Pain In Jaw Below Ear, Palpitations In Ears. On BP And Cholesterol Drugs. EKG Normal. History Of Heart Problems. Causes Of Pain Below Ears ?

Posted on Mon, 1 Oct 2012

Question: 59 yr old female; 155 lbs.; treated for high blood pressure and on colesterol drugs. 8 yrs ago I had 2 coronary stents in arteries.
No heart attack then, but close. Now for 3 months I've had pain in my jaw, below my ear, and pain/palpatations in my ear which is constant. 1. ENT said there's no problem with my ear. 2. Oral surgeon says there's no TMJ, but "Maybe" a muscle problem- offered to make an appliance to sleep in. 3. My family practice MD did an EKG and it was normal. Do you have any suggestions of what to do next?
Thanks,
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty (2 hours later)

Hi

Thanks for the query

Pain below the ear could be due to various reasons such as infection of the external ear, gingivitis, TMJ arthritis, etc. but when it is associated with palpitations then the other causes have to be looked for, such as aneurysms, glomus jugulare tumor and palatal myoclonus.

I would like to know about few more things before arriving at a probable diagnosis.
1. Do you have fullness in the ear?
2. Decreased hearing in the affected ear?
3. Any twitching in the palate (inside the mouth)?
4. Does the pain worsen on chewing the food?
5. Is the pain associated with any swelling below the ear?

I will be looking forward for the reply to the above questions.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck surgeon

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T