Winters are not just about fashionable scarves, perky makeup, and fabulous hats. It comes with many health issues like excessive sneezing, ear pain in cold weather, and foot corns.
But why do my ears hurt in the cold? There can be several reasons behind this, for instance, being sensitive to cold.
Many complain about aching, ringing, burning, or a blocked ear during winter. For ear cleaning and treating dryness, try consulting an ENT, and do not perform it at home without experts.
However, first of all, you need to stop being worried. You are not alone in suffering from ears hurt from cold.
Many people have the same complaints as these. So if you are also one of those thinking, why do my ears hurt after running in the cold? This content is going to cater to all your concerns.
So here you go:
Ear Pain in Cold Weather
While enjoying winters, we forget about taking care against the fallouts of this weather. This can result in issues like head hurts, runny nose, skin issues, and of course, ear pain.
Can we associate ear pain with cold weather? Yes, cold weather can be one of the triggers of cold weather. Several studies have been conducted to find a connection between earaches and cold winds.
They found an increase in the earache complaints during the winters. Along with this, many researchers also conducted research to discover what causes ear aches during winters.
All the causes of ear pain during cold weather are added in the lines coming ahead.
If you are looking for the answers to why do my ears hurt in the cold yourself, along with solutions, it is advised to figure out what kind of pain you are suffering from due to cold weather.
Why Do My Ears Hurt After Running in the Cold?
Cold ears, dryness, and not taking enough care can be one of the causes of ear hurt. However, sometimes, we mistake headaches for earaches as both parts are adjacent.
Therefore, before you go with finding why do my ears hurt in the cold, find out where exactly you are feeling the pain.
Pain Inside of the Ear:
Blocked tubes in the ear can source earache. Symptoms behind pain inside the ear include itchiness around the eardrum or feeling like there is some pressure on your ear.
Besides this, you can also feel a pull-like sensation in your cochlea. The pain can be mild to severe and can block your ear for some time.
Outside of Ear Hurts:
If the outside of the ear hurts, it is not any different than the inside of your ears. You can feel a burning sensation or an irritation when touching your ear as it is swelled or having some injury.
The pain outside of the ear can be triggered by touching even with soft hands, running cotton swabs, or fingers in the ear.
Head Pain Near Ear:
Occipital Neuralgia can cause sudden sharp pain behind the ear that feels like a headache. However, it is not a headache. In this condition, the nerves that run through the scalp get inflamed, swelled, or injured.
This pain feels like a painful piercing, throbbing, or shock-like sensation behind the ear that can lead to pain in the upper beck or back of the head.
Why do my ears hurt in the cold? Pain inside or outside the ear can be due to cold weather. However, aches are not necessarily due to cold weather when happening behind the ear.
Here are some reasons added why your ear might hurt during winters:
Why Do My Ears Hurt in the Cold?
These can be due to infections or dryness. Some more reasons in this regard are given below:
1. Ear Pain From Wind:
When cold winds blow, this can trigger ear pain. Our ears do not have many fat tissues, and the white bone is also quite soft, unable to protect the tiny nerves in the ear.
Doctors explained to people who asked why do my ears hurt in the cold, is that cold winds can damage these tiny nerves, make them hard and less flowy, and hence cause ear pain.
2. Muscle Pinch:
Cold weather makes muscles stiff which can result in pain. Our muscles require enough heat to contract and relax.
In the absence of heat, joints get tightened during winters, and muscles around your ears get pinched, resulting in mild to severe earache.
3. Dryness:
Wax in the ear works as a barrier to never let the dust residue enter the ears. When dust tries to enter the ear, it gets stuck in the earwax.
A lack of wetness can result in infections that can cause severe throbbing pain in the ear during winters, and you feel like, why do my ears hurt in the cold.
4. Mucus Built up in the Middle Ear:
Why do my ears hurt after running in the cold? It can be because of the mucus built in the middle of your ear. Ear, nose, and eyes all three parts are attached.
During winters, mucus from the nose and eyes builds in the Eustachian tube. As a result, the Eustachian line gets blocked and causes earaches and discomfort.
5. Inflamed Eardrum:
When the mucus from other body parts stays in the ear tubes, it can inflame the eardrums. This cold inflammation can result in earache or ear pain.
You might feel discomfort due to the louder sounds and even when trying to run a finger through your ear due to inflamed eardrums.
“Swelling in the eardrums can also happen during summers and other weather conditions.”
6. Infections:
During winters, you are more prone to catching infections eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. All three happen due to your ear’s lack of wetness and excessive dryness.
Along with this, bacteria are more active during winters as they can easily stay and travel due to the winter clothing. These can also cause infections resulting in questions like why do my ears hurt in the cold.
7. Clogged Ear:
As lack of earwax is harmful, the excess earwax is injurious too, and it can also cause earaches. During winters, lack of circulation in the ear and swollen glands can block fluid drainage.
The fluid stays in the ear and causes swelling, inflammation, and other bacterial contagions that can cause earache in the cold.
8. Pressure:
We try to shrink our size during winters while sleeping because of the cold. It can result in sleeping on one side for the entire night.
This pressure can lead to headaches and earaches during winters. However, such pains cannot be associated with winters only.
9. Swelling:
Swelling due to mucus residue, lack of circulation, or infections can cause ear pain during winters. This swelling can result from a stuck particle of an ear swab.
10. Sore Throat:
Our throat and our ears are connected. Pain in the throat can cause pain in the ears. When you cough with force due to a sore throat, it can result in ear pain because the connection is attached.
11. Cold:
Cold and fever are the most common things to occur during winters. But do you know these can be answers to your query why do my ears hurt in the cold? Fever causes pain in the entire body and so the ear.
12. Flu:
Once again, due to a single connection between the nose, eyes, and ears, excessive mucus in the nose or tears in the eyes can cause pain in the ear.
13. Unhygienic Lifestyle:
Not taking a shower daily can trigger pain in the ears. Showers clean the ear from mucus and make room to generate healthy wax in the ear.
14. Allergies:
Cold allergies can also be one of the causes behind the question of why do my ears hurt in the cold. Some allergies can be directly associated with ear pain, while others create an environment of earache.
Our discussion on ear pain in cold weather doesn’t end here. Here are remedies to get rid of ear pain:
Ear Pain Cold Weather Remedies
Here are some easy things you should follow to take good care of ear pain in the cold.
1. Limit the Time you Spend Outside:
As cold is intimidating to provoke ear pain, an inside stay can help you get rid of it. It would be best to spend more time near the fireplace or inside your quilt to keep from ear pain.
2. Cover Your Ears:
Use ear muffs, mufflers, hats, or caps to cover your ears when you need to go out. It will help you protect yourself from dryness and other ear infections.
3. Hot Baths:
Try to take hot baths after one or two days to keep yourself clean and your ears from pain. When bathing, thoroughly clean yourself from the wax or dry particles.
4. Ear Cleaning:
Try to use over-the-counter ear drops to clean the ears from dryness and infections. You can find ear drops at doctors or in the medical stores nearby.
5. Avoid Getting Sick:
Try to eat healthy, including protein-rich food, to increase immunity against cough, cold, and flu. Eat pho (bone broth with noodles) to boost your immunity against getting sick.
6. Keep Clean:
Keep your clothes, bed, quilt, and towels clean. Spray insecticides on them after every use so that no bacteria germinate there.
Bottom Line
We have given you 14 causes and 6 easy remedies for your query why do my ears hurt in the cold. If you have more questions in your mind, feel free to write to us.