How to Diagnose Ear Infections & Symptoms

Ear infections occur when microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria enter your body. There are many causes of ear infections. One common cause is having a cold or flu, which causes fluid to build up in your eustachian tube that can lead to an infection. Post nasal drip also can contribute to an infection. You don't have to be ill to get an ear infection. Most of the time, infections are caused by mucous being pushed into your eustacian tubes when you blow your nose or when you don't remove water that enters your ear when you take a shower or go swimming. It is possible to effectively diagnose ear infections.

Instructions

• 1

  If you feel pain deep in your ear and/or there is fluid coming out of it, then you might have a middle ear infection called otitis media.

• 2

  If you are experiencing swelling and redness in your outer ear and the surrounding skin, then your outer ear, ear canal and the skin surrounding your ear might be seriously infected.

• 3

  If you are experiencing a headache-like pain with redness behind your ear or tenderness when you touch the bone behind your ear, then you might have an enlarged lymph node or mastoiditis, an infection of the temporal bone (bone behind your ear).

• 4

  If your ear is swollen and it hurts or itches when you pull on your earlobe or ear, then you might have otitis externa (swimmer's ear), which is an infection of your ear canal.

• 5

  If you feel or see a pimple in your ear canal, then you might have a small infection in your ear canal.