Pain behind the ear on the right: causes, possible diseases, treatment methods, prevention

When the bone behind the ear really hurts , most of us are in no hurry to go to the doctor, but try to help ourselves at home. But a timely visit to a specialist and competently prescribed treatment could significantly improve the situation and hasten the onset of recovery.

The danger of pain in the bone behind the ear is that it can be caused by a number of unfavorable factors. And the treatment of all these diseases may differ significantly. Therefore, it is so important to promptly seek help from a professional and find out the cause of the disease.

Attempts at self-treatment may be unsuccessful. A person may begin to treat one disease, while in fact the cause of ear pain lies in something completely different. As a result, this leads to the loss of precious time and the development of all kinds of complications.

Brief information

The anatomy of the auditory organ is such that its internal part is located next to the cranial cavity and is very close to the brain tissue. That is why inflammation can spread to the inner ear, and then spread to the head area. In order to get rid of pain, you need to see a doctor who will carry out all the necessary diagnostics. This especially needs to be done if it goes to the head. Pain behind the ear on the right cannot be ignored or self-medicated. Otherwise, this will lead to severe complications, as well as a pathological process that cannot be reversed.

Diagnostics and therapy

Since the lymph node located behind the ear in an adult and a child can become enlarged due to any problems with the ENT organs, acute respiratory diseases and other ailments in the ear area, it is very important to inform the doctor about all recent illnesses. This will help the doctor take the correct treatment regarding the treatment plan for the disease. Diagnosis of enlarged lymph nodes is carried out by palpation

From the editor: Types of facial nerve paresis

This allows you to determine not only the size of the balls, but also how painful they are

Diagnosis of enlarged lymph nodes is carried out by palpation. This allows you to determine not only the size of the balls, but also how painful they are

In addition to the parotid lymph nodes, the doctor examines the cervical and occipital glands of an adult or child, and also pays attention to the tonsils, thyroid gland, lacrimal, and salivary glands. Typically, such an examination and information about recent illnesses allows the doctor to diagnose the disease and prescribe therapy. In a normal situation, after treatment of the underlying disease, the size of the lymph nodes of a child or adult is normalized

It should be borne in mind that it is prohibited to warm up an enlarged lymph node to reduce pain and other unpleasant signs: this will lead to increased inflammation

In a normal situation, after treatment of the underlying disease, the size of the lymph nodes of a child or adult returns to normal. It should be borne in mind that it is prohibited to warm up an enlarged lymph node to reduce pain and other unpleasant signs: this will lead to increased inflammation.

If the medications prescribed by the doctor did not bring the expected result, and the lymph nodes not only did not shrink, but even increased to three to four centimeters, while the ball became very hard and dense, this means that the inflammatory process has affected the tissues located near it. To find out the size and intensity of the inflammatory process, a blood test is prescribed.

If the doctor’s test results are alarming, he may prescribe an x-ray, ultrasound examination, or computed tomography. This will determine the presence of a tumor and its nature: inflammation of the lymph node often signals lymphoma. A biopsy may be needed to rule this out.

In the absence of a tumor, if the disease is of bacterial origin, antibiotics are used for treatment. If you are allergic to any drugs, you must inform your doctor. If the disease is of viral origin, antibiotics are ineffective and can cause harm: while destroying pathogens, they also kill beneficial microflora, weakening the body.

In this case, the doctor prescribes other medications. If purulent lymphadenitis is accompanied by a necrotic process, the doctor may decide to open the abscesses with subsequent therapy.

Pain behind the ears is common

However, many do not immediately pay attention to this, hoping that the pain behind the ear on the left or right side will go away on its own. However, it is not. Pain behind the ear when pressed may indicate quite serious pathological conditions occurring in the body

Causes

Pain above the ear on the right can be either unilateral or bilateral; most often it occurs against the background of inflammation of various types. The outer, middle or inner areas of the hearing aid can be affected. Depending on this, a disease such as otitis media is distinguished.

The cause may also be a wax plug formed inside the ear.

Often the pain is caused by mastoiditis - inflammation of the paranasal sinus inside the temple.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes is called lymphadenitis and is also the cause of throbbing pain behind the ear on the right.

Sialadenitis occurs when the salivary gland becomes inflamed.

And finally, diseases such as mumps or herpes (simple or shingles) can cause problems. These diseases are classified as infectious.

When a person begins to feel pain behind the right ear, the first thing you need to do is understand which symptoms appeared first and classify them. After this, you must seek medical help and provide the specialist with the following information:

Is the pain constant or does it stop sometimes?
How long does the discomfort last?
What kind of pain does the person feel: sharp, aching or raw?
Is it unilateral or bilateral.
Are there other symptoms besides pain: does the temperature rise, does the patient feel weak, dizzy, have problems with hearing?

Once the doctor receives all the information, it will be easier for him to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment to eliminate discomfort in the ear.

What does the concentration of pain indicate?

You can identify the cause of shooting pain behind the ear and in the head by analyzing:

nature of headaches and ear pains: acute, dull, shooting, pulsating;
their localization: on one or both sides, behind the ear, above the ear, in the temples;
frequency of manifestations: constantly, occasionally;
presence/absence of other symptoms.

Shoots from the left side

Shooting pains behind the ear in the head exclusively on the left rarely indicate obvious pathology. However, with certain diseases, sensations are localized on the left, without affecting the right ear. This is typical for diseases that affect the left half of the face, nerve fibers located on the left, or paired structures adjacent to the ear.

A similar symptom may indicate:

all types of otitis;
inflammation of the trigeminal nerve in the early stages. With this disease, the pain initially affects only half of the face, but later spreads to the other side;
inflammation of the salivary glands;
diseases or injuries of the jaw joint. Depending on which joint is affected (left or right), the pain, respectively, radiates to the left or right ear;
dental problems and jaw diseases caused by them: reflected pain is localized on the problematic side;
cluster headaches and migraines;
sulfur plug;
water entering the internal structures of the ear;
boil in the ear canal;
foreign body in the ear.

On the right side

Pain on the right side occurs with similar pathologies on the right side. With neuralgia, both bilateral and unilateral pain are possible. It depends on which group of nerve cells is affected.

Shoots behind the ear in the head on the left and at the same time on the right when:

acoustic injuries (too loud sounds);
barotrauma (pressure changes);
infectious diseases (flu, ARVI);
toxoplasmosis;

The causative agent of toxoplasmosis in adults
herpes.

Shooting behind the ear

If the painful sensations are localized behind the ear, spread to the back of the head, and are “shooting” in nature, this may indicate damage to the occipital nerve.

It causes the following pathologies:

cellulitis of the outer ear is a disease that covers the ear canal and manifests itself as sharp shooting behind the ear;
inflammation of the outer ear caused by stagnation of water, injuries to the ear canal, development of a boil;
otitis media, in which the exudate accumulated in the tympanic cavity presses on the eardrum, activating the nerve endings and causing them to send short impulses of pain signals;
inflammation of the mastoid process;
internal otitis;
dental problems;
damage to the facial nerve.
jaw joint injuries.

Jerking pain in temples

Sharp, throbbing pain in the temples is a common accompaniment of ear pain. They can be caused by both inflammatory processes affecting the hearing organs and general neurological causes.

For example:

cervical osteochondrosis;
hernia or protrusion of the spine;
increased ICP;
damage to the jaw joint;
cluster pain;
migraine;
inflammation of the trigeminal nerve.

There are other causes of temporal headaches:

strong emotional experiences;
hypertension;
high temperature accompanying various infectious diseases;
atherosclerosis and the resulting deficiency of blood supply to the brain.

Otitis and its types

As a rule, otitis may appear due to complications of infections occurring in the body or develop independently. The most dangerous types of illness are considered internal and middle, because they can damage the eardrum and affect the quality of a person’s hearing, which cannot be restored.

Otitis may appear if the patient does not take good care of the hygiene of his ears, cleans them with foreign objects such as a pencil or straw, bathes in contaminated water, or if his body is weakened due to a lack of vitamins or seasonal diseases.

Let's look at the symptoms of otitis media. Signs of this disease include:

Pain and swelling of the ear, which intensify with palpation.
Presence of pus in the ear canal.
Changes in the general condition of the body, increased temperature, and the appearance of lethargy.
Analgesics do not eliminate pain; the pain is most often throbbing.
Hearing decreases on the affected side.
If the disease also affects the inner ear, in other words, if a person begins to develop labyrinthitis, hearing is significantly reduced until it is lost, the person feels nausea and dizziness.

To cure any type of otitis, it is necessary to use broad-spectrum antibiotics, as well as medications that relieve swelling and relieve inflammation.

First aid

It is most often provided when pain and discomfort arise as a result of exposure to certain traumatic factors.

It is important to remember that proper and effective assistance is very important

If there are scratches and abrasions on the ear and the skin, it is important to treat the affected areas and then apply a clean bandage to them. If the wound is very dirty, then after treatment with hydrogen peroxide the patient should drink an antibacterial agent that will help prevent the onset of the infectious process

After this, it is important to see a doctor immediately.

If the pain behind the ear on the left radiates to the neck due to a slight burn, then it is important to rinse the damaged area several times under cold water, and then apply a clean bandage

If there is heavy bleeding from the ear, you need to tilt your head so that the blood can not be retained and flow freely. Only after the bleeding has stopped can the auricle be treated with hydrogen peroxide, and the sore area, if it is on the outside of the ear, treated with a special antiseptic (it is best to use iodine). A sterile bandage is then applied to the ear.

It is important to remember that bleeding from the ear is a fairly serious condition that requires the help of a doctor.

If the left neck hurts and radiates to the ear, and a foreign body is found in the ear canal, then the patient should not try to get it out on his own, as this can only worsen the condition. Most often, due to swelling of the ear canal, the foreign body is very difficult to remove. In this case, you need to see an ENT doctor.

If the patient has pain in the left neck and radiates to the ear, and there is also an additional symptom in the form of high body temperature, then to eliminate the unpleasant condition one should take antipyretic drugs, for example, Ibuprofen, Aspirin or Paracetamol.

Sulfur plug

A wax plug forms in the ear due to the specific structure of its outer part and insufficient care for it. As a rule, it is removed if it has managed to completely fill the outer area of the canal and has caused partial hearing loss. A person with an ear plug cannot hear in only one ear, which is damaged, but the condition of the whole body remains normal.

Trying to clean the ear canal yourself using improvised means, such as a hairpin or a match, can only thicken the earwax, especially if the period between cleanings has been long. A special stick is only suitable for cleaning the outer part of the organ.

In order to get rid of cerumen and pain in the head behind the ear on the right, you need to use plain water. As a rule, the doctor draws a little liquid into the spitz and releases it under pressure, which is why the unwanted seal comes out.

Causes and treatment of pain behind the ear when pressed

Pain behind the ear can be a manifestation of pathologies of the hearing organs or nearby systems. Many people are in no hurry to see a doctor when they have pain behind the ear, but ignoring the problem can have serious consequences.

Other diseases

Why does the head hurt behind the ears if no pathologies are found in the hearing organs? The reasons are as follows:

Osteochondrosis of the cervical muscles - occurs if nerves are pinched during deformation of the cervical vertebrae, which causes poor circulation and throbbing pain.
Caries - with improper oral care, the inflammatory processes occurring in the teeth spread to the surrounding tissues, causing pain in the head behind the ear on the right or left. This is especially true for caries of the upper teeth.
Brain tumor - its growth leads not only to severe headache in the area where the tumor is located, but also provokes pain in the ears.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by bacteria or viruses. Accompanied by severe headaches, high fever, and often convulsions. If symptoms of meningitis appear, urgent hospitalization is required.
Mumps (another name is “mumps”) is caused by a virus, leads to damage to the parotid salivary glands, possibly involving the submandibular or sublingual glands, which causes painful areas on the head in the ear area. The disease is accompanied by fever, fever and enlarged salivary glands. The disease leads to serious complications, so treatment should not be neglected.
Sinusitis, rhinitis - these diseases are localized in the upper part of the respiratory tract - in the nose and sinuses. The main symptoms are nasal discharge, loss of smell and pain, sometimes radiating to the ears.
Lymphadenitis is a disease in which the lymph nodes become inflamed. It is often a consequence of previous infectious diseases. When the parotid lymph nodes are inflamed, headaches often occur above the ears.
Herpes. Its main characteristic feature is rashes on various parts of the body. When a rash appears on the head, the pain may be concentrated in the ear area.
Shingles is caused by a virus; when it worsens, itching, rash, throbbing pain inside the ear and loss of hearing are possible.
Trigeminal neuralgia - leads to headaches affecting the temple, the area above the ear on the left or right, and the lower jaw.
Migraine is pain in the temporal part of the head and in the ear area. Exacerbation is provoked by stress, regular lack of sleep, and physical overload. For some people, it is caused by changes in weather or climate when moving.
Inflammation of the temporomandibular joints, which connect the lower jaw to the base of the skull. This disease is often caused by stress, arthritis, trauma, teeth grinding and is accompanied by pain in the jaw and ears.
A boil in the ear canal leads to pain and unpleasant itching inside the ear. It is necessary to open the boil to remove the pus, which leads to an improvement in the condition. It is better to carry out this manipulation in a hospital.

Editorial: How to recognize masked depression

Osteochondrosis and trigeminal neuralgia

Pain behind the ear is often a symptom of degenerative disorders in the articular cartilage of the cervical spine (osteochondrosis). The pathological process is caused by damage to the intervertebral cartilage, as a result of which the discs become smaller and the nerves are compressed.

As the disease develops, the performance of the muscles of the cervical spine decreases, the pain intensifies when turning the neck, crunching of the vertebrae and stiffness of the muscles are noted.

With trigeminal neuralgia, pain most often occurs in the lower area of the face, but pain behind the ear can also develop.

Modern medicine offers effective ways to reduce pain. In the absence of necessary therapy, the disease can progress to the chronic stage.

Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinus, which is located behind the auricle inside the temporal bone. If microbes penetrate into it and this contributes to the development of inflammation, then things can develop into complications and then otitis media will appear. In terms of its nonspecific symptoms, mastoiditis is similar to a standard illness of an average nature:

The pain syndrome is severe and concentrated behind the auricle.
On palpation, the softness of the bone is felt.
The general condition of the body changes, there is an increase in temperature, weakness and dizziness.
Pus appears in the external passage.

In order to cure mastoiditis, antibacterial therapy is necessary, the course of which must be long. Sometimes a surgical treatment method is required: you need to open the sinus and remove the purulent contents.

Lymphadenitis

This disease is characterized by inflammatory changes in the lymph nodes located behind the auricle and pain in the neck behind the ear on the right. As a rule, the formation increases in size, becomes painful and swollen. Lymphadenitis manifests itself as a complication of other diseases that are accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes, such as oncology or mononucleosis. If you suspect the development of this disease, you should urgently seek medical help.

Why does it hurt behind the ear when pressed?

If pressure leads to painful sensations, then the presence of the following pathological conditions can be suspected:

Inflammatory processes in the ear cavity - otitis media.
The presence of an ear plug consisting of sulfur masses.
An inflammatory process localized in the lymph node.
Inflammation of the mastoid process, or mastoiditis.
An inflammatory process localized in the maxillary sinuses.
Dental pathology.
Neuralgia.
Osteochondrosis.
The presence of a viral or bacterial infection.

Let's look at some of the reasons in more detail.

Ear infection

Inflammatory reactions can be localized in all parts of the ear: in the outer, middle or inner. Most often, otitis media develops due to simple failure to comply with hygiene rules or the entry of a foreign body into the ear canal. At the same time, patients complain that they have pain behind their left ear - that is, on the left side - or behind the right. It all depends on the organ of hearing involved in the inflammatory process.

If the outer ear is affected, the patient is concerned about hyperemia of the skin of the ear, the release of purulent exudate

Often, the patient notices that the parotid area is swollen. If you know what symptoms this disease has and how to treat it, you can avoid the progression of the disease

The consequences are quite serious - total hearing loss is possible.

Occlusion (blockage) of the ear with wax

Earwax is formed due to the lack of any hygienic care for the ear cavity or due to its poor quality. Over time, sulfur masses fill the ear, which leads to hearing impairment and painful sensations.

This pathology is characterized by one-sidedness of the lesion. Typically, only one ear may be affected. Accordingly, hearing is impaired on only one side. In this case, the patient’s general condition does not suffer and he feels quite normal.

Doctors strongly do not recommend cleaning the ear cavity on your own in this case. This can lead to deeper advancement of cerumen and occlusion of the ear canal. An otolaryngologist uses special instruments to clean the ear.

From the editor: Memory development in preschool children

Inflammation of the lymph nodes (lymphadenitis)

Pain behind the ears, the causes of which lie in inflammation of the lymph nodes, is extremely unpleasant and quite strong. The parotid lymph node is located immediately behind the concha of the ear. If it becomes involved in a pathological process, it noticeably increases in size, swells and causes a lot of pain. As a rule, lymphadenitis does not occur independently, but is only a consequence of the course of some other disease. These can be cancer, lymphogranulomatosis, or tuberculosis metastases.

Mastoiditis

Why does my head hurt behind my ear on the right or left? Perhaps this pain was caused by an inflamed bone located on the temporal bone - the so-called mastoid process. Often mastoiditis is a consequence of advanced otitis media.

Symptoms of mastoiditis are similar to those observed with involvement of the middle ear.

Intense pain located behind the ear.
Symptoms of intoxication: weakness, malaise, irritability, fever, migraine.
Discharge of purulent contents from the ear cavity.

If you notice one of these symptoms, contact a medical facility immediately. It is possible that surgery will be necessary to remove pus from the ear.

Pathology of teeth, nasal sinuses. Neuralgia and osteochondrosis

Often, pain behind the ears occurs as a result of damage to the sinuses. With sinusitis, the temperature rises, headache is observed, and the general condition is satisfactory.

When the cartilage located between the vertebrae is damaged, the intervertebral discs become sharply smaller. This leads to compression of the nerves, which causes pain when turning the head. Rigidity of the neck muscles is observed. Pain impulses travel along nerve fibers to the ear area, causing discomfort there.

Trigeminal neuralgia also contributes to the transition of pain from the lower face to the parotid region.

Parotitis

This disease is viral and affects the exocrine glands. However, sometimes it spreads to the salivary area. Most often, children are susceptible to this disease. The salivary gland swells and becomes painful. As a rule, the disease spreads to both sides at once. If the parotid gland is affected, then an unbearable pain syndrome covers this area, and the condition worsens when chewing. To treat pain behind the ear on the right, medications that reduce inflammation are used, and the patient also undergoes warming and detoxification.

Herpes (simple and shingles)

From the very beginning, the patient feels a burning and tingling sensation in the area behind the ear; after a few days, other symptoms appear, such as rashes and blisters. In order to cure a person in this case, doctors prescribe antiviral ointments, for example Acyclovir. Under no circumstances should you try to get rid of unpleasant sensations on your own; in this case, medical help is necessary.