triple zombie or no
about 2 1/2 years ago it was mentioned.
Definitely a zombie if I ever saw one! Anyhow, found this thread and registered so I could post!
Do any of you who experience pain after sleeping with your head resting on its side/ear? If so, I have three questions; 1) Would you consider your ears harder than those of other people your age and/or gender? (I don’t reccomend asking to feel the ears of random strangers). 2) Do you sleep with your arm under your pillow around where your ear is? 3) Do any of you have hearing loss?
And I think I’m mostly talking about folks without CNHC. My outer ears are fairly hard and I am only in my low 30s. Also, I don’t mean just discomfort, but actual pain for at least 5-10 minutes, but occasionally sometimes 30m+ though.
This is the thread that wouldn’t die,
We thought it was dead,
But it was only resting,
Because this is the thread that wouldn’t die…"
It just occurred to me that the pain I sometimes get in my ear cartilage is indeed on the side I sleep on most of the time. I’m sure the two are related somehow, but I don’t know how. Bodies is weird. 
I cannot sleep much on my ears because I will wake up with them in terrible pain. I have to have a pillow that I can move the stuffing around a bit to create a little “hole” for my ear to be in (those super fluffy springy hotel pillows are awful).
I do sometimes sleep with my arm under my pillow because this somewhat makes for a large hole for my ear. I have a range of configurations that I use to transfer the weight of my head off of my ear and on to other places on my head/face.
It can be worse when I have bad allergies and I somewhat convinced I have some kind of low grade ear infection because my Eustachian tube does not open up well.
I have been to three ENTs and they just all look at me funny and there is not a lot they think they can do. One has suggested near-permanent tubes in my ears, but I do not want to do that.
I do not have any of those skin cancer type things that the people above are talking about. The pain does not instantly go away like some of the others have mentioned. It just slowly subsides over 15 minutes.
I do not know of my ear cartilage is hard. I don’t touch other people’s. I do not have major hearing loss.
Well hello to everyone on here. I am a 47 yr old aussie, from central Victoria in Australia. We are in the start of our spring weather, with major heat expected this year…I have just found this forum and all this wonderful info from you all about ear cartilage pain. I seem to have similarities with a few of you. My problem is with my right ear, although a few nights back, it was both ears…and that was a shock…My pain can start anytime time of day or night. It doesn’t matter what I am doing or not doing. It just starts and it’s there for the long haul until I can get to something that will help get rid of the pain. Pain killers do nothing. I rely on heat to help me. I did at some stage carry around self-heating pads that I could use if I happen to be out somewhere where I didn’t have access to my heat pack and microwave at home. I sometimes am able to cup my hand over my ear to get some warmth to it too. I too have been to the doctor and given the shrug. They don’t seem to understand…so how can there be so many people with this inflicting condition and no doctor knowing what it is or how to treat it? For me this started probably about 2 years ago. It was not all the time, maybe a week or two in between attacks, but now it can be every day, several times a day. It drives me to distraction as I cannot concentrate on what I am doing when I am at my worst. I don’t have Lupus or RA, but I am looking into Sjrogens…which my mother has…she also has RA, Mitochondrialmyopathy, other arthritis and many many other medical problems, too many to list…but we both have fibromyalgia. I also have TMJ, severely too…a doc told me once, don’t ever let any doctor tell you to have your jaw wired !!! As if ??? But it is so bad that I have to move my jaw sideways several times a day to make this rather audible loud crack on each side. If I don’t do that, I swell up and can’t eat. I also have a problem with my parotid gland on my left side. It swells up the left side of my face and can be quite tender to the touch. This usually happens after eating sometimes but can also start without eating…this is not as regular a problem as my right ear. I also have tinnitis, had that for 20 years now. Also have problems with sinuses, ear blocking (eustasion tubes), vertigo occassionaly…used to get that real bad and fall down a lot…So I’m guessing that maybe all these connecting “head gear” area contributing factor in this problem? Does anyone else feel that there is a connection between all these factors? And I’m wondering also if this can be associated with Trigeminal Nuralgia? A facial nerve that is in the face, neck and around the ear area also? That is a excruciating pain, a friend experiences this pain and I’m thinking that this cartilage pain is somewhere up there with this pain. I’m at the end of my tether with this. As everyone has described, the pain is the upper outter part of my ear, the hard boney cartilage, with no obvious signs of stress or pain. Cannot be touched without excruciating pain, but like someone else mentioned, if moved about gently, there is a crack or clunk in those nerves and feels like something is being realigned…I sometimes feel it also when turning my head to the side as if it’s pulling a nerve or sinew? It can be any time day or night, not just brought on by sleeping on but one night a few nights ago I was up 3 times to get the heat pack…and it continued for a couple of days on and off. Right now I’m good, touch wood…but I never know when it’s gunna start up again. I would love to hear from anyone on here that may be in Australia and their experience with doctors about this. Cheers and protect those ears 
So hey, i have the same ish with my ears. Its started out just a few nights a year, now its a few nights a week! I wake with excruciating pain and cant even move- as any movement puts the pain thru the roof. I cant even touch an ice pack to my skin around the ear when this happens. Eventually the pain subsides and i can go back to sleep.
Yesterday i noticed my ear hurting mildly alk day, and thought maybe i was getting an ear infection. At some point i had an itch or something and pressed on the cartilage at tge opening of the ear (something ive done a million times to plug my ears or relieve an inner ear itch) and the pain dropped me to the floor. Its been about 12 hours and i still cant touch that spot.
My pain management doctor thinks this may be a fibromyalgia thing. Something with the nerves.
Ive had issues with fluid and pressure in both ears for years, tmj problems, and my ears are super sensitive to the cold. It would be nice to not have to worry about covering or plugging my ears in the cold- and to not be afraid to SLEEP.
*Luvvin them zombies tho
OMG! I can’t believe I’m reading all these. I’m getting the exact pain in fact I’ve got one at the moment reason I googled it. I just came from a doctor’s appointment this morning and he told me about something to do with my jaw. He wants me to get an x-ray.
OMG! I can’t believe I’m reading all these. I’m getting the exact pain in fact I’ve got one at the moment reason I googled it. I just came from a doctor’s appointment this morning and he told me about something to do with my jaw. He wants me to get an x-ray at first I was like how the hell’s it got something to do with my jaw. My first thought was it’s just an inflamed skin but when I ask my husband to have a look at it he can’t see anything. When I first started getting this pain it will only last for a minute or two but now it would last for an hour or sometimes more. I can’t move my head, I can’t touch my ear and it’s just too painful.
Would really appreciate any input on this, it’s getting really frustrating. Need help desperately as I’m getting the pain more often. Before I won’t get it for a month or two but now it’s like almost every day.
By the way, I’m also from Aussie
I registered just now solely for the purpose of helping anyone who may stumble upon this thread, as it’s–oddly–one of few search results about this mysterious cartilage pain!
After doing some Googling around, I have found theories that it may be due to inflammation inside of our ears, and can be treated with steroids.
It sounded unlikely to me, because the pain is SO intense, SO external, and SO affected by my moving the outer ear–I didn’t see how it could be caused by inner inflammation, but I did an experiment and put some cortizone ointment on the dreaded q-tip (actually the beloved q-tip, but likely the cause of my inflammation!), and it worked!!! The pain went away almost instantly!!! & stayed away for weeks!!
Months have passed since then (almost a year), and the pain returns…maybe every few weeks or so? Sometimes a month in between or more (I actually forget about it) & each time it returns, as soon as I get home (it usually happens at work), I do the q-tip/cortizone thing, and it goes away.
& I used to have this pain every day or every other day, INTENSELY, near the end of the work day. I used to think it was from an allergy to my earrings. I tried wearing different types to test (plastic, metal, etc), but there was no rhyme or reason to it. I finally abandoned earrings totally, and would still get the pain. That’s when I started Googling.
Doubting myself and my findings, I brought this up to my doctor at a checkup this month. I told him, in true hypochondriac style, that I thought I might have an outer ear infection (which also came up a lot in my Googling). He assured me that I do not, and said that although I don’t appear to have an ear wax blockage, I really need to stop cleaning my ears with q-tips, as it can irritate and inflame the middle ear, causing external pain. That cemented it for me. I didn’t share with him my cortizone technique with the doc, but I thought I’d leave it here, in the hopes that someone desperately searching online can find relief.
In conclusion:
1.Are you a person who shares our weird, intense, external ear pain that hurts SEVERELY when you touch or move your ear, to the point that you can’t wear glasses or, sometimes, move your jaw?
2. Do you clean your ears with q-tips? (perhaps daily, as I like to) or stick something else naughty in your ear to achieve those daily “eargasms” (pen top, bobby pin, nail file, etc.)?
3. Then dab a little cortizone ointment on one of those q-tips/pen caps/bobby pins/etc and ease your inflammation. You’re welcome.
After 20 years I now know that there are other crazies like me!
I will have to try the cortisone trick. The only thing that works for me is to abruptly pull on my earlobe as if I was performing an aggressive chiropractic move. It hurts like a futhermucker. I don’t always have the stomach for it.
My wife thinks I’m batshit crazy…
dang, me too. I sometimes wake up with that uh oh feeling becasue as bad as my ear hurts at that point I know moving my head will intenify the pai. I usually make a little nest of my pillows so that my ear isn’t resting on the pillow. My new dentist thinks it is a jaw issue but I really don’t think it is AND his fix is to wear some sort of think in my mouth at night. I won’t be able to stand anything in my mouth while I sleep and I think my jaw is plenty relaxed given how I wake up with my mouth hanging open. I do dry my ears with a cotton swab after showering or swimming as I can’t stand any water in my ear so maybe I have irritated it. The antihistamines I have been taking aen’t helping my ear (which I thought was what was causing tinitus as well congestion and coughing) so cortizone won’t hurt.
I’ve just found this thread via google search. Great to read I’m not the only one. My symptoms are a stabbing pain in the outer ear (pinna). I also experience sensitive scalp and cheek and it’s all on the right side. I also get swollen gum like a wisdom tooth growing. Pain is mild only uncomfortable but ear can throb when bending over. The pin stabbing pain in ear comes on and off and control with anti inflammatories and rubbing detol and now dermaid (cortisone) after reading this thread. I thought it was a ear infection with pain radiating to other areas. Very frustrating. After googling, some sites say fibromyalgia or worse. It’s weird but pain killers usually work until next time. I’m Australian 47 year old female. One other thing… I wear ear headphones at the gym, this may be related. I’ve also ruled out dental as problem.
I am amused that EIGHT years after the thread start, and several necrobumps later, Colibri decided it needed a forum change. That there is some sloooooow moderation.
I have a question for those with ear cartilage pain. Do any of you have ears that protrude? I’ve had the same issue but only for the last 10 years or so and am in my 60s. My ears do protrude, and I was thinking that might be the cause of this pain upon waking from sleeping on my side. It’s only on the left side and happens even with soft pillow use. I do have TMJ arthritis. I also tried the massage, and it magically worked! The accupressure on the thumb web did not work. I’m not trying to yell with this large font–it’s just easier for me to see.
I’m not the only one!?!
Pain in the cartilage of my left ear…for some reason that side is stiffer,the right is more “floppy”.
I found some foam,made a circle and cut out an ear sized hole… Worked.
wrestling headgear may prove useful.
I am sorry so many of you have been suffering the same pain as I have for so long. I know how much it hurts and how difficult it can be to explain where it hurts to others, especially medical professionals who I am afraid have no clue whatsoever from my experience.
My story has been similar to yours but I believe I can trace mine back to a wisdom tooth operation. When I came round my mouth had been stretched so much that the inside of my cheeks are still scarred to this day - 28 years later.
I am sorry so many of you have been suffering the same pain as I have for so long. I know how much it hurts and how difficult it can be to explain where it hurts to others, especially medical professionals who I am afraid have no clue whatsoever from my experience.
My story has been similar to yours but I believe I can trace mine back to a wisdom tooth operation. When I came round my mouth had been stretched so much that the inside of my cheeks are still scarred to this day - 28 years later.
- It only affects my right ear
- It feels like somebody is pushing a hot knife into my ear
- It always comes on at night
- Painkillers don’t really work
- You don’t want to touch it because it is hyper sensitive
My doctors have diagnosed it as Neuralgia, eczema of the ear, a slipped disc and when I suggested it was probably Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) (please go to http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/temporomandibular-joint-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx ) this particular doctor agreed with me. I am now not so convinced even though the symptoms match quite well.
I think what we all have is something very particular to the cartilage structure of our ear and the condition is triggered by effectively dislocating the ear. This dislocation has the result of causing severe pain because the nerves are becoming entangled like bare wires in a flex and it is causing a short circuit. It certainly feels that way.
In my case it is caused by:
- Sleeping on that side for too long
- Staring at a computer screen for too long
- Cleaning my ear with a cotton wool bud
- Stressing and clenching my jaw in my sleep
- Bad luck
I found that heating the area with a hot towel allows me to manipulate the ear so as to click it back. When I move my ear around it is very painful but after a while the pain goes - however you still feel a dull throb for a while afterwards.
I went for years with no episodes but when stressed it comes back so I try to relax as much as possible. As I write this I am just getting over another bout and have just grabbed my ear and pushed and pulled it.
Let’s call it ‘Stress Ear’
Thanks to everybody for sharing - not happy that you all have pain but relieved I am not alone.
Cheers,
Maf.
Yep! Like all of you, i’m glad i found this site.
I’ll go straight to the point. Yes, i have the protruding cartilage in my ear as well as the sharp pain. I’m single, male and approaching 40. I guess i started having this pain in the past 2-3 years.
I discovered the instant remedy! The moment i’m having this pain, I raise my head - imagine looking down on a table - and now slowly moving your eyes (with your head) up till you look at ceiling…the moment i reach the top, i feel sudden ‘click’ or more like a tendon, cartilage, snapped back to its correct place and the pain is gone.
Before, i use to suffer from this pain for hours and hours. Now, the moment i feel the pain, i just raise my head to ceiling, the thing snaps, and the pain is gone instantly like i never had it before.
Try it and let me know if it works for you guys too.
All the best.
HURRAH!!! I have had this exact kind of excruciating, inexplicable ear cartilage pain for years and, despite many searches on Google, this is the first time I’ve found anything!! The only remedy that I have found is to very gently place a very hot hot water bottle near my ear (always the left), then, as it heats up, to move my ear closer and closer to the heat, finally being able to rest the affected ear on the hot water bottle, and then the pain disappears. Hope that helps someone out there. And if anybody else gelt more intel on this mystery, please post!!