QuestionThank you for reading my question. For the last 10-12 years, I have had problems with my ears when I sleep. If I sleep on a particular side, I frequently wake up with the superior tip of that ear (the one resting against the pillow), and the head directly behind the ear, in a ton of pain. To touch the ear aggravates the pain, and to roll over causes even more pain. I have to roll over very slowly and even then the change in position causes great pain. After I am able to turn over on the other side, the pain slowly subsides. The pain is a very strong, aching sensation and does not radiate. Iniitally I thought that I was bending my ear while I was sleeping, thus causing pain. However the pain will slowly begin after an hour or so of lying on a particular side even if I am not asleep. I therefore know that I am not bending the ear over.
The pain is not getting worse, but it is beginning to happen more frequently than it did when I was young. I am now 30 years old with no other significant medical history.
Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Answersome people have cartilage problems (chondromas) in the ears that cause pain... sometimes we remove the cartilage growth and it helps the problems... I would have a doc look at the ear and if there is a specific lump causing the pain, consider getting it removed... it is a pretty easy removal in the office.
