Don’t know if there’s a “be my internet doctor” thread and I intend to get it properly checked out, but I’ve never had an ear infection in my life, perhaps until now. For the last couple of weeks there has been a recurring feeling of coolness or wetness (like somebody with cold breath gently blew into my ear) on the left. Last couple of days, I’ve had a sore jaw on that side, more noticeable when I’m sleeping or when I move my jaw away from that ear. I’ve tested for a gum/tooth infection, doesn’t seem to be the case because I’ve waterpiked the hell out of it, flossed the hell out of it, and can bite down on a chopstick firmly without significant pain. Feels much more in the jaw muscle/joint. Ideas?
Could be an inner ear/sinus thing. Can you “pop” your ear?
Try taking a NSAID , the last ear infection I had , my ear was very hot feeling, inside and out (from touching the ear repeatedly) also for me I had felt intense ear pressure. And could hear my heartbeat at all times in that ear. And there is sometimes excessive wax discharge.
Or…
If that doesn’t work go to the clinic and get some antibiotics
Yep!!
Yep, the ol’ eustachian tube isn’t closed, though it might sound a bit tighter than the other side (I occasionally dive so I have a decent familiarity with my ear clearing normalcy.) It hurts like hell in the early hours when I wake up, I can only sleep on my side, that side, so my other potential thought is some weird muscle pull that is exacerbated when I sleep on it/go slackjawed while sleeping.
I’ve frequently had sinus/inner ear issues that appear as tooth/jaw pain. I’d run w max dose ibuprofen and if that doesn’t work, trip to the doc.
I remember I had an ear infection as a kid that presented as a really bad sore throat. I believe I got it from swimming and just figured I was coming down with something but it got really painful - my mom thought it might be strep so I got checked out and hope, was my ear. I guess just really way down deep.
I had inner ear infections every summer as a kid. Outside of my recent major shoulder surgeries (and possibly even then), those were the most debilitating times in my life. Just brutal, where even someone walking nearby while I was laying down would cause shooting pain.
It didn’t initially manifest in my jaw as far as I can remember, although by the time it was really going, the pain radiated everywhere on that side. I don’t remember it starting that way, though. Maybe one of these?
Usually feels like sharp spikes of pain inside the ear but I’m not a doctor.
I had one as a kid but can’t remember what it was like, except that pouring the medication into the ear was awkward. I couldn’t do it alone.
I had polyps in my nose recently and recovering from the surgery to remove them was not fun. And they only gave me enough of the good drugs to last one day.
God that sounds abysmal. /sympathy
It’s better today, over the course of yesterday I decided it might not be the ear or tooth at all, but a massively sore jaw from grinding my teeth at night. Been going through some things lately so I focused in not clenching my teeth (I was) and meditated a bit before bed. Big improvement.
Friend of mine swears by a night-time mouth guard thingy that the dentist gave him for night teeth grinding; changed his life, happier, more productive, his dog came back, the whole country song in reverse thing.
Dude it’s not awesome that it was due to stress but it is awesome that you were able to improve your situation with some mindfulness and meditation. The Dalai Lama would dig it!