An earache is pain inside or around your ear. The pain might feel sharp and stabbing, or it might be a dull, constant ache that makes it hard to focus on anything else. Earaches often happen when you have a cold or infection, because the tubes that connect your ears to your throat get swollen and blocked. Sometimes water trapped in your ear after swimming can cause an earache too.

Young children get earaches more often than adults because their ears are still developing. The pain can be mild or intense enough to make sleeping difficult. Some earaches come with other symptoms like muffled hearing or a feeling of pressure, like you're underwater.

If you have an earache that lasts more than a day, comes with a fever, or causes severe pain, you should see a doctor. They might discover an ear infection that needs medicine to heal. While waiting for a doctor's appointment, a warm compress held gently against your ear can sometimes ease the discomfort.