What you need to know about earaches

Yes, earache can be a symptom of hay fever, along with a headache and pain around your temples and forehead.If your ear ache is caused by hay fever read our hay fever treatment guide for product recommendations and treatment tips. Or come in-store where one of our pharmacists can help with hay fever medicines.

Earache isn’t considered a normal symptom of COVID-19. However, it is listed as a symptom of long COVID, along with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). If earache is the main symptom you’re experiencing, it’s unlikely you have COVID-19, unless you’re also having the other standard symptoms:

The NHS recommends that you see your GP if you’ve had earache for more than three days, or if you’re getting it regularly. Otherwise, it can be helpful to visit your local pharmacist for advice, as they may be able to recommend some pharmacy treatments to help ease your symptoms.

The treatment for your earache will depend on the cause.

For an ear infection, treatment with an over-the-counter eardrop may help. Acidic eardrops are usually recommended as these will help stop the spread of the bacteria or fungus causing the infection. Also make sure to ask your pharmacist for the best ear infection treatment for you.

If the cause is a build-up of earwax, you can try putting a few drops of medical grade olive or almond oil into the affected ear. Doing this three or four times a day (usually for three to five days) can help soften the wax in your ear so that it breaks up and falls out. Your pharmacist can also suggest some medicine that helps dissolve wax.

Stubborn earwax might need to be removed using ear irrigation or microsuction. Some GP surgeries will offer this, but you may have to have it privately.

Occasionally, antibiotics might be an appropriate treatment for an ear infection. You might need antibiotics if you have a stubborn infection in your ear canal, or if you have bacterial tonsillitis.

Regardless of what’s causing your earache, you should avoid doing the following:

You’ll also need to avoid using ear drops if you have a perforated eardrum.

Most earaches only last a few days, however it really depends on what’s causing the pain. Remember, the NHS guidance is to speak to your GP if you’ve had earache for more than three days, or if you’re getting it frequently. It’s advised that you get an urgent appointment if you have a very high fever, swelling around the ear, or hearing loss, or if there’s fluid coming from your ear.

An ear infection isn’t contagious itself, so you can’t pass it to another person or catch it off someone else. However, it can be caused by contagious infections like the common cold and the flu.

Earache will often go away on its own, especially if the cause is a minor infection like the common cold. However, if the cause is a stubborn build-up of earwax, or a more serious infection, you’ll probably need medical attention.