Monday, March 09, 2009 averypeng asks

Q: Night time ear pain

At night if I sleep on my right side of my head, if I lay on my ear to long or if it gets to warm in the room, I get a horrid earache. Sometimes the pain gets so bad it radiates through out my face. The pain can be so bad I have to slide my hand under my face and put pressure on that side of my face. Slowly lift my head up to switch sides. Sometimes even if I am laying on my back and the pillow hits it just right I still ge tthis pain. the pain is so tear jerking! This is a reoccuring issue for well over 10 years, with no answers. Since we moved to Alaska 4 months ago it has gotten worse. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas other than not sleeping on my right side?? Thanks a bunch

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Answers (4)

Karen Lee Richards, Health Guide

3/10/09 4:47am

Anything causing you that much pain really needs to be checked out by a doctor. There can be a number of different causes for facial pain and there's no way to tell without a physical examination and medical history.

The first thing that came to my mind from your description was trigeminal neuralgia. Here is a link to more information on trigeminal neuralgia if you'd like to learn more about it: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/trigeminal_neuralgia.htm

Without knowing exactly what is causing the pain, I wouldn't know what to suggest to alleviate it. Once your doctor gives you a diagnosis, he should also be able to give you some treatment options.

geenie

6/ 4/09 12:42am

glad to hear me and my seven brothers and sisters are not alone! The pain is incredible making you feel as if you have a "real ear infection" yet in the morning its gone just like that... We call it Th "____ ear' (our last name). I get it maybe EVERY 3 to 6 months no explanation, right ear I can barely turn my head it hurts so much... But I do and I get up take some advil walk around a lil while then its gone...DR.'s think I am nuts "everything normal...bunch of baloney..most of us had tubes put in ears.. its the fluid so you have to stand and walk around and take some pain reliever for the after math...good luck you are stuck with this...

fwald

5/21/10 9:38am

I am so glad you posted this, because I have the same problem periodically, and the Dr's I have seen have diagnosed everything from arthritis to TMJ. I started hearing loud noises also and the Dr's I have seen have never heard of that. Wish I could find a Dr with more knowledge.

rachelle

9/19/10 1:48pm

I have had this problem--always while I sleep--for about 15 years. It feels like a massive ear infection (always the left side), wakes me rudely, and lasts only a couple minutes. While the pain is focused on my inner ear, a gentle touch of my jaw near my ear will send a shooting pain inside my ear even worse. I have recently concluded that I have trigeminal neuralgia.

I successfully treat the symptoms when they occur. I keep a dorm-size fridge in my bedroom with an ice pack in the freezer section. As soon as the pain wakes me, I grab the ice pack and go back to bed, with my ear on the icepack. The cold completely and immediately numbs the pain, and I'm back to sleep in seconds.

When I travel, I take a single use, instant ice pack along just in case.

Hope this helps someone.

Meera

8/19/11 3:17am

I have the same problem of the pain in the right ear at night. First I thought it was the ear lobe but could not pin point to any specific area. At times it feels that the tube has some kind of sensation.

I took homeopathic treatment for a few days. It helped for 2 months only then the pain suddenly re-apperared.

I went to an ENT specialist who asked me to get the ear cleaned, get an x-ray of the neck region to check if some thing was pressing any nerve. Even after his treament I am back to square one. The problem seems to appear suddenly and then disappear. Now I do accupressure of the lobe when pain appears. Does any one know of a better option?

squirrel63

8/19/11 10:08pm

I am sorry to hear that you are having problems.I agree with Karen..the way that you are describing your pain route..it does sound like its following the trigeminal nerve route.

As always..check with your physician,and be tested.

Hope that you find the solution to your pain.I hope you feel better soon.God Bless.

Q: Night time ear pain

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