Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?

Posted by ellienewfan @ellienewfan, Feb 4, 2013

Please....someone help me.

I’ve visited my allergist, an ear-nose-throat specialist and my own internist.
None of them have ever heard of my problem and don’t know how to help me.

Started approx 20 yrs ago, Every couple of months I would get an awful pain on one of my ears if I had been laying on it during the night. It would happen to either ear, whichever one I laid on.

To describe the pain. It is so intense that it wakes me. Pain is NOT inside the ear but around the edges of the entrance of it. It is so painful, I can’t touch it. It will be throbbing. It also hurts tremendously behind, towards the bottom back of the ear. Can’t touch that either. The only thing that will make it go away is when I then get up and stand and within approx 30 min it is gone. I even tested it by massaging behind the ear (once I could bear to touch it) and it seemed to make pain go away faster.

The last approx 3 years, I have no longer been able to even lay on either ear when in bed because now the pain will come every time. I have learned to sleep on my back. Sometimes I would still move onto my side during night, and wake up with pain.

For last 6 months, I’ve been having pressure and achy feeling around one of the ears, even while laying on my back. Then I started getting the pain even while sleeping on my back.

I am very much afraid that the day will come when I will no longer be able to lay down in my bed to go to sleep.

I am desperate to get to the bottom of this and perhaps for first time in 20 years be able to comfortably lay on my side in bed.

My ENT doctor said my ears are healthy .... i have no hearing loss.

This ear pain, however, is starting to affect my daily living, since I don’t seem to be able to get the restful sleep I need.

I will be forever grateful if someone could pinpoint this. thanks.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Support Group.

@lioness

@becky65 Welcome to connect we all try to tell what helps us Is your ear pain inner ear or outside of ear?

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My pain in the inner ear. Usually it's both of them. always feels like I have ice picks being jammed in there.

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@johnbishop

Hello @becky65, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @lioness. I know it must be frustrating not being able to find something that works and being in pain a lot with no answers. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if we should move your post to the following discussion where other members are discussing similar symptoms and your post will have more visibility.

> Groups > Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) > extreme outer ear pain
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/extreme-outer-ear-pain/

I had not heard of hearing being attacked by an autoimmune disease but a little searching confirmed that it can happen. Here's what I found on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
https://www.asha.org/Articles/Autoimmune-Inner-Ear-Disease/

Are you able to share a little more about your diagnosis or symptoms?

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I have researched this over and over. I'm at a loss. I feel like I'm being ignored just because no one knows what to do. Sometimes I wish my hearing WOULD be gone......only if it alleviates the pain.
I also have dizziness and some nausea....but these are only when the pain gets real bad.

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@becky65

I have researched this over and over. I'm at a loss. I feel like I'm being ignored just because no one knows what to do. Sometimes I wish my hearing WOULD be gone......only if it alleviates the pain.
I also have dizziness and some nausea....but these are only when the pain gets real bad.

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@becky65 Have you seen a ear Dr. I just did and he sent me for more testing ,a 2hr test I'm not sure what it's called but results where nerve damage The original ear Dr had me do ear exercises 2-3x s day It worked my balance problems where gone and dizziness also Ask ear Dr about going to take a ventricular test I think that's what it was called

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@ethanmcconkey

Hi @becky65 I wanted to join @lioness and @johnbishop in welcoming you to Connect. You may have noticed I moved your post to this existing discussion on outer ear pain so that you can connect with others with similar experience as @johnbishop suggested.

Could we hear more about your symptoms?

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Started out as ear pain in cartilage of ear with pressure. Either war. Also turns bright red. Then started having pain in back and right foot, then both with pressure. Next bowel issues started (chronic diahrea), all day, every day. Several doctors told me it was ALL in my head. One even used the crazy sign. Had every test imaginable, with only finding out that I have systemic inflammation. Don't know what is causing it. Blood work, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterols, all normal. Never took medication, until 2 years ago when this all started. Now I am on an anti-inflammatory, and it helps, but not a cure. Just a bandaid. Can now sleep through the night, with little disturbance. Use soft pillow. NO memory foam or firm pillow. Diahrea is also being caused by pressure on the body. Soft mattress helps. Started taking medication for migraines, although I don't have them. Something to do with affect on blood vessels. Totally changed my bowel issues. Foot pain is now more periodic since starting anti-inflammatory and back pain is virtually gone. Now experiencing severe wrist pain that won't go away. Hope this helps somebody.

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Ellie, I also suffered from ear pain and actual sores around the outside edges of both ears. Since I am a left side sleeper, it was worse on that side. So extremely sore it was very painful to the touch. Through research, i found out they are called pressure sores.
My daughter researched on line and got me a special pillow that actually has 2 holes in it. You position your ear over the hole to relieve the pressure. I know it sounds weird, but I slept on it for a month and it cleared up the pain and the sores. I do hope this will help you. Wayfarer

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@celesteh77

DId your pillow come from England? Did it cost about $66? There are some pillows out there that claim to be the one to use...Wonder why I get relief and absolutely no discomfort or pain since I fold my own pillow and keep it away from the cartilldge...waiting on the "original" pillow the doctors office told me to buy. If I don't like it, I'll send it back. Please let me know if you bought the one from England. Thanks.

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Yes it was from England

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My left ear has a throbbing sensation only when someone is speaking into my right ear.
If someone is speaking into my left ear, there is no throbbing is either ear.
If someone is speaking into my right ear, there is only a throbbing sound in my left ear.
I have spoken to an ENT about this issue, and have had no luck in gaining an explanation or solution.

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Hi @wmc0002 and welcome to Connect. That must be so confusing. you may have noticed I moved your post to this existing discussion in order for you to Connect with others who have similar experience. Simply click VIEW & REPLY in your email notification to find your post.

How long have you had this throbbing?

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@ethanmcconkey

Hi @wmc0002 and welcome to Connect. That must be so confusing. you may have noticed I moved your post to this existing discussion in order for you to Connect with others who have similar experience. Simply click VIEW & REPLY in your email notification to find your post.

How long have you had this throbbing?

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This issue has been occurring for about the last 3-4 years. I have been advised to take Sudafed or Flonase spray to try and relieve pressure. But those solutions have made no impact.

I should have also stated that this issue doesn’t not occur 100% of the time, but very often.

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I have been searching for someone who has the same explanation as I do with my ears. It almost feels like my ear is trying to remove itself from my head. It is so tender that it is painful to touch, and since I have starter taking adderall, it has started radiating the pain.

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