The short explanation
Ear pain with a full feeling after a cold is common. The tube connecting the back of the nose to the middle ear can get blocked by mucus and swelling, causing pressure, and sometimes an infection of the middle ear develops. Many such cases settle on their own within a few days as the cold improves. It is best not to put garlic oil, warm oil or any home remedy into the ear when it hurts. If the eardrum has a small hole or is very inflamed, oils can irritate it or carry germs inside. A doctor can look into the ear with a light to see what is happening and advise whether any treatment is needed. Simple pain relief that suits you and resting can help in the meantime.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Fever, worsening pain, discharge of pus or blood, or hearing loss suggest an infection that should be checked.
- Pain in the outer ear, especially when pulling the ear lobe, can be an infection of the ear canal, often after swimming or cleaning with buds.
- Flying or diving with a blocked ear can make pain worse.
- If you have diabetes or a weak immune system, ear infections should be checked sooner.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you whether your ear is infected or whether the eardrum is affected. A doctor needs to look into your ear.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Is there an infection in my middle ear or ear canal?
- Is my eardrum intact?
- Do I need any treatment, or will it settle by itself?
- Is it safe to put anything in my ear?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to emergency if ear pain comes with severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, or swelling behind the ear with high fever.
Get help the same day
- Get same-day care if you have high fever, severe pain, or sudden hearing loss.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if pain or the full feeling is not improving, or there is discharge.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Ear infections NHS
- Hearing loss NHS
- Deafness and hearing loss — fact sheet World Health Organization
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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