Ow ow ow. Earache!

[IngridBergman]

I've just woken up with a horrible earache and though it's starting to ease off now, it freaked me out a bit.

I've had a sore throat on the same side for almost a week now which wasn't really too bad, no real temperature, just hurt when I swallowed. Now it seems to have started affecting my ear on the same side, and also is hurting on the other side a bit as well.

I couldn't get an appt today but will try and see GP tomorrow obviously.

I sometimes get this pain when I lie on my ear anyway, but it goes quickly - this time it hurts even after about 45 minutes, but is much better than when it woke me.

DO I need to panic, can it even be an ear infection without a temperature? I cleaned my ear with a cotton bud last week after the throat pain started, and was very gentle but am a bit worried I've knackered the eardrum especially as this side was perforated a couple of years ago

Any advice most welcome, thankyou.

You should never stick anything smaller than your elbow down your ear! (Or something like that...my mum used to say that when I was small)

It sounds like it might be an infection, I get them regularly and don't always get a temp, but they do usually start with a sore throat. Take some paracetamol/ibuprofen now, hopefully the pain won't return!

Thankyou for answering , yes I realise that was silly. I was trying to see if anything was blocking the ear as it had already started to feel odd. I'll be more cautious in future!

Do you have to treat ear infections? I'm anxious to avoid antibiotics. the pain is far better this morning, though still feels like stuff is in there iyswim. It's not too bad.

I'll keep taking ibuprofen when it gets too much and hope it doesn't decide to up the game