I have had a strange sensation in my left ear for 10 weeks. It is in the outer part of my ear and feels like a hair is in there at times and also a weird sensation. My GP prescribed some drops and said it was quite dry inside my ear. It could be eczema but it doesn't bother me inside my ear.
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The tickle sensation has now gone although it did take almost one year, without any treatment i just felt it getting less intense, and hey presto one day it was gone. Hurry!
It is an allergy. Winter comes & it is gone. After I shower I place a small piece of a cotton ball in my left ear not enough to affect hearing & it protects me from the allergens resulting in no or little tickle.
Were you using an anti-snoring MAD (Mandibular Advancement Device) or other dental brace or device?
Holding the lower jaw in a position away from its normal resting position can cause sensory nerve compression of a nerve which routes to the surface of the ear canal (usually the right ear). This causes a feeling exactly like someone is ticking the inside of your ear with a hair or blade of grass or worse still that you have a bug in it! The nerve compression causes the sensation at random times throughout the waking hours when you're not wearing the MAD and disappears when you put it back in at night.
This is nuts. I have the same exact issue but I thought maybe it was because I have had my hair pulled back for the better part of two years every day. It's been getting more intense especially when I watch tv or am just sitting around.
I gave the same problem only in my right ear. I would really like to have answers on how to make this stop. I also went to my E N & T doctor but he only gave me moisture drops to put in my ear.
Are you sure? It is summer and i'm getting this problem all of a sudden.
Thank you... that explains it as I have started wearing a 'snore no more' . Appreciate this clarity and the suggestion to exercise the jaw whennit ticles.. It works! I LOVE the internet!!
Thanks so much for this response. Your suggestion of pushing your lower jaw forward stops the feeling immediately. The dental hygenist also told me I am probably grinding my teeth, so this is probably the cause.
Thankyou ,for your answer .It is driving me mad,in my left ear,especially when trying to sleep.
I have the same issues. I work the graveyard shift and I have to sleep during the day when my family is awake so I started using ear plugs, once I stopped, i started noticing when my teeth were together the inner part of my ears started tingling numb sensation but would go away as soon as I opened my mouth slightly. I never had this problem in my life and it's very annoying and it's been years and the problem is the same. I regret ever using the ear plugs I feel like I damaged or pinched a nerve in my jaw that's connected to the inner ear.
I have had this itchy sensation for two months. No ear infection. My right ear. No body seems to know what to do about it.
I have thee exact same sensation in my left ear. It is the weirdest thing, at night I lay down I feel like ripping my ear off because there is nothing there . I started to think it's a little parasite . It's not the inner- part it's the outer structure of the ear.... it's driving me out of my mind..
This solved the tickling in my ear immediately. Thank you so much for taking time to answer this 2 years ago because it helped me today. Now I just need to find out why the nerve is getting compressed in my neck or wherever it is so I can have it fixed.
Maybe....But last night I laid my head down and could feel fluid movement like it was draining to a lower level and as that happened the tickle moved with it and stopped.
I have this exact feeling. had it for 4 days. very strange. but the way you described it Margaret is what i feel. Go away? I know this post was from 2008.
Sounds like this would be right cuz my jaw is crooked and ever since it went crooked I've been having a tingling sensation in both ears more on one side than the other and the one that tingles more is the one on the side of my face my jaw sits
I have this exactly. I feel like ants are inside my ear. You are right as soon as i move my jaw it stops immediately! I do not wear a MAD but do grind teeth and/or breath with mouth open at night. I normally get it as soon as I lay down in bed and in very distant occasions while I'm sitting in the computer and laid back. Its on the right ear but once in a while I feel a tiny amount in the left ear, almost imperceptible.
I saw an ENT and she cleaned the ear wax ( almost busted my eardrum and much pain) claiming this was the reason as well as a tiny hair that had infiltrated into my ear. Of course nothing happened and I have been suffering this now for almost a year. I have also lost some hearing on this right ear and at times it feels plugged up. Its sad to see how doctors miss the whole diagnostic. I have learned more in the net than what doctors think it is.
I MUST SAY YOU HAVE TOTALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD!!!!
The only thing now is how to best attack this problem to cure this problem. It popped up all of the sudden and I have not changed any of my sleeping behavior.
Forgot to mention that today my right tonsil started to hurt as i swallow and feel pain from the ear. My dentist had mentioned that my throat was irritated and asked if i had any problems which I do not. But now I know there is a relationship between the jaw movements, the ear and the tonsil. I thought it may be an infection instead of this but i have no fever or pain till today. It has always been the and crawling inside my ear sensation, plugged up and reduction in hearing. JUST LEARNED TO PRACTICE EAR POPPING WOULD HELP AND IT HAS AS FAR AS THE PLUGGING AND HEARING WILL SEE TONIGHT IF ANTS ARE ALSO GONE. WILL UPDATE.
Does it happen mostly when you lay down to sleep? I have noticed I get it when I lie down. It seems to be position sensitive.
I know exactly what you mean. Iv been getting it alot recently. It's nothing to do with the inside, and sometimes it almost feels cold. Iv got no idea what to do to fix it.
Wow, thats incredible. I moved my jaw forward and the tickling sensation stopped. Thanks for the tip.
Hi sorry I dont have an answer as yet, just looking at what it could be,you described it exactly. When it happens, put your finger in the begging of canal and press on the upper part of your ear and you can feel pulsing, so I feel it could be something to do with my blood pulsing or nerves. I will try to ask my doctor,but its so annoying feels like a hair or crawling. Good luck and well hopefully get improvement. Muriel
i have the same issue, but it's the inner ear which feels like compression and then the releasing of the pressure. I feel like there is a hair tickling allllll the way deep down. Saw an ENT, had an MRI - all inconclusive. The sensation as now increased and it's beginning to irritate (not in a dermatologic way). Hair tickling is one thing, then the compression is another
Margaret
This just started to happen to me. If feels like a hair is tickling the inner rim on the outside of my ear ( or like a tiny bug is crawling in it )
It has nothing to do with the inner ear. Maddening
Day 2 for me. I will keep you posted
Tom. NYC
I have this feeling in my left ear as well. Almost like a bug is standing there all legs at the top of my ear canal ready to take off. It comes and goes. My doctor said there isn't s bug nor hardly any wax. Going to have her check again or send me to someone. It's literally driving me crazy, well not literally but you know what I mean. Thank you. Any ideas
Rubbish its an Allergy, I have the same thing, its winter now , its got nothing to do with Season either. My GP said it was dermatitis, use drops for a week- nothing changed at all. Feels like ants running about in my outer ear or being tolicked with a feather
Your answer is so perfect, I have felt nuts over my right ear, feel like a bug is doing cartwheels inside, when I move my jaw forward it stops, Dr said he cant find anything wrong, I am going to ear specialist to rule out Fungus bacteria, Thanks again
Do you have any neck issue like herniated disc from an accident? Nerve damage in neck can cause this
I have the same thing... it actually feels like something is in there twirling around the hairs in my ear!!!! No one found anything!!! Been going on over a year and a half!!!! What is up w/ my ear??!!??
I have the same issue and it isnt allergies. It feels like hairs tickling. No pain, no itch, no discharge, nothing. It's been over a year and the only conclusion I can come up with is hair growing in my ear tickling. I hope.
I have the same issue? Outer part of ear above the lobe-where it curls! There's nothing there!no swelling, no redness, nothing in the ear. I put Hydrocortisone cream on it and it is fine for a little while and then starts again. Been going on for months!!! Help!!
Oh my gosh, I know you answered this ages ago, but I just wanted to let you know that this helped! You may have saved my sanity, thank you!!
I googled about this tickling in my ear and I tried what you said about moving my jaw around and it stopped right away. THANK YOU!
Dave
Wiz: OMG this totally worked. I've been grinding my jaw like a m-fer and I relaxed my jaw and moved it around and the tickling immediately went away. I had noticed recently that I have been piercing and biting my lips with a tense jaw (thank you covid for stressing me out) This immediately helped me. Thank you so much. It was tickle-city! Now I know I need to take some kind of yoga or something because my jaw has been like IRON. - and my ears are suffering because of it but now I'm free. THANK YOU!!!!
I have supernumerary teeth. (Extra wisdom teeth) maybe they is pressing on my nerve..thanks for your comment. Eight years going to doctors nobody told me this and it makes sense. I move my jaw forward and it stops almost instantly. But I can't go around like a bull dog all day! Lol! Thanks man I can't even thank you enough.
This is an old post but Im compelled to respond. This answer literally just saved my sanity. Shifting my jaw forward has eliminated this terrible sensation that Ive been experiencing for over a year. Im so grateful for the recommendation!
This information was exactly what I was looking for. It described my symptoms to the Tee. I feel way more relaxed and yes moving my jaw did stop the feeling that there is a bug inside my ear. I thought I was loosing it. Poking things in my ear to make sure I didn't leave my earpod inside...oh what a horrible experience. Thank you again.
I have this same issue, which is what brought me to this site. It is very annoying. It happens at nifty and randomly throughout the day.
Thank you also for this answer. My ENT made me feel like an idiot and said nothing was wrong and Ive had this sensation now for well over six months. I have been having a slight jaw issue so I will be trying that remedy. At least there is someone else that has the same problem!
Realized I was clenching my jaw from taking Adderall. Duh.
I have the exact same sensation. It is not painful and goes away as quick as it starts. I had my ears cleaned out about a month ago by an ENT and this has started since then.
Its funny because I suffer from this too, but I haven't put two and two together. It only happens when I'm driving. When I'm chewing gum, it doesn't happen. So that's the answer.
Hey guys, did any of you get this diagnosed? I've been having the same sensation on the outer portion of my earlobe - the tickle sensation. It's annoying me.
I have the same thing at the outer ear opening 11 to 12 o'clock area. NOT in the ear but at the opening. It happens when I am at rest. It is irritating, like tingling or something crawling under the skin. It creeps me out! Im glad Im not the only one!
i have that crawly sensation allll the wayyyy deep down in my ear. Saw an ENT, (useless) and had MRI - all inconclusive. driving me crazy especailly when I'm still.
I've had this, weirdly, on my left ear too. I've shaved multiple times on the area where it feels like there is a hair tickling or something. It's driving me literally insane. I've had it for years I cant get rid of it. I'm going crazy.
I am having the same tickling in both ears for the last two weeks, I will tell you what is happening, but first I have been intrigued with ears for years, and have been reading people that have strange and becoming ears for myself. If you look at peoples ears and you see who they appear to be, weather they are famous or wealthy, or just noticeable ,but climbing a step up to be someone better than who they were, so here it is in a nut shell: you are turning to God, or something is coming into your life that you can defiantly work with you to better yourself and it may not go away, but when it does stop so do you or your destiny so have a great ride and enjoy life to the fullest. This is so hard to explain and I hope I have given you some closure, if not look at it a little closer then you will see why.
I just read many posts about this, and did not see anything about what I have to say. Here goes: the tingling in my ears started about nine months ago. I was living in an extremely stressful situation, in an abusive relationship. The tickling was quite distracting, but I had bigger problems and endured it. Now, I've been out of that relationship for a month. But the tickling has been persisting, several times a day. Recently, I was diagnosed with complex-PTSD, because I was living in a hypervigilant state in that abusive situation for three years. Now that I'm out the part of my brain also known as the reptilian brain(the oldest part of our nervous system) is freaking out, thinking I still need to flee, fight, fawn or freeze in response to trauma--even when there is no trauma! So my nervous system is doing weird stuff: my teeth chatter when I'm not cold; my body shivers sometimes when I'm not cold; my hair is falling out in clumps; and I go from freezing to sweating back to freezing a couple times each day. I believe my ears, which suddenly feel as though hundreds of tiny microscopic hairs are each dancing individually deep inside my ear canals, are part of my CPTSD. It seems like a nerve thing. It reminds me how when a cat gets scared the fur along their spine stands up on end. My ear hairs are thinking I'm still in danger and are doing the same thing.
This may sound strange, but: see an acupuncturist. You need acupuncture on that ear.
Hi Margaret...would you mind giving me an update on this post? I am having the same or similiar problem and i cant figure out what could be wrong. Ive been experiencing a tingling, sort of needles and pins feeling which reminds me of when your foot falls to sleep or even a muscle spasm in my ear canal. Is this similiar to what you went thru?
So glad i found this thread. Maybe it'll help with the threads i feel crawling out of my right ear! Working my jaw furiously right now to see if it helps. This happened about 15 yrs ago, along with a very low frequency type hum...literally drove me crazy. Now it's back. Been to the VA. Had my ear washed out, tried hydrocordone cream...etc Well, the low frequency hum is gone, but I still feel like a spider is crawling around! (mostly at night)..so, HEAR goes-- (working jaw, moving jaw)
i wish someone could help me. My issue is the tickling and crawling sensation in the inner eear as well as the out right side of the LEFT ear canal. like there's a hair tickling at me. now if feel it almost constantly.
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