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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Left Ear Numb, Hearing Fine. What This Can Be?

I am a 33 year old female with no history or current health issues/sicknesses and am not on any meds. I woke up (6 hours ago) with the outside of my left ear feeling somewhat numb (not the earlobe but the part directly outside the hole/connected to face. It s gotten a little better but not completely gone. My hearing and all else is fine. What can this be?
Mon, 4 Mar 2013
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello,

Thanks for posting,

That sounds to me like a nerve compression syndrome. You probably slept on the left ear at night (you might say why that night?). Prolonged sleeping on that ear with a firm object could lead to that. The fact that the numbness is getting even without any treatment simply indicates that decompression is occurring on its own. They are several nerve fibers that could have been compressed while you were sleeping.
I do not personally think that it is something you should be worried about.

hope this helps
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Left Ear Numb, Hearing Fine. What This Can Be?

Hello, Thanks for posting, That sounds to me like a nerve compression syndrome. You probably slept on the left ear at night (you might say why that night?). Prolonged sleeping on that ear with a firm object could lead to that. The fact that the numbness is getting even without any treatment simply indicates that decompression is occurring on its own. They are several nerve fibers that could have been compressed while you were sleeping. I do not personally think that it is something you should be worried about. hope this helps