Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?

I just found this thread today so I'll try it tonight. I do have a Mackenzie neck roll! It's weird having an issue like this, but I can just tell it wasn't due to infection. It's the outside/cartilage area of ear and it's not red, itchy or swollen. I'm fine after I sit up for a few minutes. Like I said, it's like having a part of you fall asleep, then it stings till the blood gets back in the pinched area. Thanks again, I'll let you know how it works!

Update: Mackenzie neck roll seems to be helping. I haven't had a night of ear pain yet!🤞

I have this pain mostly on the outer ear in the center of the ear. It wakes me up, it is always on the same side. I do not sleep on that side. It is not every night. It is so strange. When it wakes me up I getting a heating pad lay on that and after awhile it goes away. When it first starts it really is painful. I did go to a specialist he said there is nothing wrong with my ears that I should consider maybe it is dental. I am not a specialist but I just don't think so.

@franant Welcome to connect We here try to help with our problems that may resonate with you . I had ear pain. It hurt to touch my outside of ear and it felt like the ear canal was closing . I had a friend to look at it and she said there was pus in the canal . I had a telecall with my PCP told her of my symptoms she said right away it was an infection. The Dr ordered 3 prescriptions for me now it is much better and Im ready to stop the meds The antibiotic pills where for only 7 days now Im still on ear drops and an ointment I rub aroung and in the ear not into the ear canal . What did the ENT say ? You can always go see someone else that's your right Hope you get some answers . Good luck

I've been having the outer ear severe pain intermittently for about a few years now. No redness, both ears, mostly at night, but occasionally during the day. I was concerned that it was relapsing polychondritis, so went to my ENT doc. I told him that when it happens, I massage the ear with moisturizer and the pain subsides very quickly. That info plus the lack of infection or redness made it clear to him that it isn't RP, which was a relief. There's no way a pillow with a hole would help me - I'm a back sleeper. Just wanted to let you all know about massaging the ear with moisturizer (I use Eminence coconut moisturizer) but I don't think the brand matters. I find that if I moisturize the ears before sleeping, it minimizes the occurances.

Yeah, that is a different issue than I had. Mine is from laying directly on the ear and cutting off the blood supply (or something!). Glad you found a solution to your pain though!

@poco that is interesting to read about moisturizing you ears before bed . I The Dr gave me a ointment to put on my ears 3 times a day one before bed so guess there is something to it . Thanks for the info . We all give tips as to what helps us .

@lioness, does the prescribed ointment work for you? What is the name of it?

@poco Yes it did help the name is Mupirocin2%ointment 22gm Directions for me was to use it 3 times a day for 7 days . Ask you Dr about it tell him your symptoms and see what he says . Im on the last day and my ears feel a lot better . Gook luck Let me know how you are doing

I had the same pain. Both ears for 30 years. Found that when i woke up from pain i could massage the ear area mostly in rear gently at first and eventually harder. Pain would go away. BUT...i want to tell u what happened last fall. I have bad allergies and ent told me we have cartilage behind the ear which can get inflamed and it will cause this pain although there was no solution to get rid of inflammation. My previous ent ..now retired...advised me to double up on allergy pills if i flew starting couple days before.. Flying would get me very ill w severe allergy symptoms. I did and it worked. But i kept taking double doses for several months. Last fall i no longer had pain in one ear. I was ecstatic. After 30 years i could lay on my left ear. A month later my right ear no longer hurt. I've thought a lot about this and only thing i can figure that my pain was due to the inflammation which was allergy related and the double doses healed it because nothing else had changed. I didn't dare stop double doses afraid it would come back. Couple months later did go back to one pill only. To this day my pain has not come back. This may not b everyone's problem. But who knows.