Abstract

Background: Otalgia (earache) is one of the commonest presenting complaints of the patients visiting ENT OPD.Ear pain can be because of pathologies in the ear or in the surrounding head and neck region. This is because of rich innervations of the ear. Sometimes it poses a diagnostic challenge.
Aim: To study the clinical and etiological profile of patients with ear pain at our tertiary care hospital.
Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Department of ENT. All patients are subjected to full history and ENT examination, in addition to examination of Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) and neck. Some patients were sent for audiological and radiological assessment according to the finding in the examination.
Result: Out of 855 patients with Otalgia, 305 (35.7%) had referred Otalgia of this 39% were men and 61% were women. Commonest etiology of referred Otalgia was dental causes followed by TMJ dysfunction. 2% patient had underlying malignancies. 33.8% had right earache, 44.2% had left earache and 22% had bilateral earache
Conclusion:Careful detailed evaluation of the Otalgia patient should be done to identify the exact underlying cause and treat effectively.