Why does my ear hurt when I wake up?

Learn more about morning ear pain, what causes it, and how it can be solved

Have you  ever wondered why does my ear hurt when I wake up? Waking up with ear pain can be an unpleasant start to your day, but understanding the cause can help you find the right solution. Obviously, nobody likes to experience ear pain after waking up, but in this case, most of the time it isn’t too big of a deal. However, persistent pain might indicate an underlying issue that needs attention. Read on to learn more and how small changes can alleviate ear pain in the morning.

Why do I have ear pain in the morning?

Ok, so your ear hurts in the morning. Why might that be? There are several possible reasons, but the most common one is related to your sleeping position. Usually this is just caused by the way you are sleeping. If you sleep very soundly and on your side, you may simply be compressing the cartilage in your ear against the bed or pillow and this could be leading to soreness. The good news is that this type of ear pain typically goes away after you adjust your sleeping position. This is most certainly the cause if the pain tends to go away after changing positions. 

Why does the inside of my ear hurt when I wake up?

If you have ear pain in the morning, especially in the outer ear and cartilage, then it is likely that you are just compressing your ear while you sleep. This is often the case for side sleepers who may wake up with a sore ear that feels better after a few minutes. Try turning over and seeing if the pain goes away or if your opposite ear experiences similar symptoms. In most cases, the discomfort is temporary, but it's always good to monitor if it happens frequently. By the time you search google for “Why does my ear cartilage hurt when I wake up?” your pain should be gone.

Waking up with sore ear cartilage: How to stop your ears hurting in the morning

If your ear cartilage hurts when you wake up then you may want to try sleeping on your back or on your other side to see if that makes a difference. Altering your sleeping position can often prevent ear pain and improve your comfort throughout the night. As noted above, you likely are developing ear cartilage pain when sleeping on side. Simply not sleeping on that side should help things improve. 

Sore ear cartilage after sleeping is not indicative of a serious problem, unless the pain is persistent and doesn’t decrease after you change positions If the pain persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, it might be worth consulting a healthcare professional. If you are concerned there might be something like an earwax clog in your ear canal then it might be a good idea to buy a digital otoscope camera. A quick inspection can help you identify if wax buildup or other issues might be contributing to your discomfort. A home otoscope inspection can tell how often you should remove ear wax. 

Teslong was the first company to make an ear inspection camera for consumer use and they have the most experience and customer feedback manufacturing these devices. Using an ear inspection camera can help you identify the cause of recurring ear pain and monitor your ear health more effectively. Teslong makes ear cleaning cameras that are stand-alone devices as well as ones that are compatible with Apple mobile devices and Android mobile devices as well as PC (Windows) or Mac (OSX) computers.

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