What is the pain under the left ear?

There are many reasons for pain under the left ear, such as problems with the facial nerves, which lead to nerve pain. In addition, viral invasion, physical compression, etc. may all cause this pain. We know that the ear has a particularly rich sensory nerve system, and it is closely connected with the surrounding adjacent tissue nerves. When ear pain occurs, you should be alert, as it may also be reflex pain caused by some nearby organs.

What is the pain under the left ear?

1. External Ear Diseases (a) Auricular Trauma External force acting on the auricle may cause auricular hematoma or laceration. Auricular hematoma often occurs on the dorsal side of the auricle, causing slight local pain. After secondary infection, the pain becomes severe. (ii) Serous chondritis of the auricle. In serous chondritis, fluid accumulates under the cartilage of the concha cavity or in the cartilage. It is usually painless or only has slight swelling and pain. Purulent chondritis, local redness and swelling with fluctuation, severe pain. (III) Herpes zoster oticus 1. Herpes simplex type: The patient first experiences ear discomfort or burning sensation, followed by ear pain, redness and swelling of the auricle and external auditory canal skin, and herpes occurs in the local skin 3-5 days later. Herpes mainly appears on the concave surface of the auricle and occasionally in the external auditory canal. It forms a crust after a few days and heals after about a week. 2. Herpes complicated with facial nerve damage type has ipsilateral peripheral facial paralysis in addition to the rash. Facial paralysis usually occurs about a week after the appearance of the cancer rash.

(iv) Blockage or foreign matter in the external auditory canal may compress the ear canal skin or eardrum, causing severe pain, especially when it swells with water. (V) Ear furuncle Ear furuncle is an acute suppurative inflammation of the hair follicles or sebaceous glands in the skin of the external auditory canal, and is prone to occur in the cartilaginous part of the ear canal. Local redness, swelling and tenderness. Spontaneous severe pain, especially at night or when chewing. (VI) Acute diffuse otitis externa Acute diffuse otitis externa is a widespread suppurative infection of the skin of the external auditory canal. There is obvious spontaneous pain and pain with pulling of the auricle or tenderness of the tragus. (VII) Necrotizing otitis externa is also called malignant otitis externa. This disease often occurs in patients with diabetes, so it is also called diabetic otitis externa. The causative bacteria is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Necrosis of the ear canal spreads rapidly to the surrounding area and may be complicated by mastoiditis, skull base osteomyelitis, meningitis, sepsis, etc.

2. Middle Ear Diseases (I) Tympanic membrane trauma The most common cause of tympanic membrane trauma is a sudden increase in pressure in the external auditory canal, such as blast, slapping, diving, etc. In addition, the eardrum may be damaged if the Eustachian tube is stretched too far or the instrument is inserted too deep when removing foreign objects. When the eardrum ruptures, there is temporary tearing pain and may also cause hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus. (ii) Sudden onset of persistent stabbing pain after bullous myringitis. Examination may reveal bloody blisters in the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane, which heal on their own within a few days.

3. Reflex earache (I) Trigeminal nerve 1. Maxillary branch When there is acute sinusitis, reflex earache can be caused by this branch. 2. The nerves of the mandibular branch that can cause reflex ear pain include: (1) lingual nerve. (2) Inferior alveolar nerve. (3) Auriculotemporal branch. (ii) Glossopharyngeal nerve The glossopharyngeal nerve supplies sensation to the posterior pharyngeal wall, including the top of the nasopharynx, down to the phloepiglottic folds, tonsils and the posterior 1/3 of the tongue. In cases of acute inflammation of the tonsils, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignant tumors in the posterior 1/3 of the tongue, pyriform sinus cancer, etc., reflex pain in the ear may be the initial symptom.

4. Neuralgic ear pain Neuralgic ear pain is mainly caused by viral neuritis, rheumatic neuritis, etc., involving the geniculate ganglion, semilunar ganglion, second and third cervical nerves, glossopharyngeal ganglion and vagus nerve. The most common is herpes zoster oticus caused by viral infection of the geniculate ganglion, which causes severe pain along the course of the affected nerve. Secondly, glossopharyngeal neuralgia is often accompanied by ear pain.