Ear Pain and Headache

Ear pain and headache both are connected. Headache can be on one side or both sides. Headache may also be associated with nausea and stress pain. In addition, a throat infection or sinusitis may lead to severe ear pain and headache. Most commonly pain behind the ear leads to headache.

This article explains the underlying factors regarding ear pain and headache to manage the pain in a better way. Locating the leading cause and relieving the pain is the prime aspect of any medical problem.

What are the common causes of pain in the ear with headaches?

It is very important to find out the main cause of ear pain and headache. An interconnected pain in the nose, ear, and throat indicates sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, leading to a headache.

In addition, mucous secretions transferring from the middle ear can cause infection and migraine-type headaches. Besides this generalized pain, a specific type of pain behind the ear can also cause a headache. Here are some common causes of a specific headache behind the ear.

Occipital neuralgia

One of the most common causes of headaches behind the ear is occipital neuralgia. Occipital neuralgia occurs mainly because of any injury or damage to the occipital nerve. It may induce increased pressure with irritation leading to a headache behind the ear. It runs from the apex of the spinal cord up through the scalp.

An injury to the splenius capitis can indeed cause headaches, and it can be one of the major causes of severe headaches.

The pain usually starts from one side of the head and may cause pain on the opposite side. This type of headache is similar to a migraine, tension headache, or cluster headache. The pain sensation feels like stabbing with a sharp instrument. Moreover, pain can also be felt in the following areas because of the similar nerve supply.

• Upper neck
• Base of head
• Behind the ears

The cause behind occipital neuralgia is quite difficult to locate.

Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is a type of infection encapsulating the mastoid bone. The mastoid bone is present just behind the ear. It is quite common in younger children as compared to adults. Infection may present with multiple symptoms other than headache. These are as follows:

• Fever
• Liquid discharge from the ear
• Tiredness or fatigue
• May cause temporary hearing loss on the affected side

TMJ disorders

The temporomandibular joint is a ball and socket joint, important for the movements of the jaw. Any problem with the TMJ can also cause headaches. This joint is present just near the ear so may feel like ear pain with a headache. TMJ dysfunction or infection may present with the following symptoms.

• Clicking sound in the jaw
• Ear pain
• Tinnitus
• Hearing disturbance
• Vertigo
• Feeling like the fullness of the ear
• Tightness in the jaw

Dental problems

Problems related to mouth or teeth can be felt as a referred pain in the ear and headache. Pain behind the ear may be because of an impacted molar or any abscess encasing the tooth.

In addition, headaches can also be because of any other dental anomaly. A dentist can easily identify the root cause of any pain in the ear and headache.

Is there any home remedy to manage ear pain and headache?

Sometimes, ear pain with headaches is easy to manage at home. You just need to follow some home remedies to soothe the pain. In contrast to mild pain, sometimes, ear pain with headache is so aggressive that you might need a medical consultation regarding the treatment. Here are some remedies to get relief from pain.

• Take adequate rest to relax your body muscles. It will help to relieve pain.
• You can take any painkiller or NSAID like ibuprofen to get immediate relief from pain.
• Massage your neck muscles to relax.
• You can apply a heat pack to the back of your neck. It will relax your muscles and get immediate pain relief.
• You can also go for acupuncture treatment by a trained specialist.
• If you feel any tenderness in the jaw associated with a headache, you can follow jaw exercises to decrease the tone of jaw muscle and relieve pain.

What are other treatment plans to manage ear pain with headaches?

If you are suffering from continuous pain behind the ear, you should get immediate medical care to get pain relief. Here are some medical therapies with specific conditions causing headaches behind the ear. Let us have a look at these treatment plans to easily follow the medical care.

Occipital neuralgia

One cause of ear pain and headache, known as occipital neuralgia, is related to the occipital nerve. Doctors usually prescribe the following for the management of neuralgia-type pain.

• Muscle relaxants
• Nerve block to relieve the pain
• Steroid injections to avoid any kind of inflammation
• Physiotherapy to gain normal function
• Antidepressants to reduce any kind of stress or pressure over the nerve
• Anti-seizure drugs like carbamazepine relax the nervous system

Besides these medicinal therapies, there are also some surgical interventions to manage occipital neuralgia, including ear pain and headache. These are as follows:

• Nerve decompression is a type of procedure that helps to remove the cause of compressing or irritating the nerve.
• Occipital nerve modulation – in this method, a surgeon implants a nerve stimulator to provide electrical pulses to the occipital nerves. These pulses block the pain stimulus directed toward the brain
• Radiofrequency ablation or cryosurgery – in this method, radiation is used to destroy the nerves causing the pain.

In very rare cases, surgical intervention is required. Generally, medications are sufficient to alleviate neuralgia-like pain, especially symptoms such as ear pain and headache.

Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis, along with other symptoms such as ear pain and headache, requires immediate medical attention. It is an infection of the ear. So, appropriate antibiotic therapy can help to get rid of the infection. In case of a severe infection, your doctor may suggest some other treatment plans. These are as follows:

• Making a small hole in the eardrum to drain infectious fluid in the ear
• Inserting a tube into the eardrum to drain fluid and proper ventilation
• A planned surgery to remove infected cells from the mastoid bone

For these procedures, you may need to stay at the hospital for better care and management.

TMJ disorders

For the resolution of TMJ problems, your dentist may suggest a nightguard to avoid any kind of stress over the joint. Moreover, you may also follow multiple exercises to get relief from pain. If these plans don’t work, an injection of botulinum toxin can help you relieve any TMJ dysfunction.

You may also read: Is ice cream good for a sore throat?

When is there a need to visit the doctor?

Usually, mild pain is not a concern, but ear pain and headaches are often severe in terms of tolerance.It usually didn’t require any management plan or a doctor’s visit. But, in some cases, you may need to get an appointment if you are having the following symptoms.

• Severe and continuous pain
• Suspect of an ear infection or draining pus from the ear
• Having a fever for some days
• Unexplained weight loss
• Sudden and severe headache
• Locked jaw condition
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Mental changes
• Lethargy
• Seizures

In case you experience severe ear pain and headache, seek immediate medical care.

Conclusion

Ear pain is common with a headache. Several people experience a headache with any problem arising in the ears. Generalized pain can indicate different common causes. But, in the case of specific pain, there may be a specific cause. Just like pain behind the ear may repeat any serious medical problem like occipital neuralgia.

In addition, ear pain with headaches is common with various ear infections. For mild pain, there is no need to worry. But, in case of serious symptoms, don’t hesitate to visit your physician regarding the symptoms.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)