Ear pains but no sign of infection?

Question

I have had ear pains for over 6 months. I've hadtwo doctors check my ear but both have said it's not infected. But now these shooting/stabbing pains are so bad I can't move my face or my mouth when it happens. It hurts so bad I cry but I can't because it'll send more pain. I don't know what to do. If it's not in infection then why does my ear hurt so much? I hate being told I'm fine when there is obviously something wrong. I'm sure normal people don't have stabbing pains on the inside of their ear every day.

I notice it's most painful when I get out of the shower, even when I haven't washed my hair or try to not let water near it, it hurts the worst.

I don't know what to do, if the doctors don't see anything, then what am I suposed to do?

Answer 1

Maybe it's not your ears. It could be your teeth or your jaw. Are your wisdom teeth coming in? You may need to see an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist to figure out what's wrong.

I hope you feel better soon.

Answer 2

Six months is too long to put up with pain and not see your Physician let him or her know about it. It's kind of a litmus test with Physicians. They try the least possible treatment (do no harm) and if you don't come back they figure they nailed it.

But if you have no improvement after a week or two and\or experience a new symptom it is very important to check back with your Doctor she or he will be especially intersted in what has changed and they'll also want to know that what they tried, even if it was no treatment, didn't work.

Write your symptoms and questions down and ask his or her assitant for a "long" appointment so you can discuss everything. I'm not a Doctor, so I won't say what I think it is, but there are two referrals you should ask for and see what your Doctor thinks. The first is a Neurologist the second is an Internist.

He or she will ask other questions or order tests as well. Sometimes if you have a pain in one part of the body, the real problem is in another part.

Also if you are having chronic (long lasting) the pain and it is starting to affect your quality of life, you should also consider asking for pain-killers. This is important for the Doctor to know -- that it is affecting the quality of your life because chronic pain left untreated for too long can cause other complications.

It's good to tough some pain out, but you and your Physician should discuss how much and how long you should tough it out before going on pain killers. If you really can't stand the pain, he or she needs to know that too.

Answer 3

It could just be that you have water in your ear, which will resolve on it's own eventually. You could also have ear wax. Before you spend money on a doctor you can put about 10 drops of olive oil in for about a half an hour for a few days to soften any hard earwax you may have, then flush the ear out using an ear syringe (they have them at the pharmacy, it's not a needle, don't worry). Put a solution of mostly warm water with some vinegar in the ear syringe, and flush the ear out with your ear facing the ground(this will enable all the water and other fluids to drain out completely). This will get rid of the ear wax that could be causing the pain, and the vinegar works as a mild anti-biotic so if you have a slight infection it will get rid of it. If your ear starts hurting more than just an annoyance go to the doctor, this means it is an infection that needs anti-biotics.

Answer 4

I've had a similar condition. Here's what I've tried and it seems to work: elevate the head of your bed ( not just propping up with pillows) put a brick under the legs of the bed, this helps the fluid not to pool in or near your ears. Also, make a solution of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 alcohol and put just a drop in each ear daily, especially after getting your ears wet. Take sudaphedrine, a decongestant or use a decongestant nose spray to open the ears and sinuses. Take Advil or Tylenol. Yes, if this continues go back to the doctor and insist on tests.

Answer 5

I know how bad it is to have such a feeling because my ear problem is simpler and yet very annoying.

My ears are always itchy though I clean them daily. The doctors say not to clean by ear buds and to clean only about a week if necessary, or better just massage the area near the ears when taking a bath.

Still I feel my ears very itchy that I could not avoid cleaning more often. Sometimes, I let the doctor clean my ears just to make sure I do not create scratches in the ear canal.

It is still the same though.

Answer 6

It could be indicative of a dental issue (particularly TMJ which occurs when the bite is off or if you eat a lot of foods that you need to open wide to eat), as well as possibe degenerative arthritis in the neck. This type of pain can become so severe that it actually radiates up the side of the back of the head and you will feel stabbing pain in your ear. Severe tension can also cause this. When muscles become tense, you may have a "crunching" sound (decrepitus) when you turn your head. The pain can become so excrutiating at times that it actually causes the ear pain. If you have consistent headaches, muscle tension or neck pain, you need to see a doctor who may in turn refer you to a pain clinic for injections to alleviate this pain. PS If your doc looked into your ears with an otoscope, then you can rule out the ears as a cause). You may however, want to be checked for sinsusitis which can also cause sharp ear pains. Good luck

Answer 7

Try seeing a dentist instead. In particular, if you can find one, a neuromuscular dentist. They specialize in face and jaw pain which can sometimes be caused by a condition called TMJ. Occasionally it will also cause pain in the ears.

There's a link below to explain what TMJ is and some of it's symptoms. Check it out and see if it sounds like what you're going through. If it is it's nothing serious and can be fixed. I believe the treatment normally takes between 3 and 6 weeks to do (over the course of a few visits). Neuromuscular dentists generally attempt to correct the condition non-surgically at first by realigning your teeth and jaw to a more relaxed and correct position. Generally a regular dentist not trained in neuromuscular techniques will attempt one of three corrective surgeries which is why I suggest going to a neuromuscular dentist first. All of the corrective procedures work, but I assume you'd rather have a non-surgical attempt first. The success rate with neuromuscular correction techniques is also higher than with standard surgical procedures I believe.

Good luck!

Answer 8

It sounds like TMJ, temporal mandibular, sorry, I forgot the word with J___. It's caused by clenching the jaw at night while we sleep. You see a dentist about it. There are other things it could be, as well. See the dentist, then if he or she eliminates that as the cause, keep pursuing it with your doctor. Be the squeaky wheel. Don't let them tell you you are a hypochondriac. You aren't. They get paid the same amount whether they do nothing or work hard during their 15 minute visit with you. Keep telling them you want relief and a diagnosis. Ask for referrals to specialists. Don't take no for an answer.

Answer 9

Don't use Q-Tips. You are getting moisture in your ears when you shower... Try using cotton in your ears to prevent some of the moisture from getting in, or maybe try ear-plugs. Also, if your ears are tender, being around loud, high pitched noises earlier in the day can cause ear-pain (like if you are around a loud, screaming child or working in a factory).... Possibly head-phones...

By using Q-Tips, you are packing the ear-wax down into the canal and causing minor abrasions within... The ear-wax is there to protect your ears, so it is best to leave it alone.

Hope this info helps some ~

Answer 10

Perhaps it could be TMJ--temporal mandibular syndrome, which is a jaw issue and nerve impingement. Perhaps it could be originating from a neck issue. Or perhaps even it could be linked to something called Bell's Palsy, but this is usually something that involves one side of the face and produces drooping in the muscles and sometimes a tick in the eye. Have you seen an EENT doctor? This is an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist.

Answer 11

i have ear problems alot so i think i know whats wrong not to sure though but it might be water clogged in your ear is your hearing muffled if so thats what it is umm also once i had an infection from the water bein in there too long with out any medical attention and got a serious in fection in which my ear swollen up i think your doctors wrong ask for ear drop medicine i forget the name but it works great hope i helped best luck