Other Causes of Ear Pain

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Ear pain is not always caused by your ear.   In fact, other conditions can cause significant ear pain.

TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ)

Issues with your jaw joint or what is called the TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ) can lead to ear pain. The front part of the ear canal is part of what makes up your jaw joint. There are nerves that help bring sensation and movement to both the jaw as well as your middle ear and because of this, pain in the jaw can cause pain in your ear. If you have a history of clenching or grinding your teeth, this can cause issues with your TMJ and further cause ear pain.

Typically, you may just have pain that feels deep in the ear without any change to your hearing or drainage from the ear. In this case, using a warm compress, gently massaging your jaw joint, wearing a mouth guard at night and keeping your diet soft may help with the pain. 

Neck/Cervical Spine Conditions

If you have neck pain or have trouble with arthritis related to your neck, this can also lead to pain in the ears. If your neck is sore or you experience headaches and/or burning of your neck as well as ear pain, this may all be related. This may be associated with an intense pain or pressure of the neck, ear and on the same side of your face. 

Dental Issues

Many dental issues – cavities, gum disease, tooth infection, etc. can lead to pain in the ears. Though there may be nothing wrong with your ear, there are nerves (that supply sensation and movement) that are involved with both the mouth/jaw and ear that can make your dental pain cause ear pain.

If you think you might have an ear infection, and would like to make an appointment to see one of the ENT physicians, please call MetroHealth Medical Center at 216-778-8890.

There is no rating available for this provider for one of two reasons: he or she does not see patients, or has not received the minimum number of patient survey responses.

Top 4 Symptoms Your Stiff Neck May Be Causing

Many Australians are silently suffering the painful effects from a stiff neck without understanding that they can do something about it.   If you have a stiff neck, it may be causing you a variety of symptoms other than neck pain, these can include one or more of the following:

• Headaches
• Arm Pain
• Pins and needles in your arm and/or hand
• Face and Jaw Pain
• Sinus Pain

Stiff Necks Cause Headaches

Headaches are a very common symptom of neck stiffness, often mentioned in unison, with the presence of the former usually indicating the presence of the latter.

When you have a stiff neck, the upper neck joints are usually rigid and can refer pain through your nerves to your head – causing headaches and neck-related migraines. These headaches are likely triggered when your stiff neck irritates, strains, or compresses the nerves in your neck.

Poor posture and ergonomics, weak and poorly controlled neck and upper back muscles, inflammation in the neck joints or soft tissue strain can all lead to headaches.  

At City Physio Adelaide we can identify, through thorough assessment, which specific areas are contributing to your headaches and target our treatment to those specific regions or dysfunctions to alleviate your stiff neck, and in turn, your headache pain.

Stiff Necks Cause Arm Pain

Stiff necks can cause many types of pain, including arm pain. Arm pain, in the presence of a stiff neck, may stem from a dysfunction in your neck joint occurring when nerves that come out of the bony gap between your neck joints (cervical spine) are compromised. 

The neck joints may have degenerative changes, be stiff, have bony spurs, a disc bulge or disc degeneration in the neck (cervical discs) or inflammation of surrounding soft tissues or joints; any one or more of these issues in your neck can lead to arm pain.

Tight neck and shoulder muscles (muscle tension) can create tender trigger points in the muscles of the neck and shoulders which can lead to arm pain. Trigger points develop from an overuse of specific neck muscles or from underuse or weakness of other deeper neck muscles, specifically your postural muscles. These weak muscles become lengthened which perpetuates a muscle imbalance scenario.

Some of the more common muscles near your neck that can lead to arm pain are the rotator cuff muscles – supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres major, other muscles can also contribute to arm pain including the right trapezius, pectorals, latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior and deltoid.

Your City Physiotherapy Adelaide physiotherapist will target their treatment to ensure thorough management of pain.

Stiff Necks Cause Pins And Needles In Your Arms and Hands

Pins and needles in your hand and arm are always due to nerve involvement. A “pinched nerve” occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated, although this may cause pain, it can also cause muscle weakness and numbness, with the corresponding symptoms of pins and needles in the arms and hands.

With pins and needles or numbness it is important to seek advice and treatment as soon as possible to avoid the nerves being compromised. Bulging neck discs are often implicated in pins and needles or numbness in the arms or hands.

At City Physio we target our treatment to alleviate your nerve symptoms and take pressure off the nerves.  This will most likely involve a combination of manual therapies aimed at nerve gliding and movement, joint mobilisation for your stiff neck, soft tissue release, posture, and activity modification as well as exercise.

Stiff Necks Cause Face, Jaw and Sinus Pain

As mentioned above, stiff necks cause a variety of types of pain. The types of pain stiff necks or neck muscle trigger points cause include face pain, jaw pain and sinus pain. The muscles of your head, jaw, face, the front of your neck and your upper trapezius muscles are commonly involved in sinus, jaw or face pain. 

Sometimes these trigger points and/or stiff neck joints can also lead to ear pain or sensation of loss of hearing. Clenching the teeth or grinding the teeth (bruxism) can lead to pain from overuse of these muscles. Often the teeth clenching and teeth grinding occurs subconsciously or during sleep. Tension in these trigger points can refer into the face around the nose and cheeks – the sinus area – producing pain similar to sinusitis.

At City Physiotherapy we use a variety of manual therapy treatments to address the overuse issues in the neck, face, jaw and head muscles. We directly treat the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction with manual therapies.  

Book an appointment today!

City Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic is conveniently located in the heart of the Adelaide CBD on King William Street, for almost 30 years we’ve been providing physiotherapy to the residents of Adelaide and have served over 30,000 people. 

If you have any neck or other symptoms mentioned in this blog, our advice is to seek a physiotherapy assessment with one of our therapists to help get your pain and symptoms back under control, call our friendly reception on 8212 4886, or click the book online button below for a same-day appointment.

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Pain behind the ear when pressed

If you have pain behind the ear when pressed, this symptom should not be ignored. This sign can signal quite serious pathologies that require treatment under the supervision of qualified specialists.

Contents

Pain behind the ear when pressed may indicate various pathological processes occurring both in the tissues of the organ of hearing and in other parts of the head and neck. This specific symptom may accompany the following diseases:

• Inflammatory processes in the outer ear;
• otitis media;
• labyrinthitis;
• sulfur plug;
• mastoiditis;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes;
• inflammation of the salivary glands;
• herpes;
• caries;
• other dental pathologies.

Such an extensive list of diseases that provoke the appearance of a specific symptom is explained by the close connection of the ENT system, the passage of bundles of nerve fibers and muscles behind the ears, as well as the location of the lymph nodes behind the shell. In order to identify these diseases in time, you should from time to time press on the area behind the ears, and if discomfort occurs, contact narrow specialists.

Inflammatory process in the ear

Otitis externa and middle parts of the hearing organ, as well as inflammation of the labyrinth of the inner ear, as a rule, occur against the background of acute pain. The appearance of discomfort when pressing on the skin and on the bone behind the auricle in most cases becomes the very first sign of the onset of the pathological process.

In order to diagnose a dangerous disease in time, if pain occurs when pressing behind the ear, you should immediately contact an otolaryngologist. The specialist will examine your hearing organ, conduct the necessary research and prescribe a comprehensive treatment aimed against the inflammatory process.

Mastoiditis

Inflammation of the mastoid process located on the temporal bone can also be accompanied by pain behind the ear. The danger of this disease lies in the fact that the pathogenic flora begins to destroy cartilage and bone tissues. If this process is not stopped in time, inflammation can spread higher, lower and deeper to neighboring areas, including the cerebral cortex.

See also: Perichondritis of the auricle: symptoms and treatment

Treatment of mastoiditis consists of a long course of antibiotics. If the therapy prescribed by the otolaryngologist does not bring the desired effect and does not stop the process of development of pathogenic flora in the tissues, surgery is indicated for patients. During it, the surgeon makes an incision behind the ears, cleans out the purulent masses and sanitizes the affected area.

Caries and other dental diseases

Due to the nature of the location of nerve fibers, pain behind the ear when pressed and discomfort inside and outside the hearing organ when chewing and swallowing can be caused by neglected caries or inflammation of the tissues and nerves in the jaw.

Dental pain radiating to the ear, usually aggravated by jaw movements, drinking cold or hot drinks, and at night.

If the pain behind the auricle appeared on the background of existing dental pathologies, you should consult a dentist to eliminate them.

Neuralgia

Pain behind the auricle can occur with inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. The symptoms of this pathological condition are quite specific:

• The pain is paroxysmal;
• unpleasant sensations are provoked both by active movements of the facial muscles (during brushing teeth, washing, chewing, yawning), and by simply touching the skin;
• in some cases, there are spasms of swallowing, facial and masticatory muscles.

For the treatment of this pathology, you should contact a neurologist. The specialist will prescribe you a long course of antispasmodics and sedatives that will relieve painful symptoms and eliminate the root cause of its appearance. To strengthen the nervous system, it is usually recommended to take preparations containing vitamins of group B.

Inflammation of the salivary glands

Penetration of the salivary glands by pathogenic microflora leads to their extensive inflammation. Patients with mumps note a general soreness in the oral cavity, which increases with the movement of the tongue and jaw during conversation, eating and swallowing saliva. Due to the close connection of all organs of the ENT system, the inflammation that began in the oral cavity can spread to the nasal mucosa, and then the sick person feels pain in the nasal passages and sinuses.

See also: How to relieve stuffy ears at home?

Inflammation in the oral cavity very often has as its symptom pain behind the ear when pressed. The fact is that the network of ducts is quite extensive, and the pathogenic flora quickly penetrates into all its departments, affecting the parotid glands.

This disease is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. In order to finally eliminate the pathogenic flora and avoid recurrence, it is necessary to fully follow the recommendations of the dentist, follow the prescribed salivary diet, treat the oral cavity with prescribed formulations and warm up the tissues.

Herpes

This is a fairly common disease that manifests itself in the form of painful formations on the lips, skin around the mouth and nose. Pathological processes in the tissues, triggered by the herpes virus, can lead to pain behind the ear.

To get rid of the unpleasant manifestations of the disease, you should drink a course of antiviral drugs and come to grips with strengthening the immune system.

Osteochondrosis

Pain inside the ear or behind the auricle can be a clear symptom of osteochondrosis. Articular disorders in the cervical spine cause stagnation of blood and pinched nerves, which leads to headaches and discomfort in the ears.

The disease can be asymptomatic for a long time, but one of its first signs is the appearance of pain behind the auricle when pressed. The bone behind the ear is densely permeated with nerve fibers that actively respond to a lack of nutrition or compression of the endings in the cervical region. After the manifestation of this symptom, patients may also get sick directly in the neck, while the pain will increase with movement of the head or with prolonged muscle tension.

Lymphadenitis

There are lymph nodes behind the auricle. If for some reason they become inflamed, at first, patients notice the appearance of pain when pressing on the area near the ear.

As inflammation develops, the lymph nodes increase significantly in size and begin to hurt constantly and noticeably. Lymph can gradually clear itself of traces of vital activity of the pathogenic flora, but sometimes the body needs the help of specialists in the form of antibacterial maintenance therapy.

Read also: Miringitis: what is it, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Regardless of the root cause of an unpleasant symptom, its appearance should not be ignored. If your ear hurts when you press the skin, you should contact the specialists and follow the instructions exactly.

Ear pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment

Contents

• Ear pain – possible causes
• Ear pain – the main signs of the disease0010
• Diagnosis
• Therapeutic treatment
• Potential causes of pain
• Only a doctor can correctly determine the diagnosis
• Ear pain – hidden problems
• The process of treating pain behind the ear
• Treatment see a specialist
• Toothache

pain in the neck and ears. In general, when ear pain is experienced, it can indicate a number of potential problems. Separately, it is worth noting the cases of the formation of the so-called ball.

All this speaks to the fact that the lymphatic system thus reacted to the processes of an inflammatory nature. This usually happens because the immunity of the sick person tries to independently fight the infection that struck his body.

Ear pain – possible causes

A number of different diseases can cause a serious increase in lymph nodes in size. First of all, various inflammatory processes in the ear, such as otitis media or eustachitis.

By itself, the lymphatic system can be called one of the key parts of the human body, protecting it. It deals with the definition of specific diseases, eliminating harmful bacteria.

It is in connection with this that the lymph nodes can be called special filters. Which absorb and destroy all existing toxins and all sorts of pathogens. A significant function of this body system is also the process of blood purification and the subsequent transfer of the most useful substances.

The key reasons why the parotid lymph nodes grow significantly in any person are:

• inflammation of the auditory organ,
• dental diseases,
• diseases of the pharynx,
• acute respiratory diseases,
• malignant type lymphoma tumor.

In the event that the lymph nodes grow for any of the reasons indicated above, after proper therapeutic treatment, everything usually returns to normal.

Separately, it is necessary to designate cases in which infections affect the occurrence of serious inflammation. What leads, in addition to the growth of lymph nodes, to the fact that ear pain appears and passes into the neck.

As a rule, it is caused by various cells of the infectious type.

Ear pain – the main signs of the disease

The main and, perhaps, the key sign of problems is a seriously enlarged lymph node. Which in the process of inspection and probing leads to the fact that ear pain begins. In addition, swelling may appear, and the skin turns red.

It is important to note that when diseases such as lymphadenitis begin to exude pus, the resulting swelling begins not only to be very painful, but also accompanied by various additional symptoms.

Which usually include the following:

• pronounced headaches,
• increased body temperature, and quite often up to high values,
• spoiled appetite,
• lack of sound sleep,
• eruptions of purulent type,
• sharp, sometimes shooting pain in the ear canal.

Moreover, it is important to understand that even in a situation where not all of the symptoms indicated above are present in a patient, it is required to seek qualified medical help. Otherwise, complications may develop, up to the death of the patient.

Diagnosis

So, is there a way to get rid of such pain in long-standing conditions? The correct answer can only be given after a comprehensive diagnostic examination by qualified specialists.

After contacting a doctor, be sure to tell him about all the problems and illnesses that a person has suffered recently. This will provide invaluable assistance and will allow you to determine the diagnosis as accurately as possible and, accordingly, choose an effective direction of treatment.

The inspection process is carried out in the traditional way of palpation. This method reveals the size and degree of soreness of the formations. In addition to the classic examination of the lymph nodes, a study of the glands of the cervical and occipital regions of a person is carried out. The tonsils, thyroid and other glands are considered.

After all this, the specialist is able to correctly identify the disease and prescribe the necessary treatment.

It is worth immediately clarifying the point that modern medicine is categorically against folk remedies associated with heating the lymph nodes. This ill-considered step leads to a serious increase in the scale of inflammation.

If prescribed medicines do not lead to pain relief. And the lymph nodes, on the contrary, have grown even more in size and lead to more significant discomfort. Then we can make an unambiguous conclusion that the inflammation has spread to neighboring tissues. In this case, a blood test is required.

In a situation where a specialist sees some negative aspects in the results, the diagnosis deepens. As a rule, the next step is the appointment of an ultrasound examination, CT scan. All this is done in order to identify a potential tumor. Sometimes a biopsy is used.

When this in-depth examination does not show the presence of tumor problems, it can be concluded that the disease originates from a different kind of bacteria. In addition, the situation in which the patient is allergic to something is considered separately.

See also: Symptoms of exudative otitis and methods of treatment

Therapeutic treatment

In turn, if the problems are caused by viral causes, then the prescribed antibiotics are harmful and significantly reduce the body’s ability to fight. In this situation, the doctor prescribes medications and drugs of a completely different kind and type of action.

Quite often, pain behind the ear is a popular complaint among patients. Regardless of their age, gender and other factors. From the point of view of pain localization, problems can occur in any area of ​​the head and cervical region.

It is important to note that the type of problems indicated above, as well as pain in the neck behind the ear on the left, speaks of much more significant causes. In addition, depending on the side where a person experiences pain, their sources also differ.

It is quite difficult to quickly and easily determine the causes. This can only be done by a specialized specialist after a comprehensive examination in various planes.

Potential Causes of Pain

In the current literature, in simple terms, doctors divide pain symptoms into two main categories: simple and complex.

The former are commonly referred to as problems that are easily solved using the simplest and easiest methods of treatment. Often among these ailments, negative sensations are detected.

Which were caused by:

• lack of sleep,
• severe body fatigue,
• stressful situations,
• respiratory diseases.

In this situation, the most effective measures to significantly improve well-being can be called procedures aimed at relaxing. It is advised to rest, relax, drink soothing tea, ventilate the room.

Relaxing methods such as scalp and neck massage are sometimes used. Which significantly improves the process of blood supply. Reduces pain or eliminates it completely.

Respiratory diseases include various ailments and headaches. To weaken its effect, drugs of an analgesic type of action are used. As a rule, these substances are part of those medications that are used in the treatment of this type of infection.

It is important to note that getting rid of colds allows you to get rid of pain behind the ear, in the ear canal, and head pain.

In the event that pain is of the type that can be easily eliminated, it is worth informing the treating specialist about this. In addition, they can be a certain sign of various violations of the normal functioning of such body systems as the nervous, endocrine and others.

However, one should never forget that any pain can directly speak of significant diseases and problems. They are divided into pronounced ones and vice versa, into implicit ones.

Only a doctor can determine the correct diagnosis

The so-called obvious causes include various spasms and inflammations.

Which speak of potentially serious diseases, such as:

• Otitis. May develop in the outer or middle part of the ear. It is characterized by ear pain of a shooting type, it can be both behind the ear and all over the head as a whole.
• Lymphadenitis. Manifested as a serious inflammation of the lymph nodes directly behind a particular ear. It is characterized by very strong pain sensations of an acute nature. Easily determined by visual inspection.
• Mumps epidemic or, in other words, mumps. This disease refers to the processes of an inflammatory nature that occur with the salivary glands. It is characterized by a sharp rise in temperature and swelling of the place directly behind the ear. There are pronounced pain sensations in the process of swallowing food or saliva.

See also: How is angina transmitted? Follicular and purulent sore throats

Ear pain – subtle problems

At the same time, it should be noted that in case of various kinds of problems, pain can be implicit and be given to the ear.

These include:

• Dental problems such as caries or pulpitis. There is a serious destruction of existing enamel and tissues that are located directly next to the teeth. As a result, there is a direct lesion of the nerve endings located directly near the teeth. Among the symptoms, of course, one can note the pain that has arisen behind the ear.
• Neuralgic diseases of the so-called trigeminal nerve. In this case, severe inflammation is present in the lower part of the nerve ending. Among the obvious signs, this is an effect on the facial nerves below, but sometimes accompanied by severe pain in the ear canal.
• Osteochondrosis. In this situation, there is severe pain in the neck. This is due to a serious decrease in the thickness of the vertebrae in the cervical region. As a result of which a strong compression of those nerve nodes and endings that lead directly to the head is performed.
• Diseases of the sinuses. The most common such disease is sinusitis. Leads to sharp pains of a shooting character.
• Mastoiditis. This disease is understood as a severe inflammation of the mucous membrane of a certain process in the region of the temporal bone. Due to the fact that the ear canal is located near the site of the localization of this disease, a situation often occurs when the pain is given precisely to the ears. In addition, it is accompanied by an increase in temperature, a general weakness of the body. Sometimes, there are various secretions and the level of audibility in a person drops.
• Problems caused by poisoning. It is important to note that the body of absolutely any person functions in a unique way. Based on this, in no case can you expect the same reaction to taking medicines, food and water. In some cases, poisoning occurs, which is accompanied by various pains, for example, in the ear, both on the right and on the left. These symptoms most simply disappear – after the cause of poisoning is removed.

The process of treating pain behind the ear

It is important to note that treatment can only be carried out according to the prescription of a specialist. Identifying the right source of pain is an essential first step to getting rid of it. All diseases and problems indicated above require the intervention of a professional doctor. And in some situations, you can not hesitate in any case.

For example, when a person falls ill with otitis or the so-called mumps. These diseases can cause very serious complications, sometimes up to the death of the patient.

The same otitis affects the auditory nerve, which in the absence of proper and correct treatment leads to an almost complete loss of the real ability to hear any sounds. In some cases, hearing is lost forever. Or mumps, which affects other organs in the human body.

For example, it can significantly spoil the normal functioning of the central nervous system or lead to infertility, loss of hearing. The simplest caries, which was not cured in time, leads to serious complications of a different nature. In some cases, up to the appearance of tumors.

Effective diagnostic examinations and timely treatment, prescribed by a professional, allow you to get rid of various kinds of symptoms.

As a rule, most infections are formed in the spring. It is at this time that people get rid of the right clothes. As a result of an incorrect assessment of the situation on the street, pain occurs in the ears or in their area. In some situations, the neck or head also hurts.

The vast majority of residents of towns and villages do not turn to specialists, but try to self-medicate. Strong heating, the installation of special candles, and sometimes taking pills are called as commonly used methods.

See also: Augmentin instruction, cheap analogues, comparison of effectiveness

Of course, in most cases this will not lead to irreparable consequences, because the causes of pain in the ears are minor diseases. However, the danger appears when the disease is severe and in the absence of diagnosis, it can be seriously aggravated.

Contacting a specialist

It is important to note that self-treatment of ear pain can lead to a situation where one problem is eliminated, and the true cause is a completely different disease. As a result, the disease progresses.

It is important that you see a doctor. Only a competent specialist is able to correctly determine the real cause.

The most commonly used treatments for this type of pain should be briefly reviewed. For example, in the case of an inflammatory process of the same otitis media, regardless of its location, various medications are used. The doctor prescribes the most effective and modern medicines.

In a situation where the ear pain is rather mild. It does not have a pronounced acute character. And is not accompanied by a sharp increase in the temperature of the human body, it can be concluded that it is caused by minor causes.

In this case, it is permissible to use special compresses that are aimed at warming up the ear. In general, the ear canal must be kept warm enough. That in the absence of infections will stop the further development of the disease and allow you to get rid of the emerging symptoms of a painful nature.

Sometimes, it can be accompanied by taking painkillers.

When there is a situation in which the pain is on the rise and does not disappear within a few days, be sure to make an appointment with a specialized specialist.

Under no circumstances should you self-prescribe antibiotic drugs. It should be noted that heating can be carried out only in the absence of purulent discharge from the auricle.

Otherwise, you can make an unambiguous conclusion about the infectious nature of the occurrence of pain and you should definitely consult a doctor. Which will appoint the necessary studies and will not allow further progression of the disease.

Toothache

If the cause of pain is caries, you should contact a dentist who will help you get rid of it. After that, the pain in the ears will also go away.

When a person has pain in the cervical region, osteochondrosis may be the cause. In this case, treatment should be carried out in consultation with a specialized specialist who deals with precisely these problems, for example, a neurologist.