Severe ear pain caused when I lay down at night.

I have that problem with both ears. The only solution that helps me is to use a microbead pillow. I make a hole in the pillow where my ear rests and wake up without pain.

I have ear pain only when I lie down and my Doc is treating me for acid reflux but also have to watch what foods I eat.

I'm only 15 and i've had this problem for about a year,.so it doesn't involve pregnacy. but the pain is horrible. it's not as bad when i first wake up, but as soon as i lift it off the pillow it worsens imensily, i also thought it was only me..

Wow Same Problem

Is this helping?

I used to tell my roommates I was a fat head because I thought my head was too heavy for my ears, but then I told someone about it and she said it was the kind of pillow I was using. I haven't experienced pain since, until my boyfriend went out of town and i used his pillow. I woke up in the middle of the night in serious pain and switched pillows - no more pain. It sounds simple, but some pillows give way to your ear and some don't. I used to crunch up feather pillows so they were firm -- the worst!!! Just experiment with different pillows.

My symptoms are the same as you...been going on for 10 years. I even thought the same thing about a tumor...lol. Now that I've read this and all the other posts I'm not waisting my time at a doctor.

hi there, i think i have the cause and solution to your problem. I have also suffered from severe ear pain at night when applying pressure or sleeping on my side and it has also caused me to wake up. It definitely involved the outer ear cartlidge and when inspecting it; i found 2 small black heads inside the folds of the cartlidge. I used a warm face cloth to wipe the cartlidge folds clean and it eventually softened the blackheads (which were considerable large and caused the gathering of fluid in that area.) The black heads were then squeezed and I no longer had ear pain when sleeping on my side. However not all pimples are visible and some are "blind pimples" so you may not be able to see or locate them at all. The best method is to slowly apply pressure to the different areas of the cartlidge until you can pin point the pain. Then everyday apply some pressure until a small pimple head forms and it can be popped. Gross i know, but it's really common problem and doctors will not b able to pick it up because it is not easily visible. hope this helps

I have the same problem ... can't lift my head off the pillow when it happens ... have to put my hand under my head and lift it that way, then pull on my ear to "bring it back". I was told by my doctor, that it's because the cartilidge on my outer ear sticks out a bit and when I sleep on my ear, it "goes to sleep" ... cuts off the blood supply to the area. My mother had the same thing and she ended up later in life have to have a small piece of that cartilidge removed because it formed a "scab" in that area and wouldn't heal. The doctor that did that surgery said that is what causes it. He was a dermatologist ... so maybe if you went to one of them, they could diagnose it.

I have the same thing and it's caused by a tick borne bacteria called anaplasmosis. If your joints hurt in addition to the ear pain, you need to go to a specialist and have bloodwork done. Dr. Gaito in Basking Ridge, a rheumatologist is the best to go to. Most docs don't even know what anaplasmosis is.

I have been suffering from this pain for a year now. It came on very suddenly and hurts like hell. The entire outer ear hurts, around the back, and if I even slightly touch any of the area that has cartilage it brings me to the point of tears - sometimes screams. My pillow often feels like a weapon. BUT, it's not only upon waking that I feel this. Sometimes it'll happen spontaneously during the day...and go away as spontaneously. Sometimes it'll last for a few minutes, sometimes for a few hours. Sometimes for a full day or 2. I've been to the MD, the ENT, and a neurologist. Ive had CT scans and MRIs. No one knows what is going on, and they look at me like I am crazy.

Hot compresses don't help me. Nor does tugging on my ear. Supplementing with D and calcium don't help, nor does acupuncture. I'm trying chiropractic now...so far, NO LUCK!!!!

What is wrong?? Why does no one believe us that this pain is severe and very real???

I have this same problem. I find that it generally helps to slowly lift your ear from the pillow, as this causes a gradual decrease in pain. This is what I do every night, and the pain goes away. Then I turn to my other side so as not to irritate the same ear again

I am also a person that has ear pain at night and have been for many years. I am glad to hear these stories as time went on I thought I had something severe wrong and was very scared until reading these stories. I thought I was the only one! I also try elevating my ears with my hand at night. I am now every night up hurting with both ears. Sometimes all I have to do is just touch my ear to the pillow and it will automatically start hurting. These are the nights I know its gonna be a bad night. Thank you all for the shared info.

 

Ive been having pains in my ear, like its swollen bt actually isnt, definitely not inside my ear, think i slept on it. And its been 3 days and the pain gets worse more so when i touch it.... Help

Do not be afraid. There is nothing that much wrong with you all. there is no need to see docs for this matter anymore . i tell you what to do.(this is what i just found and my earache went away)

 

Do not massage the other outer cartilages.first you will feel that the pain gets worse and worse. if it happened you just found the pain source and this is the first step to complete treatment.

Repeat massaging after every 2 or 3 hours. (only massage for few seconds) 

After 2 or 3 days since you have started massaging, you will notice your earache is considerably better or even 100 percent cured.

my case was terrible pain in both ear canals, cartilages for 2 years and even back of my head got terribly sore when i slept on my back but now i sleep very well without suffering any earache or even headache!

i wish you earache free sleeps. please leave a comment if it works  for you too.