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Ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, or unusual discharge: An ENT specialist explains five warning signs that require a professional ear health check.
Ears health check up: Early consultation with a specialist helps protect hearing and prevent avoidable complications.
Our ears are essential not only for hearing but also for balance and overall neurological health. However, early warning signs are often overlooked until complications arise. Timely recognition and medical consultation can prevent long-term damage and complex treatment.
Dr. Deepti Sinha, Lead Consultant, Department of ENT, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, shares five key signs to watch for:
1. Ear fullness or pain:
If you’re experiencing ear fullness or pain, it could indicate several issues. These may include impacted earwax, a fungal infection of the ear canal, a middle ear infection, or a problem with the Eustachian tube. Infections can become more serious and spread to surrounding bones, particularly in people with uncontrolled diabetes. Even simple chronic otitis media (CSOM) can lead to damage to the ear structures (ossicles) and other serious complications if left untreated.
2. Sudden or gradual hearing loss:
If you frequently have to ask people to repeat what they’ve said, keep increasing the volume of the television, or struggle to hear in noisy places, it may indicate a hearing problem that needs investigation. Older adults, as well as individuals with hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease, should also undergo hearing tests as part of routine health check-ups. Hearing loss in one ear following a viral illness is a serious medical condition and should be treated as a medical emergency.
3. Chronic tinnitus:
Chronic tinnitus can be caused by various disorders affecting the inner ear, damage to the auditory nerve, exposure to loud noise, or certain circulatory system disorders. If you experience persistent tinnitus, it is advisable to have it evaluated before the condition worsens.
4. Dizziness or vertigo:
Some inner ear disorders responsible for dizziness or vertigo include vestibular neuritis and benign positional vertigo. Early diagnosis can significantly improve the effectiveness of treatment and help manage symptoms better.
5. Unpleasant smell, ear discharge, or itching:
Ear itching, discharge, or an unpleasant smell from the ear may be caused by infection, a perforation (hole) in the eardrum, or a foreign body lodged in the ear. Attempting to remove a foreign object yourself can worsen the damage and delay proper treatment.
Early consultation with a specialist helps protect hearing and prevent avoidable complications.
March 04, 2026, 10:05 IST
