Q. What causes head and ear pain on one side?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Head and ear pain on one side can have a variety of causes. One common cause is a tension headache, which is characterized by mild to moderate pain that usually affects both sides of the head and is often accompanied by tightness in the neck and shoulders. Migraine headaches can also cause unilateral head and ear pain. These types of headaches are usually more intense than tension headaches, but they typically alternate between one side of the head/face/neck to another with each new episode. Inner ear infections or labyrinthitis may also be responsible for head and ear pain on only one side as they are associated with inflammation in the structures of the inner ear causing vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), nausea, or vomiting. Cluster headaches are another potential source for unilateral head or face pain – these types of headaches come in episodes that last from 15 minutes up to three hours long and occur exclusively on one side of your face at once. In some cases, sharp pains occurring behind only one eye might be indicative of trigeminal neuralgia which is caused by damage to a facial nerve near brain stem leading to facial numbness or twitching as well as severe stabbing pains around one eye. If you're experiencing sudden onset unilateral head or face/ear pain along with other concerning symptoms such as fever, confusion, difficulty walking/speaking clearly then it's important you contact your doctor immediately as this could indicate something more serious like meningitis or an impending stroke. It's best not to self-diagnose these types of issues; seek medical attention right away if any symptoms persist after trying over-the-counter remedies like ibuprofen!