Can I get ear pain treated through telehealth?

A GP can take a detailed history, assess severity and red flags, and advise on next steps during a telehealth consultation. Some ear problems do require someone to look inside the ear with an otoscope, in which case an in-person assessment will be recommended. Whether any treatment is appropriate is a clinical decision made by the doctor during the consultation.

Are 13CURE consultations bulk billed?

Consultations are bulk billed for eligible Medicare and DVA cardholders, with no out-of-pocket cost. Eligibility is checked when you book. Further detail on fees, timing and how the service works is set out on the 13CURE FAQs page, and you can make a booking online at any time within operating hours.

Ear Pain: Causes, Relief & When to See a Doctor

Ear pain has a way of arriving at the worst possible hour. A child wakes crying and pulling at one ear, or an adult finds a dull ache turning sharp just as the local clinic shuts for the night. Most earache settles within a few days, but working out whether you can wait until morning is the part that keeps people awake. If the pain is worsening, our after-hours urgent care service operates through the evening and overnight, and a telehealth GP consultation can often sort out whether an in-person look inside the ear is needed.

Where an ear cannot be assessed properly over video, a home doctor visit may be an option depending on your location and doctor availability. This guide covers the usual ear pain reasons, what pain behind the ear can signal, comfort measures that may help, and the symptoms that should not wait.

What ear pain actually feels like

Ear pain (medically, otalgia) varies a lot in character, and that variation is genuinely useful information for a doctor. It may be a sharp stab that comes and goes, a constant aching ear pain that worsens when you lie down, a sense of blocked fullness, or a throbbing that keeps pace with your heartbeat.

Pain at ear level can also come from somewhere else entirely. The nerves supplying the ear also serve the jaw, teeth, throat and neck, so a problem in any of those places can be felt in the ear even when the ear itself is perfectly healthy. This is called referred pain, and it explains why some people with earache have an ear examination that looks completely normal.

Ear-pain reasons: the common causes

Most ear pain causes fall into a handful of groups.

Middle ear infection (otitis media)

Fluid builds up behind the eardrum, usually following a cold, and the pressure produces a deep, aching pain. It is very common in young children because the tube draining the middle ear is shorter and flatter than an adult's. Fever, reduced hearing, and irritability often come with it. Many cases improve on their own within a few days.

Outer ear infection (swimmer's ear)

An infection of the ear canal itself, often after swimming or from cleaning the ear too enthusiastically. The tell-tale sign is that the pain worsens noticeably when you tug the outer ear or press the small flap in front of the canal. There may be itching, discharge or a blocked sensation.

Ear wax build-up

Wax is normal and protective, but a firm plug can cause fullness, muffled hearing and a dull ache. Cotton buds usually push wax deeper rather than removing it, and can scratch the canal, which is why they are not recommended.

Pressure changes

Flying, diving or driving through hills can leave the middle ear unable to equalise, producing sharp pain and a blocked feeling. It usually settles once pressure evens out, though a cold or blocked nose makes it considerably worse.

Referred pain from the jaw, teeth or throat

Temporomandibular joint problems, dental infections, tonsillitis and throat infections all commonly present as earache and pain with no ear abnormality at all. A clue is pain that changes when you chew, yawn or swallow.

Foreign objects and injury

More common in children than parents expect. A sudden onset of one-sided ear pain in a child who was previously well is worth a look, particularly if there is discharge.

Pain behind the ear: what it can mean

Pain behind the ear is worth treating differently from pain inside it, because a few of the causes need prompt attention.

Frequently it is muscular or joint-related, referred up from tight neck muscles or from the jaw joint that sits just in front of the ear canal. Swollen lymph nodes behind the ear can become tender during or after an infection. Occipital neuralgia produces a shooting pain running from the base of the skull up behind the ear.

Mastoiditis, an infection spreading into the bone behind the ear, usually after an untreated middle ear infection, is the one to take seriously. Redness, swelling, or tenderness over the bony area behind the ear, particularly with fever or an ear that appears pushed forward, needs same-day medical assessment.

Urgent: Sudden severe pain behind the ear with fever, neck stiffness, swelling, confusion, or facial weakness should be treated as urgent. Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.

Earache and pain in children

Young children often cannot describe where it hurts, so the signs are behavioural: pulling or rubbing one ear, unusual crying, difficulty settling at night, not responding to sounds as usual, going off food, or losing balance more than normal. A temperature of 38 C or above alongside these is a reasonable prompt to seek advice.

Children under six months with a fever, or any child who seems unusually drowsy, floppy, is refusing fluids or has discharge coming from the ear, should be seen rather than watched at home.

Ear pain relief: what may help while you wait

For mild earache with no warning signs, a few simple measures may make the wait more comfortable. None of these treat an underlying infection, and they are general suggestions rather than advice for your individual situation.

Rest with the sore ear uppermost. Lying flat can increase pressure and the throbbing that comes with it.
A warm (not hot) compress held against the outside of the ear may ease aching for some people.
Keep the ear dry. Avoid swimming, and keep water out during showers if the canal is sore or discharging.
Leave the ear canal alone. No cotton buds, no fingers, no attempts to dig out wax at home.
Sip fluids and swallow regularly if the pain is pressure-related, as swallowing helps the middle ear equalise.
Stay upright a little longer in the evening with children, and settle them propped slightly rather than flat.

About pain-relief medicines: Over-the-counter pain relief may be suitable for some people. Speak with your pharmacist or doctor about what is appropriate for you or your child, always read the label, and use only as directed. Do not put drops, oils or any other substance into the ear unless a health professional has advised it, and never attempt ear candling.

When ear pain needs a doctor

Arrange a medical assessment rather than waiting it out if any of these apply:

Pain that is severe or that is getting worse rather than easing after 24 to 48 hours
Fluid, pus or blood coming from the ear
Fever alongside the earache, particularly in a young child
Noticeable hearing loss, ringing, or dizziness and unsteadiness
Swelling, redness or tenderness of the bone behind the ear
Facial weakness or drooping on the same side
Ear pain following a head injury, a blow to the ear, or something inserted into the ear
Earache in someone with diabetes or a weakened immune system
Pain that keeps returning over weeks, or ongoing muffled hearing after the pain settles

A doctor will examine the ear canal and eardrum, ask about recent colds, swimming, flying or dental problems, and check the throat, neck and jaw. What happens next depends entirely on what that examination finds and on the individual patient.

Getting seen when your regular clinic is closed

Earache does not keep office hours. 13CURE bookings are taken Monday to Friday from 6 pm through to 8 am, Saturdays from 12 pm, and 24 hours on Sundays and public holidays, for non-life-threatening concerns. Consultations are bulk billed for eligible Medicare and DVA cardholders, and the bulk billing GP page sets out how eligibility is assessed.

If getting out of the house is not realistic, a bulk-billed telehealth appointment lets an AHPRA-registered GP take a history, assess the symptoms and advise on next steps. Whether an in-person visit can be arranged depends on doctor availability and where you live, which you can check on the areas we cover page. You can also read more about the doctors working with 13CURE.

To arrange care, book a home doctor visit or start a telehealth booking. For life-threatening symptoms, call 000.

13CURE: Your Questions Answered - Everything You Need to Know!

Earache linked to a middle ear infection often improves within about a week, and many cases settle sooner. Pain that is still present after two to three days, or that worsens at any point, should be reviewed. An after-hours GP consultation is an option when the timing falls outside normal clinic hours.

This is typically referred pain. The jaw joint, teeth, tonsils, throat and neck all share nerve supply with the ear, so a problem in one of those areas is genuinely felt in the ear. A doctor examining you will usually check the mouth, throat and jaw as well as the ear itself for this reason.

During a telehealth consultation, a GP can take a detailed history, assess severity and red flags, and advise on next steps. Some ear problems require looking inside the ear with an otoscope, so the doctor will recommend an in-person assessment. During the consultation, the doctor decides whether treatment is appropriate.

Not necessarily, but it is less common, so a new earache in an adult is generally worth having checked, especially if it is one-sided and persistent. Adults are also more likely to have referred causes such as jaw or dental problems.

Avoid cotton buds, avoid putting anything into the ear canal without professional advice, avoid ear candling, and avoid getting water into a sore or discharging ear. If hearing has changed, avoid flying until you have been assessed.

Consultations are bulk billed for eligible Medicare and DVA cardholders, with no out-of-pocket cost. Eligibility is checked when you book. For more details on fees, timing, and how the service works, see the 13CURE FAQs page and book online anytime during operating hours.

Ear Pain: Causes, Relief and When to See a Doctor

What ear pain actually feels like