Severe ear pain caused when I lay down at night.

the person that post previous to mine has the best response. i have kind of the sa,e problem. however the pain in my ear happens at night with lying down. my solution (not recommending anyone to try this) is, make a fist with one knuckle more pointed then the others and lightly punch myself in the ear. works quickly and effectively every time for about 18-24 hours. I read that cooking a onion in olive oil and putting a drop of cooled oil in the ear. I haven't tried that technique yet. Although, I should try it tonight. There has to be a better method than punching myself in the head.

I would agree with staying in the same position too long. Maybe some of us, like me, take a sleeping pill at night which makes us not realize to switch positions sooner.

I am 60 and have the same problem. I use 2 pillows: one as a base and the other is a soft, feather pillow that I can shape. It helps relieve neck and shoulder strain but also is a soft cushion for my ear. One very important thing...check your pillow case. I just switched to a satiny smooth case and it helped a lot! The old cotton ones that can pill are too rough on the ear. Good luck!

nettie_lou wrote:

Guest wrote:

I have the same ear pain! It's not an ear infection by any means. When most people turn in their sleep, they wake with no recollection of the event but when I turn (or shift) in my sleep I'm awakened because I can't lift my head off the pillow or even move my head for that matter because if I attempt to do so I find the crushing pain around my upper ear unbareable.

It's as though my entire head weighs like a ton and that weight crushing my ear against my pillow is what's causing it. I wanna say it happens because some of us sleep with our head in the same position for way too long. I wish there were a cure for it cause when it happens and it wakes me I have to carefully lift my head really slowly and that's the most painful period. Do those of you that also suffer from this also find you don't move much while you sleep? I'm also beginning to suffer similar pains elsewhere on my body and again I want to attribute it to sleeping in the same position for too long .... Anyone else???

I would agree with staying in the same position too long. Maybe some of us, like me, take a sleeping pill at night which makes us not realize to switch positions sooner.

I posted on this subject quite a while ago, and still haven't found an answer. Your description of the ear pain you experience at night is exactly how I feel. I have been to multiple TMJ specialists, otologists, neurotologists and neurologists and they are all stumped. My daughter suffers from migraines, and I often get attacks of pain at the same time that she gets her spells. One otologist thought that I could have some kind of variant migraine. I find that the spells of sharp stabbing ear pain hit at midcycle and right before period, at times of stress, when I'm cleaning closets and tilting my head upward. One thing the doctors all agree on--that I suffer from nerve pain, though nerve pain drugs do not help. But I have been reading about the B vitamins lately and nerve pain--particularly b6 and b12. I have found that after I was diagnosed and treated for thyroid and parathyroid abnormalities, the pain doesn't last as long or come as often. As a result, I have also changed my diet to drastically reduce sugars and I find a good balance between carbs and protein. I used to eat a lot of carbs. And I eat a lot of fiber, which helps to neutralize the sugars and keep me balanced. But beyond that, I have not been diagnosed, and this problem has been going on for over 12 years. For the last year and a half I have been taking vitamin B2 and magnesium supplements based on the theory of a variant migraine, as these nutrients can be therapeutic for migraines. I think perhaps they have been of some help but I'm not sure.....

Well i am a 38yr old male and I too get those pains. Im not sure it has to do with hormones, i think it also has to do with the way i am sleeping or something. I wake up from one ear in pain and roll over to the other side. Not long after that I will wake up again from that ear hurting and continue the cycle. Im not a big "back sleeper" i prefer to sleep on my side. I think it could be the pillow but have tried several different pillows and it doesnt seem to help. The pain is severe and has been going on & off now for several years.

Hi. i am a 27yr old female. i too have had this devil pain since last yr. i remember i had to rest long 'cause i was suffering from severe tali bone pain.(though i still suffer!) lying for 3-4 hrs reading books derived me into this excruciating ears and back head pain( i would like to call it the whole skull pain). i went through x-ray scan: no specific clue .maybe only some guess of cervical rib. not that much though. also no infection in both ears. i have had all my 4 wisdon theeth drawn out. so i don't think it is because of wisdom tooth.I have also Hypothyroidism. a hole in the pillow does help but i think it is not the very solution. sth is wrong in my body since i suffer from coccydynia too. i would appreciate your advice and help.

Actually for me the more expensive high thread count pillow cases where the worst. Saw a post that praised flannel ones and they do work better. One of my main solutions for years (I have had this for 20+ years) is to put my hair (thankfully which is long) flat under my head, between my ear and the pillow. It help A LOT.

Your post very interesting/helpful! I am 69 and started having pain in my left ear; heart side so am concerned but can't get in at the doctor for another month. I've heard it could be vascular or jaw related. Worried because a friend had eye and ear pain on left side and had a seziure. Please post again with all you are able to find out from your pursuits of various doctors. My general doctor just looked down the ear and said he saw nothing. Still in pain. I do have an overbite and do wonder if jaw/bite related? Could also be lack of calcium or other supplement/vitamin?? Hopefully not heart/stroke related.

This outer ear pain phenomenon has been happening to me since I've been off birth control pills for 1+ years intermittently. I'm 46 years old. It's happened the past two nights on my right side. I just woke up with it 30 min ago and started typing in my browser and found all these posts-it helps to know there are others out there but...a definitive answer is still lacking for me.

I doubt I have degenerative temporal bone whatever diagnosis but I guess it's possible. It's happened to me with both ears, at separate times, pain upon lifting my head off pillow that relieves itself in 15-20 min. ??Very weird-I'm seeing my MD in two days who's trained in holistic medicine as well and I'm printing off all these posts to show her.

I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia with a three hour GTT glucose tolerance test about 15 years ago and it's a condition I deal with every day of my life. I know I've not been following my diet very closely and have had extra work related stress for the past two years. I know quite a bit about hypoglycemia since both my sons were diagnosed within a couple years of myself and I know how severe the symptoms can be--I'm going to stay away from sugar, white flour, breads, and fruit for awhile as I would suggest all of you do to combat this very uncomfortable sleep related pain/symptom.

It's just weird that in the fifteen years of having diagnosed hypoglycemia this symptom is new to me. I feel it may be related to hormones- something my physician is currently monitoring. This problem/symptom I've neglected to bring up to her in her office and I feel ridiculous for it. I've just been living with this occasional ,yet disruptive pain. But the past two nights brought it into focus for me that I have to do something about it. 

As of the past 5-6 weeks I've also been experiencing right shoulder pain and spasms for which I've been taking motrin and dealing with on a daily basis being careful at work not to lift on that side as much-could be aggravating the ear situation. And to complicate the whole thing even more I do clench my jaw and I've had a bite guard I've worn before at night and I'll be digging that out this weekend too.

I will be getting myself back on track as far as the diet goes and if I can help anyone with a hypoglycemia diet  ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

Its good to see I'm not alone in this but it sucks the rest of you have to deal with this as well. Its ridiculous how much it hurts!!! I started experiencing this about 2 years ago. I am 30. I wake up and try to lift my ear up and any movement makes it worse. I have to tell my bf to stay still so I can lift my head off the pillow. I use a feather pillow. It does make a difference from my other pillows(the harder the pillow the more I wake up in pain). I might mention it to my doctor but I have other issues that need more attention. Was just looking it up because I was thinking about trying out a new pillow but I doubt I will be able to find a ringed shaped feathered pillow.

Actually, I was gonna make a ring shaped feather pillow out of an old pillow case and an old feather pillow. Find a lady that knows how to sew! :)

I have had this as long as I can remember. I most definitely clench my teeth at night and wear a guard. Never thought before that they could be related - and still am skeptical - but you never know.

Stick to the fluffy feather pillow and low thread count pillow case!

I have had this problem for years and thought I was crazy.  I went to my chiropractor and told him about it.  He seemed to know what it was and did some adjustments to my head and neck.  It worked after one visit and I had no pain for years.  It just started to come back again the last few months.  After reading these posts I am definitely going back to my chiropractor because it sounds like it is the best solution so far.  It seemed like a bone would put pressure on the nerve in my ear when I slept and he adjusted it enough that it no longer put pressure on my nerve.  I hope this info will work for some of you.

Thanks for your post regarding chiropractor adjustment of head and neck as solution to this problem I will be investigating this further.

I have had this problem on and off for about 10 years. The worst was last year when i would get it almost every night. I seemed to always be sick at the time (cold, flu or something). I changed my diet by cutting out most processed foods, including hydrogenated oils and pasturized milk, continue to take multi-vitamins, especially vitamin d, and have been taking Cell Food drops, which is dessicated oxygen. The Cell Food made me feel worse for a few weeks, swollen lymph nodes, flu-like symptoms, etc. but I kept taking it and now feel better and have had the pain in my ears only when I get sick, which isn't very often now. I have had problems with fatigue for years and I think the Cell Food took all the viruses and toxins out of my body, which is why i felt worse at first (this is normal with detox). I continue to take the Cell Food and eat healthy fresh foods, and have much more energy and don't get sick everytime I'm around someone who is sick.