# Weird ear-ache **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998 "2007-12-14T15:08:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/1 "2007-12-14T15:08:07Z")
OK, about 3 weeks ago I had a bad dose of the flu and it took about a week to recover. Since then I’ve still felt quite tired and run down, and have been enjoying 2 coldsores on my lip over the past few days. Today I’ve had quite a few episodes where I have experienced a sharp pulsating pain in my ear. Sometimes it’s only been about 3 pulses, other times it’s been about 30. I’ve not had many ear infections in my lifetime, so I’m not sure if this is a sign of an infection? Has anyone had this sort of pain? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/2 "2007-12-14T15:10:38Z")
Ear pain is way to close to the brain for me, see a doc at your earliest convenience. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/3 "2007-12-14T16:35:08Z")
I’ll second the call to go see a doctor. I have only a snippet of info for you. The throat and the ears run on the same nerve, and a pain in one place may produce pain in the other. Ear pain is not to be trifled with. Go to the doc now. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/4 "2007-12-14T16:36:17Z")
Pah, these are not the answers I was looking for! 😉 OK, I’ll see what it’s like in the morning and make an appointment if they are still sore. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/5 "2007-12-14T22:16:19Z")
**sandra nz** , for a whole fistful of reasons, we don’t practice long-distance medicine here. For one thing, **Philsphr** and I are not medical doctors. We have a few actual doctors here, but even they aren’t **your** doctors. You won’t see them writing, “OK, I have to examine you. Take off your clothes, and lie down in front of your computer.” Nope. Go see your own doc. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/6 "2007-12-16T03:41:54Z")
Aside from what has already been said, I often get that sort of pulsing pain from the early stages of an inner ear infection (which I get several of a year). It’s likely that you’ll need an antibiotic and ear drops. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/7 "2007-12-16T05:52:02Z")
_See your MD._ Those kind of ear aches can be dangerous. An OTC decongestant might give \*short term \*relief until then. But promise me, that if it does, you’ll still see the MD, as it almost certainly will not cure the problem, just help with the symptoms for a bit. For the coldsores, dose your body up with Probiotics. Or search here, there are quite a few decent home treatments for them. There are a few things your Doc can do to help, but those are an issue which is often discussed here as even modern medicine doesnt have a sure cure. Nor are they generally life threatening, just annoying and ugly as hell. \* See your MD. \* ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/8 "2007-12-16T06:15:43Z")
What they said. Do a search for my ruptured eardrum thread if you’re thinking about seeing if it resolves on its own. I appear to have permanent hearing loss. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/9 "2007-12-16T06:14:17Z")
Duplicate hung post deleted ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/10 "2007-12-19T05:19:17Z")
What did the Doc say? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-ear-ache/429998/11 "2007-12-19T09:49:33Z")
They improved over the weekend so I’ve not been to the doctor.