the ET, leading to a negative pressure within the ear which pulls the ear drum inwards leading to pain and feeling of blockage. Middle ear produces mucus and secretions which drain into the nose through the ET. When the ET is blocked, this fluid accumulates inside the middle ear and creates the feeling of fluid in the ear.

I would recommend that you see your primary physician to examine your ears and identify which of these is causing the ear pain and blockage since the management of both these conditions is significantly different. These are however easily treatable too and you should recover very soon.

Let me know if you have any further questions.
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Suggest Treatment For Ear Ache

Hi. Dental pain is known to radiate to the ears due to a common nerve supply. However in your case since you have a left sided ear pain (Right ear pain is expected from right sided tooth pain) the cause seems to be unrelated to the dental cavities and procedure (dental pain cannot cause the ears to feel clogged). It appears to be that you may have either a eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction or impacted wax in your left ear. These conditions explain both the symptoms of pain and clogged ears. If your left sided ear pain and clogging started after a bath or when water accidentally went into your ear, then that is indicative of impacted ear wax. The eustachian tube (ET) connects the back of the nose to the middle ear region. The ET is important for equalizing the pressure between the ear and the atmospheric environment. Secretions or mucus collecting within the ET, can block the ET, leading to a negative pressure within the ear which pulls the ear drum inwards leading to pain and feeling of blockage. Middle ear produces mucus and secretions which drain into the nose through the ET. When the ET is blocked, this fluid accumulates inside the middle ear and creates the feeling of fluid in the ear. I would recommend that you see your primary physician to examine your ears and identify which of these is causing the ear pain and blockage since the management of both these conditions is significantly different. These are however easily treatable too and you should recover very soon. Let me know if you have any further questions.