Severe ear pain and inflammation after sleeping

[KatiePink]

For about 6 months now on and off, i wake up with pain so severe in my ear, it's been my right ear for a while but has been my left ear before too, not a little bit of pain but really really bad pain that hurts even more when i touch anywhere on my ear, the pain is a throbbing but also sharp pains at the same time. It feels like its painful inside my ear, round the back of it on that bone and all over the outside of the ear.
It also is very red and had like little red patches on it that look a little dry/scabby

It takes 20-30 minutes or so of me being up for it to subside, and then the redness ect goes as well. I have mentioned to a doctor and he just took no interest in it so i felt silly because he said you probably slept on it funny.
I know it's not that but too scared of what this could be, have been having ear pain/fullness and crackling when i swallow on and off too.

It's just happened again today so i managed to take pictures of my ear so i can show my GP and hopefully they will listen, anyone experienced anything like this?

[cattia]

It sounds a lot like tmj. I have this and it gives me a lot of neck and ear symptoms which are worse on waking. Do you know if you clench or grind hour teeth at night? Mine are also much worse on one side but occasionally alternate.

[KatiePink]

My doc has told me i probably have TMJ this was about 6 months ago, and my dentist said that there was evidence of grinding(must be in my sleep) or clenching.

The only thing freaking me out is the red patches and inflammation on the ear just sounds too much for it to be tmj?
I suffer from neck problems too have been referred to physio x

[MyNameIsTerry]

My dentist told me that clenching/grinding (Bruxism) is very common, especially stress related, and that TMJ is not the same so it should not be assumed. My GP said the same and described it as myofascial pain which is very common with anxiety disorders.

So, if your dentist says TMJ, I would trust that but otherwise I would look towards the more likely reasons before it. I only came across TMJ from reading on here before I joined and generally people seem to always say TMJ but it doesn't have to be.

I suspect you are sleeping on it which causes the redness. This could be postural. And since your dentist has found evidence of Bruxism, this will be part of it.

I had 6 months of it and the pain was all day but worse in the morning. That's how my dentist worked out it was night grinding as I didn't know I was doing anything and there was evidence on my back teeth. It was all right sided face pain from the jaw to the ear and above. If you touch your finger to your temple and clench your jaw, you will feel the muscles around the temple move too. This is why we get headaches with this sort of thing, and I had loads.

Your dentist can tell you an exercise to use before sleep and this helped me.

1. With mouth closed, touch tongue to roof of mouth.
2. Now open mouth wide.
3. Close mouth and repeat.

Mine said this will stretch the jaw muscles (mine were enlarged). It did help to a point.

I found with mine I also couldn't fully clamp my teeth together, like there was resistance, and the same opening my jaw.

Jaw clicking is common with it too.

[KatiePink]

My dentist told me that clenching/grinding (Bruxism) is very common, especially stress related, and that TMJ is not the same so it should not be assumed. My GP said the same and described it as myofascial pain which is very common with anxiety disorders.

So, if your dentist says TMJ, I would trust that but otherwise I would look towards the more likely reasons before it. I only came across TMJ from reading on here before I joined and generally people seem to always say TMJ but it doesn't have to be.

I suspect you are sleeping on it which causes the redness. This could be postural. And since your dentist has found evidence of Bruxism, this will be part of it.

I had 6 months of it and the pain was all day but worse in the morning. That's how my dentist worked out it was night grinding as I didn't know I was doing anything and there was evidence on my back teeth. It was all right sided face pain from the jaw to the ear and above. If you touch your finger to your temple and clench your jaw, you will feel the muscles around the temple move too. This is why we get headaches with this sort of thing, and I had loads.

Your dentist can tell you an exercise to use before sleep and this helped me.

1. With mouth closed, touch tongue to roof of mouth.
2. Now open mouth wide.
3. Close mouth and repeat.

Mine said this will stretch the jaw muscles (mine were enlarged). It did help to a point.

I found with mine I also couldn't fully clamp my teeth together, like there was resistance, and the same opening my jaw.

Jaw clicking is common with it too.


Yeah doctor didn't seem too sure just that it was 'probably' tmj due to symptoms, dentist said evidence grinding on back teeth and my jaw muscles sometimes ache and are sore in the mornings.
If I open my mouth to eat my jaw can click but it's not painful, I also have enlarged and sore muscles but it comes and goes in severity.

I have sometimes woken up to find I am clenching down quite hard and I can definitely link it to stressful times, maybe this can all cause problems with the ears as these muscles ect must all be linked I think it's just the outer ear pain and redness that is bothering me. Will be mentioning it again when at doctors and leave it to them to diagnose :blush:

[MyNameIsTerry]

It does cause ear pain. I had that some times. I can't say I noticed any inflammation of my ear and this is why I was thinking maybe it's a bit of both problems?