Sore ear, cheekbone on left side

[puzzledlass]

Ok so I've actually managed to be OK the last few days. I've managed to keep my health anxieties under control. I don't know how but I have.

Today they are back. Maybe because I just learned a friend has been diagnosed with something (I won't say what because triggering maybe) This time because my left inner ear hurts, my cheek on that side hurts and I get these headaches on the back left side of head and occasionally on top of head. My cheek on that side has been sensitive off and on for a while now but I just pushed t to back of mind. I do suffer from hay fever, I don't know if this has any impact.

So yep now I am freaking out. Any support would be appreciated.

[.Poppy.]

There's a big sinus under your cheekbone, so usually when you have pain there it's related to sinus blockage or infection. Painful, but easy to treat. With your other symptoms as well, it sounds like you have some serious allergies or something along those lines. Often when we have colds, our Eustacian tube (part of the ear) doesn't open properly, which it needs to do to equalize pressure in the ear. This causes pain. Headaches could be related to how you are sleeping or even just referred pain from everything else you are feeling.

I'd say if you still feel like this tomorrow you should go to the doctor and have them look at you. Not that there is anything major wrong - don't you dare let yourself think that!- but they may be able to advise you on medications to alleviate your symptoms.

[puzzledlass]

I probably will go to the doctors but only when I can get an appointment with regular doc.

I am scared as it's been this way for months, I want to go to the docs to see what's up, however I don't want to go because I am afraid it is really bad. I also am torn between going and not because I don't want to rush to the doc everytime I feel some pain you know?

I don't know what to do.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Remember as well that because you said you tend to clench, it could be muscular. When I had my grinding problem I would have pains in my head, my neck, my ear, etc. If you clench your teeth together, can you feel a muscle near your temple also flex? You will and this is why clencing & grinding can bring head pains, face pains, jaw ache, ear ache, etc.

So, it may just be this. If you don't have an infection and it turns out to be this, the doctor may describe it as facial myopathy but don't worry because its very very common with anxiety and just the outcome of the clencing & grinding, just like any other constant tightening of muscles that we do. The way get past that, aside from the obvious thing of not panicking, is to learn relaxation techniques so that you don't do it as much and the muscles have time to reduce. There are examples that you can do to help with this as well if you have this such as this one that my dentist gave me:

1. Open mouth wide.
2. Touch tongue to roof of mouth.
3. Repeat x times or for so mant minutes.

It does help but it will never help as much as reducing the clenching & grinding which means relaxation techniques. Perhaps you could learn to recognise when you are doing this and then apply relaxation or something to cut down on how long you spend doing it?