sharp head pain above and behind right ear

Question

Hi, can anyone give me a clue as to why I am suffering from sudden sharp head pain above and behind my right ear? It has only occurred in the last couple of days. The pain is coming often, sometimes several times a minute, its very sharp, makes me wince and catch my breath and is then gone. There is no warning and is worrying me. The area is beginning to feel bruised, without being poked about. Sometimes, the pain shoots into the neck down behind my ear. Generally I am in good health, I am of average weight, 36 yrs old and I smoke about 5-10 cigarettes per day. I have been quite tired recently and have noticed in the last couple of weeks some muscle and joint soreness and stiffness (iv'e put down to arthritic or rheumatic pain), especially in my hands, back and neck - not dehabillitating, but quite sore. I hope someone can put my mind at rest that none of these symptoms are connected and the sudden onset of these sharp headache pains is just stress or something similarly normal? Oh, and I do have a cough from a nasty cold with fluish type symptoms which I got in China at the end of August - the cough never completely cleared up, but I guess that is down to the smoking.... I know the answer to that one, but anyone who wants to tell me to stop, please feel free!! Maybe it will help push me into it...! thanks to anyone who can help with the headaches!

Asked by Guest on Oct 11th 2007 ⚑

Post Answer Follow

by Guest on Jun 20th 2009 · Accepted Answer · 2009-06-20 05:20:47

While it's always a good idea to check out symptoms with your doctor I'd just like to reassure people who're worried about this pain by telling them I've had it on and off for most of my adult life, ie more than 30 years. It comes and stays for 24 - 48 hours, then it goes and I don't have it again for months. So what causes it? Hard to say and doctors usually admit they aren't certain, but if it doesn't go away within a few days they will usually send you for tests. It seems many people who get it have sinus issues and get it when their congestion is at its worst. I have bad sinusitis so this could be true in my case, although I have to say that since my sinusitis is a chronic condition I can't help but wonder why the sharp stabbing pain above my ear should only appear sporadically and not necessarily when my sinus congestion is at its worst. It could also be associated with an ear infection or even with damage to the ear drum if someone has been too enthusiastic when cleaning their ear with a cotton bud or something like that (NOT a good thing to do, as we all know!). As I don't attack my ear with a cotton bud this isn't the case for me, but I thought I'd mention it in case it helps someone else to track down the cause of their problem. Compression of a nerve could be to blame and in my own case I sometimes think this could be the culprit. I often surf the Net while sitting up in bed, leaning against my metal headboard. I use a pillow behind my back, of course, but it tends to slip down a bit and I find myself leaning against the hard metal headboard, which is of the wrought iron type. The trouble is I'm so engrossed in what I'm doing online that I end up leaning against the metal too long and perhaps this means that a nerve is being irritated and thus causes the pain. I don't notice pain at the time, it tends to start later but may be caused by this nerve irritation. Stress? Hmm, yes, I think this could also be involved - who isn't stressed at some time in their lives? Tightening up muscles can certainly affect nerves nearby and cause pain. Jaw trouble? Yes, this could also be involved, especially if someone has temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). I have a mild case of TMJ, so there's a slight possibility this could also be causing the pain or making it worse. Neck problems could also be involved, as could dental trouble. As there are so many things that could cause this type of pain it's always worth having a word with your doctor, both to see if the cause can be found and especially to rule out some other, more serious, cause. But for most people the cause will be something not too serious, if indeed the cause can be found at all. Many people are like me, they have bouts of this pain all their lives, it comes for a day or two and then goes away and is forgotten about until the next time. Head pain, especially of the agonising type (and these pains, though brief, are certainly agonising) is worrying to most people, as their thoughts tend to rush immediately to serious conditions such as aneurysms and tumours. I would urge anyone with even the slightest worry about such things to see their doctor, if only for reassurance, as the stress involved in worrying may well make the pain they already have worse or prolong its duration. Thankfully, most people won't have anything serious wrong with them. After 30 years of this pain coming and going I'm still in good health otherwise and the pain hasn't changed from the first time I got it - it's still as annoying as ever, but that's all. Best of luck to everyone reading this - I hope you get rid of your pain soon.