Inner Ear Pain

The human ear can be divided into three parts. They are named according to their location in the ear. These are outer, middle and inner. The inner ear is the innermost part. It comprises bony labyrinth, which is a system of passages that involves two main functional parts. These are the cochlea and vestibular system.

The function of cochlea is to assist in hearing. This is why, it is often referred to as the organ of hearing. The role of vestibular system is to maintain balance, and hence, is also known as the organ of balance. The inner ear is supplied by the eighth cranial nerve.

The problem of inner ear pain is quite common. The discomfort is often more than mere pain in the ear. Patients often complain of inner ear pain and dizziness. The presence of dizziness indicates the high possibility of a single ear being affected as it is rarely felt when both the ears are affected.

In this industrialized age, you are exposed to a number of things that are capable of causing damage to the hair cells of your inner ear. Elevated sound levels and exposure to drugs and other toxic substances are the most important factors that can injure inner ear hair cells. Traumatized hair cells causes pain in the inner ear.

One of the causes of inner ear pain is the infection of the labyrinth by virus or bacteria. The condition of inflamed labyrinth is known as labyrinthitis. Apart from the pain in the inner ear, other noticeable symptoms of labyrinthitis are temporary nausea, vertigo, disorientation and dizziness.

Labyrinthitis can also be caused by decompression sickness and physical blockage of the inner ear. Decompression sickness occurs when precipitation of dissolved gases forms inside your body due to depressurization. It is a common hazard of scuba diving and extra-vehicular activity from spacecraft.

► Take an onion, cut it in small pieces and fry it in any vegetable oil. Wrap the fried onion in a piece of clean fabric. Squeeze the fabric to get a few drop out. Put 1-2 drops in both the ears.

► Take a teaspoon of mustard oil, add a half a clove of garlic to it and then warm it up on a flame. Put 2-3 drops in the left ear. Lie on the right side for 10-15 minutes. Get up and put the oil in the right ear and lie on the left side for the same time period.

► Place a warm washcloth or a heating pad next to your ear for 5-10 minutes. You may also use a cold compress in place of hot compress. The choice depends upon your comfort.

► Take some licorice and heat it with a little amount of ghee. Mix them well to get a pasty consistency. Apply this paste evenly around the ear and on the forehead.

► You can also take non-prescription pain killers like acetaminophen, Ibuprofen or aspirin to bring down pain and reduce inflammation.

► In case of labyrinthitis, you may experience oozing of pus from your affected ear. To stop the pus from oozing out, allow the smoke of Commiphora wightii to enter your affected ear for a couple of seconds.

► Warm a teaspoon of olive oil and add 2-3 drops of it in each ear. Lie down on your back for 20 minutes. This is another effective way of bringing down the pain in inner ear.

► Increase the intake of vitamin C to boost the function of the immune system. This will speed up the process of healing of inner ear infection.

Ear pain in general and inner ear pain in particular can be prevented. Firstly, stay away from smoking, both direct and indirect. Secondly, always wear earplugs while swimming. If you suffer from recurrent ear pain, avoid swimming in dirty water. Thirdly, blow your nose gently and one by one. This prevents inner structures of ears from getting blocked.

All the suggested home remedies and preventive measures have proved to be of great help in treating inner ear pain. But their effectiveness depends a lot on the reason behind the ailment. For a correct diagnosis, you should visit a doctor. The treatment of the structural or functional defect of the ear will restore the normal state of the inner ear.