I have a pain in my ear that extends to my throat and neck. What should I do?

If you have a pain in your ear that is extending to your throat and neck, it could be caused by a virus behind the eardrum (middle ear) or in front of the eardrum (outer ear infection). Before consulting a doctor, you could try a technique to see if the pain is due to a pressure imbalance in the ear caused by a blocked canal connecting the throat and middle ear. This technique involves using a nasal spray like Otrivin™ or Dristan™ to clear your nose and then blowing gently while swallowing to try to unblock your ear. If this technique worsens the ear pain or if there is no improvement after 2 days, it would be best to seek medical advice.