Why the hell is my ear hot and red?

[Ronan23]

This has been happening to me for the last week and as a hypochondriac it is really starting to annoy me. Me right ear will go hot and red for hours at a time. I'm a 25 year old guy and normal weights, but I'm worried that its something to do with blood pressure of the veins in my head (aneurysm is one of my biggest fears). Does anyone else with health anxiety ever get red ears? It's not even caused by temperature changes for me because it happens indoors.

[Ditapage]

I get this too. Right ear only. I have TMJ though and when my jaw is playing up, I get this hot ear sensation. It can also be a form of migraine apparently. I don't know what it is and haven't asked the doctor. I think I mentioned it once and he said "a stroke or anuerysm does not present with a hot red ear. Sometimes I think it's tightness, tension, bad posture. Do any of those apply to you?

[Ronan23]

I get this too. Right ear only. I have TMJ though and when my jaw is playing up, I get this hot ear sensation. It can also be a form of migraine apparently. I don't know what it is and haven't asked the doctor. I think I mentioned it once and he said "a stroke or anuerysm does not present with a hot red ear. Sometimes I think it's tightness, tension, bad posture. Do any of those apply to you?

I have terrible posture from working on the computer a lot and slouching, but I'd be surprised if that manifested as a red ear. It's just really frustrating and slightly scary. I have started to have a lot of contact with cats recently and I don't know if that might be it. We've always had a pet cat in the house but there are three wild cats outside and I've been petting and feeding them and letting them in. I've noticed my nose running a lot when I wake up and headaches on the same side as my red ear. Something like an aneurysm was a definite worry though because I read that red ear has something to do with vasodilation, when the veins dilate.

[Ditapage]

I really think terrible posture/tension is a factor. I don't know the scientific explanation behind it but I feel it when I have my head bent down looking at my phone and I feel tightness in my neck on that side. I get a sensation of something gripping the top of my ear as well as heat. Sometimes I also get a headache with it. I usually put ice on it and take a painkiller. It could very well be linked to sinus too. It's likely inflammation or a nerve issue. And yeah it's frustrating and scary! It's only scary for us because we panic more than the average person.

Your anuerysm fear is common with anxiety. Why are you fixated on aneurysm, do you have any risk factors? You have to look at it logically. You're no more at risk of having one than anybody else in the world. Even if there are risk factors like you're a smoker or have high blood pressure, it doesn't mean you're going to have one, either. I had this fear too but realized its pointless. I don't have an excruciating headache that requires medical attention or weakness or vomiting and that is the sign of an aneurysm. Until then you're just panicking about a non-reality. Just reading this thread has made my ear feel hot because I have started fixating on it, actually! ;)

We both get this hot red ear thing... What's the odds two people with health anxiety fixated on anuerysm actually have one? :)

[GingerFish]

This happens to me a lot, especially when stressed or in the middle of a panic attack. though it happens out the blue too. Its usually either my right cheek or my right ear that burns, never the left side for some reason. They go bright red and are hot to the touch. My doctor told me its another stress response and nothing to worry about. Its a nuisance more than anything. It feels horrible but it doesn't scare me any more.

[Ditapage]

Interesting that we all get it on the right. I have this now. It's not red, but it's hot and feels weird- like my ear is being gripped and also that muscle behind my ear feels weird. I'm so over this shit! Does it give you a weird feeling, Gingerfish, apart from the heat? It's not a headache, it drives me crazy because I can't even describe the sensation. Does it ever make you kinda nauseous?

[GingerFish]

It sometimes makes my ear feel tingly and like there is electricity running through it or something but mainly it just feels like its on fire and its horrible.

[cincynick]

I get it all the time. ears and cheeks - a flushing feeling. I get it way more often when im stressed out. it never turns into anything bad - just a weird feeling. if im at work, I hold a fan up to my ear :)

there is actually something called hot ear syndrome - which as you can imagine, makes your ears hot...

end of the day, I think you're good.

---------- Post added at 15:28 ---------- Previous post was at 15:27 ----------

also keep in mind that the more you are focused on the specific symptoms, the more shit you're going to notice about your body. hypersensitivity.