Ear Canal Burning — What's the Cause?

We discuss inner ear pain and stabbing a lot but I wanted to start a thread specifically for ear canal burning and maybe pick some people's brains to see what they believe causes this. This is one of my main complains, ear canal burning (think - the parts that an ear plug would touch). It gets intensified if I pull ear plugs out, and even if I press my tragus to my ear canal opening.

According to Google, the lateral surface of the tympanic membrane, the external auditory canal, and the external acoustic meatus are all innervated by nervus intermedius (a branch of CN VII), the auriculotemporal nerve (CN V3), and the auricular branch of the vagus nerve.

So three different nerves supplying one area. One thing I noticed with my condition was that my burning mainly appeared around the same time I started experiencing Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome.

We know that these nerves "innervate" these areas, but my question is, when we experience pain, can things work in reverse, so for example does dysfunction of the tensor tympani cause the pain, or is it a nerve issue causing dysfunction of the TTTS?

Is the burning in the inner canal really coming from sound?

 

How many people here have this, chronically? What I mean is lingering burning specifically in the areas that would be touched by ear plugs.

 

I have some ear canal burning in my right ear, and inner ticklish vessel movements/micro-spasms (TTTS?). For me, the burning is not always associated with sound but sometimes it is; it is hard to tell. I thought it was related to hyperacusis.

 

Yup. All the time, and earplugs just make it worse.

 

Yes I have ear burning but not all the time. It is connected to external noises.

It is disconcerting when it happens like after a run (due to noise of traffic and wind) as you know your ears are in a bad state and not getting better. I have loudness hyperacusis.

 

One thing you can do that helps me when this happens is rip up two bits of kitchen towel paper and scrunch them into two medium size balls. Then soak these in clean, ice cold water. Then squeeze them to let out most of the excess water (but not all the water) and place them against each ear canal so they sit nicely outside with a bit just inside the ear canal, holding them in place.

The cool refreshing ice water will have an immediate effect on reducing the warm sensation and a small amount of ice cold water should drip into the ear canal, immediately cooling it down. Repeat as necessary as the balls of tissue will get warm again within 5/10 mins or so.

Works a treat for me. Hope it helps.

 

When I eat anything, I don’t feel the burning, but then it comes back later. Why is that?

 

Once I was told TMJ issues can cause burning pain in the ear canal.

I don't trust literally anything anymore, but this at least you could rule out without too much trouble.

 

Did they actually explain the mechanism of how TMJ can causes episodic ear canal burning? I've found that health care professionals "say" a lot of stuff but its not always true, as you said they're hard to trust.

Leaving the house is very challenging for me due to my hyperacusis.

 

Found this cool diagram of the middle ear and thought I'd share. I've been trying to figure out exactly how facial nerve pain can stem from ear related issues so just reading everything possible. We all know the facial nerve innervates the tensor tympani and runs through the middle ear. I just wish a single doctor could tell me why my ear canal often feels like someone rubbed a pepper all over it.

"Nerves" causing the pain, ok, but which one? Why does this occur?

 

Sitting here wondering what exactly causes the ear burning and facial pain. It just drives me nuts not knowing what it is.

You would think an acoustic trauma sets off an array of symptoms when you lose or damage a lot of hearing at once. Well, that happens with Meniere’s patients and it’s very rare for them to experience ear or stabbing pain.

Then you think, maybe it’s the tensor tympani irritating the trigeminal nerve causing all of this horrible pain but hardly anyone in the tensor tympani support groups has this pain. Just the thumping/fluttering.

If it’s sensitized type two nerve cells or whatever, why does my face hurt. Why do I get radiating pain from my ear down my jaw.

What is going on. What is driving this. It’s so debilitating and I’m so sick of it. With the loud tinnitus over it it’s just too much to handle. I don’t think much exists that is worse than chronic nerve pain and intrusive tinnitus.

 

If you figure this out, let me know. I have the exact symptoms you describe. I've been told I have Meniere's but I've never had a vertigo attack. Also as you stated any Meniere's patient I've spoken to does not have the pain.

Do you have roaring tinnitus? 500 or 600 Hz?

 

I know everyone is different but tensor tympani gives me a little tense and blockage feeling in my ear/jaw/neck AFTER thumping a lot (i.e. after louder conversation). I don't experience any burning, it's more like dull pain.

Burning is more nerves related than muscles itself but (as you wrote) we don't know what nerves exactly.

 

Have you tried any nerve pain medications? I just started Gabapentin at a low dose and I think I’m already starting to notice a benefit to my facial burning pain. I cannot wait to go back and get it upped.

 

Can I ask what dosage you are taking? I was taking 300mg a day for about a week. It worked the first day, but then the effects disappeared. Maybe I should have stuck with it longer...


For me, I hardly have any TTTS, but burning ear pain 24/7. So, for me it has to be more “nerve” related.

 

They started me on 100mg and it took about a week to notice any benefit. It’s very minor and it could be the placebo effect admittedly, but it’s enough that I’m excited to go and get it upped.

I’d give it another try if I were you. Gabapentin isn’t really supposed to work the first day, that’s seemingly very rare. That may have been the placebo effect. A week at 300mg is not a fair trial of the drug imo. That’s still a low dose and only for a week.

 

Thanks for the quick response! I had taken 100mg for a day or two before I bumped it up to 300mg out of impatience for pain relief (my hyperacusis is really severe), and that first day of 300mg felt like I had taken a benzo which was pretty nice. I was really disappointed when 300mg didn’t have the same effect the next day or any of the days after.

I’m happy to hear that it seems to be working for you, and I hope it continues to improve!

I agree that the medication probably needs more time to build up to have a better effect. I also realize that one may need to go up to much higher doses to get any relief. I’m giving it another try and I’m on day 3 of 200mg. I can’t tell if it’s doing anything yet, but here’s to hoping it helps eventually.

I also take CBD which helps a tiny bit...

 

Yes, Gabapentin for a few months. I’ve seen that most people seem to get an effect at lower doses, so I’m scared of going up really high and it still not working and dealing with tapering down.

 

When I measured it I’m pretty sure it was lower. Too spiked to check rn but it just sounds like someone playing a flute in a Quick Morse code pattern. That’s one of my sounds, I have more on top of that but this one is one of the worst.

And yeah the only thing close to this pain I know of is trigeminal neuralgia but that usually has a cause such as damage to a nerve, compression, surgery (wearing down of myelin). How does noise damage nerves? It just wouldn’t make sense at all.

 

I get that fullness sensation after long episodes too :/ the worst of my burning is on my face. So strange.

 

Today I have sharp burning pain in front of the ear. Right behind the TMJ joint.

 

Do you have TMD? I had this a few days ago after I did acupuncture. I've been working on my TMD issues and they are improving. About a month ago I was eating a soft diet. Try a soft diet, nothing that requires chewing for a few days to a week. I had soups, applesauce, tuna salad for days.

 

That’s actually not necessarily true, for pain relief, it’s often higher dosages that are needed but it’s highly individualized. Some people can stay low while others with neuropathy take as much as 3600 mg.

Literally same, it’s awful.

 

I got checked for TMD to be sure and I don't have it. I've done the soft diets before with no improvement.

 

So sorry :-(.

 

It's alright. Eventually something has to give. I know there is something wrong that is being missed. I'll write a book about this if I ever get it figured out.

 

I know, right??? Praying for us all to have better days ahead.

 

I've taken Gabapentin before. I was taking 400mg three times a day. I started at that dose. It seemed to help some.

 

Why’d you stop taking it?

 

Doctor said he doesn't think I have trigeminal neuralgia and wouldn't prescribe it anymore.