intermittent ear pain

[eye2dry]

Anyone here experience ear pain....the kind where out of the blue

it hurts like someone just stabbed a sharp stick in your ear drum?

Also it hurts where my earlobe and jawline meet...aches.

What the heck is it? Sjogrens related maybe?


eye2dry

[gemini052377]

Eye2dry, I do and sometimes it wakes me up at night. Mine doesn't hurt on the inside of the canal but rather the outer portions. My pcp looked, said no ear infection. I usually use moist heat when it really hurts.

Take care,
Mary

[litliwlowa]

Could be Sjogrens. I get that sometimes in my left ear. But the last time I had that kind of pain that persisted, it turned out to be bulging ear infection (I haven't had those in 20-30 years, but my first one was a few months ago as an adult). My PCP was amazed my ear drum hadn't ruptured it was that infected.

The Parotid glands run up the side of the face towards front of ears, well sort of that region. Inflammation is the gift that keeps on giving.

If it continues, it well worth making the trip to PCP to be sure is no infection.

[Joe S.]

Waring my polar fleece mumps scarf helps to reduce that pain.

[cccourt1942]

The parotid salivary gland is in that area.  If your saliva is as compromised as mine is and all us SjSs have, sludgy saliva  is attempting to go thru your tiny little duct into your mouth.  Sialadenitis was my chief complaint for 6 years.  I think it masked my eyes and mouth dryness as it was so frequent and so painful. 

A warm compress can decrease the inflammation...but if your  saliva cannot get out , it will swell in your parotid.   I have had "growths" appear within seconds when trying to salivate..but duct was blocked.   Your parotid will deform your jaw with the swelling.   If  the inflammation does not subside, you will develop a bacterial infection ...geez....this may not be accurate...but almost within hours.    If you go to a doc in the box or urgent care, you will have to explain what is wrong.  An antibiotic will give you relief in one or two rounds of meds.  You won't be able to eat...as that will cause you to salivate...thus more pain.  I drank water only until I could get to a doctor or clinic.  It can take a few days to really feel better. 

I did have one parotid gland duct dilated a couple of years ago.  It is the one side out of which I produce saliva.  The other side is pure sludge...and barely produces. Both submandibular glands are impacted.  For some reason, they don't hurt. 

OH...the ear...when you have the "sludge"  it will collect in your throat and in some mysterious way..it can make it up your Eustachian tube and cause discomfort.  An external ear infection (your outer ear) is very rare..but that thick stuff will make you feel uncomfortable.  I do not like to take steroids, but if you have these problems chronically...you may want a Medrol pack.  I would take a pack if it was bad enough. 

[finallyadx]

I agree with cccourt - could be your salivary or parotid glands giving you some issues - you may want to try to get into your rheumatologist or ENT or even a PCP and try to explain what the symptoms are and that it may be your salivary/parotid glands based on your sjogrens diagnosis.

Joe S always has great suggestions - although I have yet to get a polar fleece mumps scarf I think I need to based on the fact that Joe S swears by it.

Hoping you feel better soon.

Take care,
Kim

[eija]

Yes, I often have ear pain - just as you say, where the earlobe meets the jawline. And sometimes it feels somewhere a bit deeper. Been having that pain for a couple of days now, again. It seemed to ease up when I took a warm shower.

My dentist poked my salivary glands just last time I was there and said they're pretty "lazy". So maybe those two things are connected. I think I have very slight swelling on my neck behind the jaw - the same side where the ear pain is.

[warmwaters]

Oh, yeah, I've got that pain. Sometimes it comes on very quickly and sharp, and it really hurts!

For me near the jaw joint, and extending back in the skull towards the ear. I also get ear infections, but the pain in those start in the ear, and shoot towards the jaw.

Isn't it good that I can tell the difference?

[ohiolady]

I used to get this a lot.  Aleve helped me along with moist heat compresses.  It is a miserable pain.  I just remembered I used an over the counter ear drop by Simalsan.

Hope you feel better soon.

Anna

[Alderney]

I get it too! sometimes when eating certain foods or lately out of nowhere I didn't know what it was so asked my PCP. my doctor didn't think it was the parotid gland, she got the place where that is found wrong so i was sure that's what it was.  Your posts have answered a question for me thank you!