Any ideas what this is?

[doodlebug]

The past two days I have had a new pain and I have no ides what it is.  It is behind my earlobe in a divot about where my neck meets my skull.  Does anyone know?
Thanks

[DragonflyC]

Hmm. . .I have a few ideas.  Do you think it could be a blocked gland or a swollen lymph node?  It might also be from tension if you are especially stressed right now.

[Navigator]

It could be a nerve irritation. I had a similar pain but behind the head where the head meets the neck. it was horrible.  Rheumy said it was an irritation of the occipital nerve. When the flare went away it went away.   You should come up with adjectives to describe the pain....sharp..burning....dull...etc. and whether or not over the counter drugs make it go away and then give a call to your dr.

[Daisy1234]

When I get a pain like that for me its usually one of two things:  an inflammation in my parotid glands acting up or a tooth needs attention.  Neither one is very nice to have.  You might try the an anti-inflammatory ( advil or motrin or prescription) a moist heat compress and the massaging to see if this goes away in a few days, then if so, it probably was an inflammatory issue.

Hope you feel better soon,
Daisy

[CAT1962]

Is that where the paratoid (spelling?) salivary gland is?

[Prairie Gal]

CAT, the parotid gland starts just behind the ear and then comes down at the bottom of it a bit.  If you Google images for ''parotid gland' it has a diagram that shows you where it's located.  (Plus pictures of people whose glands were swollen).

[CAT1962]

Prairie, I know. That's why I asked if it may be that. Sometimes mine feel a bit swollen, one side anyway.

[Prairie Gal]

Oops!  I'll blame it on brain fog:  just looked at the Google image of a parotid gland and it's in FRONT of the ear and goes down to the jawline.

CAT, my glands have never have felt swollen (except when I had the mumps at age 21 -- fun!) , but I do get sharp, stabbing pains in my ears -- often the right one.  It sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night.  Usually massage helps:  starting at the earlobe, I use my first two fingers to stroke firmly down from there and along the jaw bone, then repeat, starting at the earlobe each time.  Apparently this helps my sluggish saliva move along better and relieves the pain.

If massage doesn't help, I get a damp washcloth and warm it up for 10-15 seconds in the microwave, repeating for 3-4 minutes, rewarming the cloth each time.  Then I massage the area and the pain is gone.   I haven't had to do the washcloth routine for more than 2 years now.

Way back, several years before my SjS Dx, when I got this stabbing pain in my ears I thought I was congested and possibly getting a cold.  So I took Sudafed.   That was totally the wrong thing to do, because Sudafed dries one out -- the last thing I needed, though I didn't know it.    Come to think of it, the stabbing pain was my second symptom (dry eyes were the first), though I hadn't a clue then that it was.

[CAT1962]

Hi, Prairie,

Brain fog! A song I know! I wonder if that is a normal gland for my then, lymph node, something. I have a pain in my ear that radiates down my jaw. I did see an endodontist. He said I need a root canal (joy!), but that the pain usually doesn't radiate down my jaw and cause the amount of ear pain that I have. I don't know. So much darn junk with SJS, my head is spinning! Thank you for the information. I so appreciate it!

[Prairie Gal]

CAT, you're very welcome!   I'd try the massage and the warm washcloths for the pain you're describing before I agreed to have a root canal.  I can only tell you my ear pain is relieved with this technique.

I read about it in  the New Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation Handbook so I know others have the same problem.  It was the edition edited by Steven Carsons and Elaine Harris and was at the end of the book in a chapter that had a bunch of tips to help with 'everyday' stuff that most drs. don't seem to be aware of.  We Sjoggies know all about them, though!

[newhorizons]

doodlebug think I have what you mentioned. It is in crevice on back of ear. Mine hurt so very much when one appears. I 'park' my pointer finger on the spot after I have coated the area with Vicks Vapor Rub.

Then I'm one of the Sjoggies that wraps head in polartex at night. This keeps the area warm and in a few days it disappears. Mostly in past few years has been on R side ear and am tempted to think it is linked to osteoarthritis which in past several types of docs have stated I have TMJ on right side jaw joint.

In past year it is appearing on L side ear and is sore and am wondering it jaw joint will not join in the 'joy' of gift giving in the near future with OA in the leftside jaw joint.

My R side jaw joint often pops when chewing food. You have any issues with your jaw joints?  Just wondering as had a root canal and it turned out to be that 'lovely' R jaw joint flaring... Lordy, what SS can do to one.

Any comments on my post most welcomed.  Doodlebug looking forward to hearing what you have gleemed from all the different ideas on this post.      Joy

[doodlebug]

I've checked out the glands and it appears that there is a lymph node exactly where I was (thankfully I woke up this morning without the pain) so I think that may have been it.  As for teeth, mine are an absolute disaster but I don't have the resources to do anything about it right now.  I've not had trouble with TMJ, but I'm curious about polartex, is that a hat?  Thanks for all the suggestions.

[newhorizons]

Doodlebug, Glad you are feeling better.

Polartex answer. My long scarf is homemade from 1/2 yard fleecy material purchased at fabric store.  You know... all the fleece you see items made from nowdays... some of it is classified as Polartex which means it is denser and softer. Cut mine to be 16 x 48 inches.  

Toboggan would be fine, I would think.    

[doodlebug]

Interesting.  I've been battling a cold head this year for the first time and I have considered wearing a hat to bed.  I didn't even realize this might be part of the Sjogren's.