What are Tonsil Stones
7. Ear pain
When a patient complains of ear pain (otalgia), the doctor uses a medical device, known as otoscope, to look into their ears and investigate the symptoms. Importantly, however, an otoscopy must also be accompanied by the inspection of the oral cavity, pharynx, and nose. The latter is warranted in order to rule out causes of referred (ear) pain, or pain that is perceived in a location other than its site of origin.
The ear receives extensive sensory innervation from different cranial nerves. One of the cranial nerves that innervates the ear (cranial nerve IX), also supplies (through another branch) the tonsils and the tonsillar fossa. This common innervation explains why some patients with tonsil stones also experience ear pain. Importantly, other conditions that affect the tonsils, pharynx, and palate can also cause referred ear pain.
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