From ear infections to allergic reactions, there are many reasons you might have swelling in your ear(s). A swollen ear can be caused by various things and might look different for each person as it can affect the outside of your ear or the ear canal.
Some symptoms you may experience with a swollen ear include:
The cause of your swollen ear will depend on the part of your ear that is affected. The most common areas of your ear to experience swelling are the outer shell and your ear canal.
Typically caused by blunt trauma or injury, an auricular hematoma is a collection of blood under the skin of your earlobe or outer ear. Not treating an auricular hematoma can lead to cauliflower ear – a deformity that affects many rugby players and boxers, for example.
Otitis externa, also known as swimmer’s ear, is a common bacterial or fungal ear infection that can be caused by water that has been sitting in the ear canal for an extended period of time. It can lead to swelling, redness, and pain in the ears.
A bacterial infection of the skin and tissues beneath the skin, causing redness, swelling, and tenderness in the affected area.
Allergic reactions can happen in response to an allergen, causing swelling, redness, and itchiness around the earlobe, outer ear, or inner ear structures.
The most common types of allergic reactions in ears include:
A collection of pus within the ear tissue, typically caused by a bacterial infection, resulting in swelling, pain, and sometimes fever.
Piercings can become swollen, red, and sore after they have been done but should go down after a few days with proper aftercare.
Just like the cause, the treatment you will receive for your ear swelling will also depend on what is causing it.
Treating a swollen earlobe at home can be an effective solution but keep an eye out for other symptoms or complications that might require seeking medical attention.
Treating a swollen ear canal can be a bit trickier than swelling on the outside of your ear because it’s all internal. But there are still ways you can help ease the discomfort at home.
Seeking advice from your doctor or hearing care specialist is important to make sure the swelling doesn’t do any kind of long-term damage to your overall ear health or hearing. See a doctor if you’re experiencing any symptoms for longer than 3 days of if you have:
Prevention is the best solution for swollen ears so taking good measures to ensure you don’t irritate your ears is the best course of action.
Swollen ears can be painful and sensitive but can be caused by many different things. From insect bites to ear infections and many things in between, swollen ears will need to be treated according to the cause and each cause has a different treatment. This is why following good ear hygiene and taking preventative measures in loud environments is important to your overall ear health.
It can mean many things. From an insect bite to an auricular hematoma, there are many things that can cause just one ear to become swollen. If you’re concerned about the swelling on or in your ear, or it hasn’t gone down after some home treatment, see your doctor or hearing care specialist.
If your ear is painful, red, swollen, inflamed, and you have discharge or pus from your ear, it is likely infected and will need medical attention.
Most ear inflammation doesn’t cause any lasting effects with proper care and treatment.
Ear swelling usually goes down by itself after a few days but you can apply a cold compress to your ear if the swelling is external or hold a warm, damp cloth to your ear if the swelling is internal.
Pillow ear is ear pain caused by pressure on certain parts of your ear for extended periods of time – it can make sleeping uncomfortable and cause redness and swelling.