Comments on: cold weather ear aches

Question: cold weather ear aches

nyu2 — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:10:57 -0800

What causes my terrible ear and headaches when I am out in the cold for more than 20 minutes?

Has anyone else experienced bad ear and headaches while out in the cold? What causes this and is there anything I can do to prevent it other than staying indoors?

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:28:16 -0800

I get this too, particularly if it's windy. I make a point to cover my ears on cold days.

By: Sonic_Molson

Sonic_Molson — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:41:08 -0800

I don't get headaches but my ears hurt a lot, and much like oneirodynia, it's usually at it's worst when windy.

Covering the ears works, if you don't want to wear a hat you can try earplugs...if you're into that.

By: londongeezer

londongeezer — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:48:39 -0800

make sure you have thoroughly dried your hair and/or ears after eg washing your hair; sorry if that is a blinding glimpse of the obvious...

By: nakedcodemonkey

nakedcodemonkey — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:32:47 -0800

There's a pocket of air sealed in the inner ear. Rapid change in temperature = painful change in air pressure. Which can be godawful if you're congested, because the eustachian tubes (which regulate the pressure) get blocked.

Keep your head/ears covered, and when you've got a cold try not to go out until your favorite decongestant is working its magic. If you do get an ear ache, deal with it the same way as on a plane: yawning, chewing hard, swallowing, warm compresses, etc.

Covering up really should be enough for most people, though. If you're getting ear aches regularly in spite of reasonable precautions, time for a doctor visit. There might be a drainage problem (risk of hearing loss), or it could be "referred" pain from a condition elsewhere.

(IANAD but have had these happen many, many times. They really suck, don't they?)

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:39:38 -0800

I get this too, and it is really painful. I just make sure that I am as covered up as I can possibly.

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:32:23 -0800

I used to get this when I was living in London. You can prevent it by moving back to Australia.

By: agregoli

agregoli — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:30:57 -0800

Hold your nose and blow - it should clear your ears.

By: sweetkid

sweetkid — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:46:19 -0800

agregoli, can't you pop your eardrums doing that? or is that an old wives' tale?

By: agregoli

agregoli — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 09:23:29 -0800

It's called the Valsalva maneuver.