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Feeling Uncomfortable In Throat With Itchy Ear And Ear Pain. Precaution And Cure To Be Taken?
Question: Since last two days I have an itching sensation in my ear and a buzz. The throat has also been very uncomfortable. There is no cold or congestion. But have trouble gulping. There is a slight pain in the neck area under the ear - as if something is swollen which has improved today.
Possible cause can be - I had a small accident wherein a straw hit back of my mouth. There is no bleeding.
Also, have bad sleep and not regular bowel movements - not sure if linked to the same.
Can you please help -
1. Any immediate solution that I can take to soothe this
2. Precautions
3. Suggest a doctor around Churchgate area that I can see (and if required to see).
Possible cause can be - I had a small accident wherein a straw hit back of my mouth. There is no bleeding.
Also, have bad sleep and not regular bowel movements - not sure if linked to the same.
Can you please help -
1. Any immediate solution that I can take to soothe this
2. Precautions
3. Suggest a doctor around Churchgate area that I can see (and if required to see).
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. If your ear examination is normal, then the itching sensation in your ear is a 'referred' sensation due to the injury in the throat. This is because there are common nerves supplying sensation to multiple areas in the head and neck region.
2. A throat examination will confirm whether the injury is mild and it seems so as there has been no bleeding.
3. Sensation to the throat and palate is carried to the brain via three Cranial Nerves (Trigeminal Cranial Nerve V, Gloosopharyngeal Cranial Nerve IX and the Vagus Cranial Nerve X). There is a considerable overlap of sensory supply and motor supply. This would explain the trouble while gulping.
4. Hence the first step is to get an examination done. This will settle a lot of issues. If the examination is fine and the injury is mild, these symptoms may subside on their own. A mild painkiller and a medicated gargle such as Tantum may help. However medication should be under the supervision of a doctor.
5. As a precaution, keep the diet bland. The sleep problem may be realted if lack of sleep caused you to accidentally hit the straw into the roof of the mouth or throat. Irregular bowel movements lead to poor quality of sleep.
6. You may consult Dr. Nishit Shah, Dr. XXXXXXX Muranjan or Dr. XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Nerurkar at Bombay Hospital which is very near Churchgate.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for your query.
1. If your ear examination is normal, then the itching sensation in your ear is a 'referred' sensation due to the injury in the throat. This is because there are common nerves supplying sensation to multiple areas in the head and neck region.
2. A throat examination will confirm whether the injury is mild and it seems so as there has been no bleeding.
3. Sensation to the throat and palate is carried to the brain via three Cranial Nerves (Trigeminal Cranial Nerve V, Gloosopharyngeal Cranial Nerve IX and the Vagus Cranial Nerve X). There is a considerable overlap of sensory supply and motor supply. This would explain the trouble while gulping.
4. Hence the first step is to get an examination done. This will settle a lot of issues. If the examination is fine and the injury is mild, these symptoms may subside on their own. A mild painkiller and a medicated gargle such as Tantum may help. However medication should be under the supervision of a doctor.
5. As a precaution, keep the diet bland. The sleep problem may be realted if lack of sleep caused you to accidentally hit the straw into the roof of the mouth or throat. Irregular bowel movements lead to poor quality of sleep.
6. You may consult Dr. Nishit Shah, Dr. XXXXXXX Muranjan or Dr. XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Nerurkar at Bombay Hospital which is very near Churchgate.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
Answered by
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