Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?

Hello, @jennyt and @gls58, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Thank you for participating in our community. Sharing our personal medical stories and learning from each-other is our goal and looks like we are already off to a great start with the discussions you have both posted.

I would like to call back and introduce members @upartist, @ellienewfan, @bearylynn and @jfortinofish1 to reignite this topic of conversation. When this topic started in 2013 the posts that were made by our members have hopefully gotten some answers and relief. Can you all please give us an update? Have any of you had success with a diagnosis or do you have pain management in place that makes it now bearable to sleep at night?

@jennyt, sorry to hear you are having sleepless nights and pain, I bet that is really frustrating. When do you see your physician? Would you mind coming back and letting us know what they say about your condition? Can you also tell me- Do your ears feel hot and or flare up?

@gls58, so glad to hear you have found some pain relief! That is great news. How long did you suffer in pain before trying the calcium/vitamin D regimen? Was the post that you read stating to try the calcium/vitamin combo in Mayo Clinic Connect? If so, I could try and locate it for you. I would just need to know what group it was in.

I suffered for 11 years of outer ear pain at night! It was a fluke how i discovered what 100% cured. I never new others suffered untill a friend told me there problem. I googled and was amazed at all the forums out there. This also cured my friend, thats why i am trying to share to all I can. For 11 years eveynight, i would wake up 1-3 times a night in excruciating pain. Would last 2-7 min after sitting up. Went to many doctors. No answer.
I went to a chiropractor for a horrible shoulder/neck pain. He mention i should by this pillow. $115.00 ! Ouch. I was desperate. Needless to say never helped my shoulder/neck. Just had to wait it out. But i did notice from first night no ear pain. Didnt think the pillow would have helped. Just thought it was a fluke. Days go buy, no ear pain. Of course i still dont think the pillow had anything to do with it. Just thought I grew out of it as things come and go. I was traveling, had to stay at a hotel. Low and behold 1st night ear pain! Woke up 3 times in excruciating pain. Suffered 4 more nights. Went home 1st night no pain! Needless to say bought a travel size. Bad thing is it has water it in. So be careful you you are flying. I have not been stopped at the airport yet. But you can always drain it first. I am not affiliated with the company what so ever! Want to make that clear. It is called the chiroflow pillow. Its been 7 years of no ear pain, except a few occasions when i forgot to bring it. After you forget it a few times, you learn to pack it first. Good thing is you can buy it alot cheaper on amazon for around $40.00. Please let me know if this works for anyone out there!!!!!
Karen

I suffered for 11 years of outer ear pain at night! It was a fluke how i discovered what 100% cured. I never new others suffered untill a friend told me there problem. I googled and was amazed at all the forums out there. This also cured my friend, thats why i am trying to share to all I can. For 11 years eveynight, i would wake up 1-3 times a night in excruciating pain. Would last 2-7 min after sitting up. Went to many doctors. No answer.
I went to a chiropractor for a horrible shoulder/neck pain. He mention i should by this pillow. $115.00 ! Ouch. I was desperate. Needless to say never helped my shoulder/neck. Just had to wait it out. But i did notice from first night no ear pain. Didnt think the pillow would have helped. Just thought it was a fluke. Days go buy, no ear pain. Of course i still dont think the pillow had anything to do with it. Just thought I grew out of it as things come and go. I was traveling, had to stay at a hotel. Low and behold 1st night ear pain! Woke up 3 times in excruciating pain. Suffered 4 more nights. Went home 1st night no pain! Needless to say bought a travel size. Bad thing is it has water it in. So be careful you you are flying. I have not been stopped at the airport yet. But you can always drain it first. I am not affiliated with the company what so ever! Want to make that clear. It is called the chiroflow pillow. Its been 7 years of no ear pain, except a few occasions when i forgot to bring it. After you forget it a few times, you learn to pack it first. Good thing is you can buy it alot cheaper on amazon for around $40.00. Please let me know if this works for anyone out there!!!!!
Karen

I suffered for 11 years of outer ear pain at night! It was a fluke how i discovered what 100% cured. I never new others suffered untill a friend told me there problem. I googled and was amazed at all the forums out there. This also cured my friend, thats why i am trying to share to all I can. For 11 years eveynight, i would wake up 1-3 times a night in excruciating pain. Would last 2-7 min after sitting up. Went to many doctors. No answer.
I went to a chiropractor for a horrible shoulder/neck pain. He mention i should by this pillow. $115.00 ! Ouch. I was desperate. Needless to say never helped my shoulder/neck. Just had to wait it out. But i did notice from first night no ear pain. Didnt think the pillow would have helped. Just thought it was a fluke. Days go buy, no ear pain. Of course i still dont think the pillow had anything to do with it. Just thought I grew out of it as things come and go. I was traveling, had to stay at a hotel. Low and behold 1st night ear pain! Woke up 3 times in excruciating pain. Suffered 4 more nights. Went home 1st night no pain! Needless to say bought a travel size. Bad thing is it has water it in. So be careful you you are flying. I have not been stopped at the airport yet. But you can always drain it first. I am not affiliated with the company what so ever! Want to make that clear. It is called the chiroflow pillow. Its been 7 years of no ear pain, except a few occasions when i forgot to bring it. After you forget it a few times, you learn to pack it first. Good thing is you can buy it alot cheaper on amazon for around $40.00. Please let me know if this works for anyone out there!!!!!
Karen

Based on my experience, you may never get answer [or maybe you will???}

I believe I have a chronic, low grade infection - perhaps fungal or bacterial.
I have had great relief for a little while now {it feels wonderful to be able to sleep on my left side for the 1st time in so long}.
I've been recently using infrared heat to warm up multiple painful body locations, which happen to include ears, neck and sinuses, as well as LOTS of other areas on my EDS/body of chronic pain. At this time it is helpful.
I believe the heat kills whatever low-grade infection may be lingering in the area.

I will NOT give any advice about the heat therapy. I would leave the decisions related to the infrared heat use completely up to you and whatever you decide/discover/research on the topic.

Take note though, that many saunas use infrared as the heat source.

Good luck. Let me know if you ever do have any improvement if you know the reason for the improvement.

at least i'm not alone in this. no redness, no swelling, etc. Doctors i saw (ear, nose, throat doc.; my own internist; had exrays and MRI) looked at me funny when i tried to explain my situation. thanks @bearylynn,i also have been bunching up a pillow so there is least amount of touching my ear. i seem to be able to somewhat lay on my left side, but my right cannot abide it. in fact if i even lay on right side even without anything touching my ear, i'll still get it.terrible pain. i am currently 72, and think that perhaps i'll never get rid of this and must suffer with this for rest of my life.

I've had this same problem for over 10 years and spent hundreds of dollars on different pillows. I get headaches in the morning because I don't get enough sleep. I finally found an article that makes sense and I plan to go see my doctor to get tested for "relapsing polychondritis". I think I have a mild case of this and hopefully my doctor can prescribe something. I am really tired of the sleepless nights and pain