OT: weird thing with my ear, not a big deal

[doublevision1]

I awoke this morning with the worst earache, a sharp pain like when you poke your ear too hard with a Q-tip, which you['re not supposed to do and which I haven't done in years.  Anyway it was very painful.  I took some Advil and laid down again, and the pain is nearly gone,  Just now I blew my nose and could feel a pop in that ear, maybe more like a crackling sound, like when on a plane.  It didn't make it any better or any worse, it's now just a mild ache.

Any idea what would cause this?  I don't have a cold or allergies, I didn't get water in it, and I went to bed last night feeling fine.Seems like an air pressure thing, but I wasn't even out of the house yesterday much less on a plane.

[jensequitur]

I woke up today with the worst sinus problems - headache, the blocked eustachian tube, the squeaky ears...  I would vote for simple allergies, but as Mike said, get it checked out if it sticks around.

[Mike_Shuswap]

I used to get ear infections fairly often, sometimes 2 per year.

A couple year ago I was sure I had another one, but the Doc said nope, no infection. He determined it was a neuralogical pain.

I have TN pain, controled more or less with Gabapentin, and he confirmed TN can feel like an earache.

When the face/tooth/jaw/ear pain gets a bit too unbearable I temporarily increase my Gabapentin for a day or two, although if you're already at 3600 mg/day this would not be an option for you.

If it continues to bug you, you know the drill, go see your Doc and get it checked out.

Your husband sounds like a very wise man, with my kind of corny sense of haha.

Mike

[doublevision1]

Thanks Guys, it's not bothered me too much since I took the Advil, though I just inadvertently tugged on that earlobe and got a sharp but transient pain in that ear and that same crackly noise.  My husband saw me grimace, asked me what's wrong, I said It hurts when I tug on that earlobe, to which he helpfully replied Well I'm no doctor but I would advise if it hurts to tug your earlobe, then stop tugging it.  Yes, I did indeed marry a wise a$$, lol.

Lulu I would think the weather too except I haven't been out in it at all.  Haven't set foot outside the house in days.  I'll take a decongestant before bed as Ren suggested and see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks again.

[Lulu54]

I'm thinking it is the extreme change in weather for you maybe causing your pain.  Minus 37 C is a crazy temperature  - that is almost the same as in Farenheit - -35F.  Maybe your eardrum froze?

[rendean]

Sounds like a blocked or partially blocked eustachian tube. A decongestant can help reduce the blockage as lon as you  don't have hypertension. You are correct that it is an air pressure issue with one side be blocked.

Hope this helps and it's not a illness or nerve issue.

Ren

[Sidesteps]

I recently saw a Neuro-otologist stated that hearing/ear sensations can be caused by a wide variety of things - barometric pressure, weather changes, hormones, etc.  He indicated that some of my symptoms (tinnitus, fluttering and hearing fluctuations) could be caused by those but the an aching cold sensation was likely a cranial nerve v "irritation." (In other words a lesion. lol ~

Yours sounds like it could be an infection brewing or fluid behind the ear too! I've had that (not recently) with post nasal drip and never actually getting sick.

I hope you feel better.