Waking up with a really painful outer ear is a strange phenomenon that is actually more common than we think. It's most likely down to sleeping on the same side for too long, on a pillow that's too firm. The ear cartilage gets a constant pressure or gets folded against the pillow and this irritates the pain receptors.
Sleep position
How you sleep can affect ear pain. Rest with your head on two or more pillows, so your affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. Or if your left ear has an infection, sleep on your right side. Less pressure equals less ear pain.
Lying on your back puts pressure on your ears, which is exactly what you want to avoid while suffering from an ear infection. It is this pressure that causes pain in the middle ear and prevents you from sleeping well in the first place.
Two other experiments showed that the middle-ear pressure increased during shallow "sleep-type" breathing, and decreased during hyperventilation. The present results can be explained by diffusion of carbon dioxide over the middle-ear mucosa, the direction of gas transfer being dependent on the breathing pattern.
Since the eustachian tubes in the infected ears can only drain into the throat, try keeping the infected ear elevated by sleeping on the opposite side of the one infected. This way the tube will be above the throat, and the ear will most certainly drain sooner.
Swallow or yawn to equalize the pressure
Your Eustachian tubes are typically closed, opening when you perform activities like swallowing and yawning. So intentionally doing these things may help unclog your ears, especially if there's no underlying cause like allergies or an infection.
Lying down on one side and keeping still for a few minutes may help the liquid drain or trickle from the ear. Tilt the head so the affected ear faces down. Hold the earlobe with the thumb behind the ear and gently tug and jiggle the ear in all directions.
This can happen for brief periods during air travel, but also due to allergies, sinus or ear infections, or other respiratory viruses (including COVID-19). Sudden onset of muffled hearing in one ear may signal an urgent problem requiring prompt treatment to prevent or reduce possible hearing loss.
A common cause of blocked ears is wax build up, so a good first step is to eliminate this as an issue. Consulting your local medical professional or Earworx registered nurse can help you to determine whether wax impaction is present and whether wax removal is required.
Pillow ear is ear pain caused by pressure on certain parts of your ear for extended periods of time.
Tinnitus, Clogged Ears, or Ear Pain
Since the TM joint resides adjacent to the ears, it's common to experience many TMJ symptoms in the ears. Patients can experience ear pain or clogged ears that they might pass off as an ear infection or allergies but is actually from TMD.
When fluid builds up and gets infected, your doctor will call it otitis media. This is the most common cause of ear pain. If your doctor thinks the cause is a bacteria, she may prescribe antibiotics. If not, then she may recommend a decongestant allergy treatment with an antihistamine and a nasal steroid.
You can do exercises to open up the tubes. This includes swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can help relieve the “full ear” feeling by taking a deep breath, pinching your nostrils closed, and “blowing” with your mouth shut. If you think your baby may have Eustachian tube dysfunction, feed him or her.
Although this may appear to be an unusual hack, rubbing the ridge behind your ear creates an acupressure movement so simply rub the area in a circular motion around 100 to 200 times. The end result? Calming your nervous system to help you get ready for a great night of sleep in no time.
#11: Awkward head position
Sleeping with your neck at an odd angle can kink the major blood vessels to the head. This causes turbulent blood flow, which you may hear as tinnitus.
Sometimes people wake up and their ear suddenly feels clogged and their hearing dampened. They think it's ear wax or fluid behind their eardrum when actually their hearing organ (cochlea) has suddenly stopped working. It is important to see a clinician because this requires immediate evaluation and treatment.
Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears may indicate an infection, ear wax, a head trauma, a tumor, or other health problems. Some of these may need urgent treatment. There may also be dizziness, tinnitus, and other symptoms. Tinnitus and other symptoms sometimes accompany sudden hearing loss.
Although blocked ears are common, if they are ongoing for a long period of time or the symptoms are severe then medical help may be necessary. Frequently experiencing blocked ears is a sign that you need to be cautious. It's essential to get examined to establish whether there is an underlying condition.
If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut.
Sudden severe hearing loss and deafness in one ear are both common symptoms of ear stroke. Ear stroke is also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In as short as three days, the patients will suddenly lose part or all of their hearing ability.
Congestion. If your ears won't pop and you've had a cold recently, you might have mucus in your ears. Too much mucus can make it hard to maintain pressure in the middle ear space. If you have allergies, try taking a decongestant before boarding an airplane or going on a road trip to a higher elevation.
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage may include: Earache. Feeling of fullness in the ear. Ringing or noises in the ear (tinnitus)