Your ears are important part of your body as they house one of the most important senses – the sense of hearing. You should also know that your ears are one of the most sensitive and delicate organ. Because of this sensitivity, your ears are more prone for infection, sometimes with the appearance of pus, which can lead to inflammation and discomfort.

How about if the ear infection is accompanied with body aches? Should you be concerned when you have these symptoms? This article will show you the conditions that are associated with these two symptoms.

What Causes Ear Infection and Body Aches?

Whilst ear infection is particularly not uncommon ailment, you should never shrug this off especially if it accompanies body aches. Below are the conditions that may be the culprit of your ear infection, body aches and other symptoms.  

1. Middle ear infection  

Also known as the otitis media, this condition occurs when your middle ear is infected, causing inflammation and fluid buildup behind your ear drum.

Symptoms: Symptoms quickly develop and resolve in a few days. The main symptoms are fever, earache, lack of energy and slight hearing loss. In some cases, hole develops in the eardrum and pus runs out of the ear.

Treatment: Most infections don’t need any specific treatment as they get cleared up within 3-5 days. Ibuprofen or paracetamol may be given to relieve high temperature and pain.

2. Viral syndrome  

This is a type of infection that is caused by virus which mostly affect the respiratory tract, however, any body part can also get affected.

Symptoms: Symptoms are similar to that of a person with a viral infection. These are:

• Stuffy or runny nose
• Chills and fever
• Headache and pain around the area of your eyes
• Ear infection, body aches
• Sore throat, cough and hoarseness
• Joint pains and muscle aches
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Diarrhea, cramps and abdominal pain

Treatments: Get plenty of rest for 2-3 days. You should also drink 8-12 glasses of water every day to avoid dehydration. If you want to relieve the pain and fever, you can try over-the-counter analgesics. Using vapor and humidifiers is also effective in improving the congestion.

3. Gastroenteritis  

Also known as the stomach flu, this condition occurs when your intestines and stomach are inflamed and irritated and is typically caused by a bacterial or viral infection.

Symptoms: Vomiting and watery diarrhea are the main symptoms of gastroenteritis. Other symptoms include cramping, stomach pain, nausea, fever and headache.

Treatments: Prevent stomach flu by constantly washing your hands. There’s really no cure for gastroenteritis as symptoms usually go away in a day or two without medical treatment. Since you’re losing lots of fluids, it is important that you keep well-hydrated.

4. Acute sinusitis  

Also called acute rhinosinusitis, this is a condition where your ability to drain the mucus from your sinuses and nose is impeded due to the inflammation of the membranes that line your nose and surrounding sinuses.

Symptoms:

• Thick green or yellow mucus discharge
• Sore throat and nasal congestion
• Ear infection, body aches
• Pressure, pain, or tenderness behind your nose, eyes, forehead or cheeks
• Bad breath
• Toothache and headache
• Reduced sense of taste and smell
• Fatigue

Treatments: To get relief from acute sinusitis, try these tips at home:

• Hold a moist, warm washcloth over your sinuses to find relief from pain symptoms.
• Keep the air moist with a humidifier.
• Clear your nasal passages by using saline nasal sprays several times in a day.
• Help thin the mucus by drinking plenty of fluids.

5. Urinary Tract Infection  

It is a type of infection that involves the ureters, kidney, bladder or urethra.

Symptoms:  

• A persistent and strong urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when you urinate
• Urine that is cloudy in appearance and of small amount
• Urine with strong smell and may have a sign of blood
• Pelvic pain in women

Treatments: The first line of treatment for UTI is the prescription of antibiotics. Patients are also advised to drink plenty of water and abstain from drinking alcohol, coffee and soft drinks which can irritate your bladder. To minimize the discomfort, you can use heating pad to your abdomen.

6. Inflammatory bowel disease  

It is a term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract.

Symptoms: Symptoms vary depending on how severe is the inflammation and where it occurs, which can include the following.

• Ear infection, body aches
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue and fever
• Appearance of blood in your stool
• Abdominal cramping and pain
• Loss of appetite which leads to unintended weight loss

Treatments: The primary goal of the treatment is to reduce the inflammation which causes the signs and symptoms of the condition. Medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, antibiotics and other supplements may be prescribed to the patient. Surgery may also be recommended when you are still not relieved from IBD despite diet and lifestyle change, therapy and other treatments.

7. Kidney infection

This is a common type of urinary tract infection where your bladder or urethra is infected by bacteria and spreads to one of your kidneys.

Symptoms: Patient with kidney infection may experience:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Pain in the side and groin
• Back pain

Treatments: Oral antibiotics may be prescribed to patient to relieve pain and other symptoms. It is also important that you prevent dehydration and fever by drinking plenty of liquids.

8. Plague  

This is a serious bacterial infection that is transmitted by fleas.

Symptoms: Signs and symptoms depend on the type of plague.

• Headache and muscle ache
• Sudden onset of fever and chills
• Vomiting and nausea
• Cough with bloody sputum
• Difficulty breathing

Treatments: Your doctor will need to admit you to a hospital as soon as you’re diagnosed with plague. Powerful antibiotics such as Doxycycline (Vibramycin), Gentamicin, Levofloxacin (Levaquin) and Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) may be prescribed.

9. Thyroid cancer  

This type of cancer occurs when there is a growth of abnormal cells in your thyroid glands.

Symptoms: Patient may get a swelling or lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, constant wheezing and trouble breathing, hoarse voice and frequent cough.

Treatments: Most patients undergo surgery to remove part or all of their thyroid glands. Treatment with radioactive iodine may be needed after surgery to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue.

10. Typhoid fever  

This is an acute and life-threatening illness caused by bacteria called the Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi.

Symptoms: Patients experience headaches, loss of appetite, generalized pains and aches, diarrhea, lethargy and fever that is as high as 104 degrees Farenheit.

Treatments: Antibiotics is prescribed to kill the Salmonella bacteria. Mortality rate has been reduced to 1%-2% with the help of supportive care and antibiotics.