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Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?
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.
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Hello @retiredme and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. One thing that I have personally used as a way to soothe ear pain is a rice bag. It can be as simple as putting white rice in a sock and tying it up then putting it into the microwave to warm it up. I lay it down on the pillow and place the ear with pain on top of it. Anyway, it may be something to help while you figure out what is causing the pain.
I found some information that could help you try to narrow down some potential causes for your ear pain.
- Why Does My Ear Hurt?
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/why-does-ear-hurt
How long have you been experiencing the ear pain?
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1 ReactionLook up Relapsing Polychondritis. Read everything you can find on the web. I truly believe this is what I have and my doctor agrees. Unfortunately there isn’t much to be done for it but if you feel what you are experiencing, then you can bring it to your doctors attention.
Many people have this and have gone through the same reaction from our doctors. They simply don’t have the knowledge of this rare disease.
This Q&A from Mayo Clinic talks more about relapsing polychondritis:
- Dear Mayo Clinic: I was just diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis. What has been your experience with this disease? https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/rare-disease-causes-inflammation-of-cartilage-throughout-body/
This information from National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is also helpful: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/relapsing-polychondritis/
@ocbette, while there is no cure for RP, there are treatments. Has you doctor suggested corticosteroid drugs (e.g., prednisone), aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds such as dapsone and/or colchicine? What do you do to relieve the pain and tenderness?
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1 ReactionRelapsing polychondritis?
Welcome @bastion5. Do you have relapsing polychondritis?
Just throwing things out there doctors might not. Have you looked for some kind of parasite? Since it goes away until you crowd it or cover it. ???
Or maybe an allergy to your shampoo or hair gel etc. Or your laundry detergent?
Did you see a dermatologist? Just keep searching. You'll figure it out.
I got my long distance vision back, cured 25+ years of acute sinusitis, severe coughs, and my migraines, just by pulling an incomplete, botched, infected, root canal tooth.
Of course , you won't find an ENT, doctor or dentist that believes that can happen.
Good luck. You'll figure it out.
Oh my goodness, I am so glad to know that others have this same horrible problem. No doctors are familiar with this problem. I have tried every kind of pillow available. I have tried sleeping on my back, but cannot fall asleep on my back. My question is: with so many of us with this problem, why aren't doctor aware of this? I have read some of the posts here, and I will try some of the suggestions. Hopefully, something will work. It is miserable to not be able to sleep, or to wake up in pain when you finally do fall asleep. 🙁
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1 ReactionWelcome @marcyjon22, I don't have an answer for your question other than I think it's not possible for every doctor to be familiar with every condition. I do know how you feel, especially when struggling to find answers and not getting a treatment that helps from your doctor. It does help to know you are not alone and it really helps to be your own advocate and learn as much as you can about your condition. I think you might find the post a little above yours by @colleenyoung helpful. Here's the link to the post - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/661621/
Have you been diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis?
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1 ReactionI have recently been prescribed a statin, Rosuastatin.
After experiencing some side effects after about 5 weeks of use, I discontinued it.
Several weeks later, my physician suggested that I restart the medication, but only take it every other day.
After 3 doses (6days) I woke up from a sound sleep with extreme unusual outer ear cartilage pain, which I had never experienced before. After about 5 minutes, pain subsided and I went back to sleep.
Two nights later, it happened again (on the same day of taking medication.
I immediately discontinued the medication and it has not reoccurred.
Has anyone else taking this drug experiencing this pain and is it possible that it is another side effect of the drug?
Dgg85, outer ear cartilage pain is not a side effect that I see listed for Rosuvastatin
- Rosuvastatin Side Effects https://www.drugs.com/sfx/rosuvastatin-side-effects.html#consumer
I might suggest talking with your pharmacist to see if this is a side effect due to a combination of drugs that you're taking. Have you told your physician that you stopped the statin?