← Return to "Electric Shock" type pain in my scalp!

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"Electric Shock" type pain in my scalp!

Chronic Pain | Last Active: Mar 28 10:24am | Replies (301)
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@ennergizerbunnee

Yes I have had this over the years and have it right now since about 5pm, not able to sleep yet with the zap happening.VERY painful for about 4 - 8 seconds. I have been informed that there is a very slight swelling in the ear canal and the nerves at the side of the head run very closely to the nerves of the ear so it triggers off a synapse which is very painful. I found i get it if the windows are open in the car, i can't have a breeze blowing at my ears or it happens like clock work. This morning i got splashed in the swimming pool into the ear, and then drove 1/2 hr to apt with windows open , it was a beautiful day free from smoke from the forest fires and i forgot so now i pay the price. I usually have a pair of ear puffs from the sporting goods store for skiing that i wear when the wind it up and i wear them, don't care if it looks silly in summer but my hair covers them up. Better that than the horrid pain. I currently have taken a Tylenol #2, 5 mg of Oxycontin and 15 mg of oxazipam and i put an ice pack in the towel at the side of the head to numb the spot. The spot is about 2 1/2 inches above the ear on the scalp this time. Hope it simmers down asap, i need sleep.
I am a retired nurse. You have to pay attention to what you were doing within about 5 hours before onset of the zapping to know what is setting it off. good luck, always wear hats in cold weather.

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Replies to "Yes I have had this over the years and have it right now since about 5pm,..."
megamom | @megamom | Apr 19, 2017

I am going to pay more attention to see if it occurs during periods where I might have gotten wind in my ears, has your ever accompanied a fever?

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 9, 2017

I have had pains like this for years and it always seems to accompany a ear infection. Occasionally, I'll go to the doctor and be told the ears look fine, but the pains continue. Every single time I have gone back...ear infection. So I've always attributed my propensity to have this pain to a propensity for ear infections. What do I do to reduce the likely hood of ear infections?

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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 10, 2017

Welcome to Connect, Andrew. Are you saying that the pain starts before the ear infection is detected? I'm tagging @jamienolson for ideas about preventing middle ear infections in adults.
In the meantime, here are some suggestions from Healthline http://www.healthline.com/health/ear-infection-adults#prevention9
Do you follow these suggestions regularly?

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 10, 2017

Sometimes the pain comes before, sometimes I'll have the pain go to my nurse practitioner and I've already got a full blown ear infection. The discrepancy could just amount to my pain tolerance on that day or when I can schedule an appointment.

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 10, 2017

However, oddly enough that this is the first time I ever posted about this issue (anywhere) and I was having the shooting pains yesterday, but I took some ibuprofen yesterday afternoon, then went for a bike ride with wind whistling through my ears, then joined my kids at the pool...and no problems today. I don't know that that has ever happened before. If I had a partial blockage in an eustachian tube could it have dislodged due to the jarring and heavy breathing of the bike ride and therefore relieved some pressure?

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 10, 2017

I read the healthline article and my symptoms tend to follow the middle ear description and I have been told my tubes are more horizontal.

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 10, 2017

I do follow the prevention methods pretty regularly. What I don't do regularly is use swimmers ear drops after swimming...I tend to only use them in the winter.

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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 10, 2017

Good for you for following the prevention tips. If you swim regularly, you may think about the ear drops or ask your doctor about swimmer's ear prevention tips.

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 10, 2017

When I wrote I had no shooting pains today I spoke too soon. They started up again shortly after I typed the above. If it continues or gets worse I'll go to the doctor and they'll likely tell me I have an ear infection.

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Andrew | @benneaf | Jul 13, 2017

I went to the doctor and he says my ears are all clear. The pain has been horrible the last two nights. I've had that happen before where when I go in the ears look fine and then I go back a couple of days later and voila...ear infection. He gave me a prescription for some antibiotic so I'll take that and see if it helps.

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