Begin with comfort and pharmacy advice.
Many earaches improve within a few days. Suitable pain relief and a warm flannel may help; a pharmacist can advise what is safe and whether you need a GP.
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Ear pain & infection · GP care
Ear pain? Get the right kind of care.
Earache can come from an infection, wax, irritation or pain elsewhere. Find out when a pharmacist may help, when the ear should be examined and which changes need urgent attention.
The cause cannot be confirmed from pain alone. Treatment depends on your symptoms and, often, an examination inside the ear.
Choose a suitable route
What kind of help do you need?
The safest route depends on how long the pain has lasted, whether hearing has changed and whether there is fever, discharge or swelling.
When it persists or keeps returning.
Arrange a review if earache has not improved after 2 to 3 days, keeps returning, or you think a baby under 12 months has an ear infection. Looking inside the ear may be important.
Explore in-person GP careWhen other symptoms appear.
Seek urgent GP or NHS 111 help for discharge, a hearing change, swelling, a very high temperature, marked illness, vomiting, dizziness, an object in the ear, or a child under 2 with pain in both ears.
Get help from NHS 111Urgent advice is also appropriate if you have diabetes, reduced immunity or a long-term heart, lung, kidney or neurological condition alongside possible ear infection symptoms.
What you may notice
More than pain alone.
Ear symptoms vary by cause and by which part of the ear is affected. The pattern helps determine what needs to be checked.
Pain or pressure
A sharp, aching or blocked feeling in one or both ears.
Fever or irritability
Children may pull at an ear, sleep poorly, eat less or seem unsettled.
Discharge or itching
Fluid from the ear or irritation around the canal needs assessment in context.
Hearing or balance change
Muffled sound, new hearing loss, dizziness or unsteadiness can alter how urgently you need help.
Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, or hearing that worsens over a few days or weeks, needs urgent GP or NHS 111 advice because some causes require prompt treatment. Read NHS hearing-loss guidance.
A proper look inside the ear
Some answers need an otoscope.
A GP can discuss how the problem started and examine the ear using a small light and magnifying instrument. This can help identify infection, wax, irritation or signs that another service is needed.
Explore in-person appointments01
Understand the symptoms.
When pain began, whether it followed a cold, swimming, flying, injury or loud noise, and whether you have fever or discharge.
02
Examine what can be seen.
The ear canal and eardrum may need checking. Swelling behind the ear, hearing change and balance symptoms are important to mention.
03
Choose treatment or referral.
The plan may involve pain relief, appropriate drops, antibiotics when indicated, hearing assessment or urgent specialist care.
Safe care while it settles
Protect the ear. Treat the cause.
Many ear infections settle without treatment, but medicine depends on which part of the ear is affected and what the examination shows.
01
Ease discomfort safely
Suitable paracetamol or ibuprofen may help with pain, and a warm flannel can feel soothing. Check the leaflet or ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.
02
Keep things out
Do not insert cotton buds, fingers or other objects, and do not try to remove wax yourself. Keep water and shampoo out while an infection is suspected.
03
Use the right treatment
Depending on the cause, a pharmacist or GP may recommend pain-relieving, antibiotic, antifungal or steroid drops, or antibiotic tablets. Treatment is not automatic.
Do not use eardrops if you may have a perforated eardrum unless a clinician recommends them. If discharge, hearing loss, swelling or worsening illness develops, seek urgent advice. Read NHS ear infection advice.
Pain can travel
Earache is a symptom, not one diagnosis.
A blocked feeling with reduced hearing may be wax. Pain with swallowing can relate to a sore throat or tonsillitis, while pain alongside a cold or facial pressure may connect with sinus symptoms.
Toothache or gum pain can also be felt near the ear. A suspected dental abscess needs urgent dental care, not GP dental treatment. Pain after an injury, loud noise or sudden pressure change may involve the eardrum and should be assessed.
Explore general medicine ↗Good to know
Questions about ear pain.
Clear answers for choosing what to do next.
How long should I wait before getting help?
Many earaches improve within 2 to 3 days. Seek urgent GP or NHS 111 advice sooner if you or your child becomes unwell, has a very high temperature, discharge, swelling or a change in hearing.
Does an ear infection always need antibiotics?
No. Many clear without antibiotics. Treatment depends on the cause and the part of the ear affected; a pharmacist or GP may recommend drops, tablets or supportive care after assessment.
Can a pharmacist treat my child?
In England, a pharmacist may be able to assess and treat a middle-ear infection in children aged 1 to 17. A baby under 12 months with a possible ear infection should see a GP. Call 111 for advice about a child under 5.
Can an ear be assessed by video or telephone?
A remote consultation can gather useful history, but often cannot replace looking inside the ear. A clinician may direct you to an in-person examination, especially with discharge, hearing change, injury or persistent pain. Explore remote GP formats.
What if I think it is earwax?
Earwax can cause pain, blockage, tinnitus or reduced hearing. Do not insert objects or use drops if you may have a perforated eardrum. A pharmacist can advise, and persistent blockage may need a suitable ear-care service. Read NHS earwax guidance.
Why is swelling behind the ear urgent?
Pain, redness or swelling behind the ear, especially if the ear begins to stick out, can be a sign of mastoiditis—a rare but serious infection. Ask for an urgent GP assessment or use NHS 111.
Clinical information: NHS earacheNHS ear infectionsNHS hearing lossNHS mastoiditisNHS perforated eardrum. This information is general and does not replace individual medical advice.