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Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) | Last Active: Aug 8, 2023 | Replies (402)Comment receiving replies
Hi all, jumping on as I'm really struggling. 34 year old female! Get severe pain in left ear only when laying down. Wakes me from my sleep and when I move my ear from the pillow the pain increases. This can last up to a few minutes and I can't even touch it. I have to wait until it calms down. Has been going on for over a year now, use to happen every now and again but recently it's happening every night. Currently 30 weeks pregnant so not sure if that's a reason for it happening more regularly. Not getting a lot of sleep as it is with right hip pain but the ear pain on top is really getting me down. One doctor said (via telephone) sounds like eustation dysfunction but waiting list is very long and they won't do anything as I'm pregnant so what do I do? I googled this and I'm not sure the symptoms match what I have so not sure. Please help. Thanks
Replies to "Hi all, jumping on as I'm really struggling. 34 year old female! Get severe pain in..."
To give you a temporary relies and to help you get some sleep, I use a neck pillow that is like a full round the neck pillow that allows me to sleep with my ear on the middle of the opening. That is what I have been doing while I try to find a solution to my problem. It holds tour head up and keeps your ear from contact with the mattress. Try to get a neck pillow that is not to hard or not to soft. I tried three till found one that worked.
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Hi there! I’m really intrigued by your post because it sounds very similar to what I went through. I’m 33, and I have identical pain to you, and I was around 30 weeks pregnant when mine started (it’s always only been in one ear). Except when mine started I also felt a bump form within the little pocket of my ear (not quite in and not quite out of the ear).
It’s been 2.5 years since it happened. Still have the bump and I’ll get the pain upon waking once every 1-2 months or so. It also feels like there’s water inside my ear when I workout sometimes. It’s usually when doing little jumps, like jumping jacks. I know it’s not sweat because it starts before the rest of my body starts sweating. I’ve seen 2 different ENTs now and neither have been able to figure it out.
Any insight you received from your doctor would be SO helpful! Also, wondering if you’re still dealing with this?? Thanks!!