When it rains, it pours with me as far as health issues. I now have another problem I’m trying to deal with along with my ME/CFS flare – inner ear problems. A few days ago I noticed that I started having this feeling like my inner ear was wet, but I know I didn’t get any water in it. Also, when I tried to check with a Q-tip (very gently) to see if it came out wet – nothing. Completely dry. Then I started experiencing another very annoying symptom that has increasingly grown worse over the past few days. It feels like something is moving around inside my ear, but it’s kind of a vibrating/numbing type feeling. It’s hard to explain. The best way I can describe it is it kind of feels like when I had long hair and it would get inside my ears sometimes. I keep having this urge to move my hair away from my ears when I don’t have any hair around my ears. My hair is really super short now. I am having some pain but not an extreme amount. It’s more annoying than anything.
I am not having any dizziness or anything like that. When I lie down the cold, wet feeling gets worse. If I lie on my right ear, the feeling that something is inside my ear gets worse. If I lie on my left ear, the cold, wet feeling becomes really intense. Sounds weird, doesn’t it?
My fear is that a bug or spider or something crawled in my ear – yuck! Any suggestions?
Sandy, it sounds awful. This is probably not what happened to you, but a few years ago I re-injured my ear drum by diving into deep water. When I was a kid I got cuffed in the ear with a cupped palm (by accident) and it popped a hole in my ear drum. When it got re-injured, the hole sealed itself up with water still in the ear canal. Eventually the pressure tore another hole to let the water out. The reason I don’t think this is what’s happening to you is that it was excruciating. I don’t think you could get something behind your ear drum without being in a lot of pain, but if I were you I’d have your doctor take a look. Maybe its an infection with just a weird sensory response? I hope it goes away soon!
I have the same thing in left ear. Doc looked inside saw nothing. This is driving me mad . Thought it was hair. Keep cutting hair around ear pretty short. No help. Flushed ear no help. I’ve been sick have sinuous, but doc said no infection. HELP
I felt the exact same thing and was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma. Have your doc look on the sides of the canal.
I’m not sure what it is but I am having the same symptoms. Do you have any pain in the ear or in your head?
Im going through the same issue..like wind blowing in my ear cold or cold water and a moving sensation
I’m going through the same thing. What should I do?
I went to ENT findings where that it’s not my ear. I was also told it could be to much caffiene, jaw or neck?
Hi Finch, Yes, I did find out what is wrong. You can read more at this post: https://fightingfatigue.org/?p=7830. I have a sinus infection that caused my right ear to fill with fluid.
I have been having chronic pain in my sinuses mainly on the right side of my face for months. It also hurts in my right ear jaw and down the right side of my neck. Sometimes the pain gets that pain it wakes me up at night! I have had my teeth and ears checked and both have come back ok. Although I’m prone to ear infections. Since I was a child.
I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner. Calcium deposits in the inner ear can cause a variety of symptoms such as you’ve described. There are a series of exercises that a good physical therapist can teach you that can alleviate these symptoms, but unfortunately, they haven’t yet found a way to take care of it. It’s like a miniature kidney stone, sort of, but in the inner ear. When there are gall stones or kidney stones, the way they get rid of them is ultrasound – which would destroy hearing, so it can’t be used for the ears. Right now, the exercises are all we have.
Don’t be too surprised if an ENT insists that you don’t have this unless you’re off balance (which may happen, but I hope not). Many of them think only balance problems are caused by these calcium deposits, but the symptoms you describe are often present with balance problems; there’s no reason you can’t be spared balance problems but still have these symptoms.
Also, you have sinus problems, from what you’ve said in other posts. It’s possible that sinus pressure could also cause these symptoms, so differential diagnosis by a good ENT is critical.
I have same problem feeling like something crawling in left ear on off for weeks I’m always poking something down there to find it I’ve googled for weeks and came across fibromyalgia symptoms is this true it’s to do with fibromyalgia cause I have that. Feel like everything I get is to do with my fibromyalgia but still no proper information on fibromyalgia to help us with it. It’s like a silent illness that has many side effects no one can answer
Emma
I also have fibromyalgia, CFS and sjogrins (autoimmune disease). I had gone to the ENT about a year ago and he blamed it on the fibromyalgia. I don’t know if that was a good diagnosis since I went to see him because of tinnitus. Either way he said it was the fibro causing all of it. I do agree with you about this silent disease. I can’t begin to list even the rare symptoms I’ve had over the past few years.
Guys so what exercises do recommend .As I’ve the same problem x
I too feel like i have some water trapped in my right ear,but on cleaning it the ear bud come out dry without any wax or dampness.When i sleep its just the worst thing- any small sound fall on my ear like vibration.even if i speak or clear my throat when am lying on my left ear the sound falls as some irritation vibration on my ear.I had nasal polyp and got it operated,when i said my ent about this earlier when i consulted him for nasal polyp,he said all this is because of nasal polyp,i had intense head ache too.well now the nasal polyp is completely gone and head ache rarely comes.but the ear is getting worst.i even feel lik water is running down my earbut noting actually comes out.like sandy said i do feel lik my hair pokes into my ear but my hair is all tied up.Please let me know what is wrong.I cant sleep with this vibration in my ear specially when my mother snores it just irritates my ear so much.
OH MY GOD! i’m having the same issue here! i hear something crawling in my ear.. it’s like it wants to get deep inside! i’m scared for my self! i don’t know what to do. and it hurts, i feels wet but there’s no water inside. and sill now, my ears are clogged now i’m feeling slightly deaf :'( please help! any suggestions ?
My husband had this problem. I thought he was crazy. It turned out he was having muscle spasms in his middle ear.
Addressing the movement in the ears – among other things – let me give it a shot. I was diagnosed with ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction) not long ago. The way I describe it is like bugs crawling around inside my ears. Take you’re index finger and VERY LIGHTLY touch, say, the inside part of your thigh. You know, a real sensitive part of your skin. That light touch is almost constant in my ears. It’s an itch that really can’t be itched. Now, I know why I’ve always seen older men wearing cotton in their ears. Anyway, I went and seen a Specialist in Fort Worth, Tx. (I live in Northern Calif.). He’s 1, of only 3 Doctors in the entire country who treats the kind of ETD that I have. The Doc told me that the reason why my ears feel this way is because I have the kind of ETD that makes my tubes stay open. He said it’s probably the air getting in through the constant opening. Like a valve that never closes. Well, after the 3 hour operation on both my septum and my ears, that itch is worse than ever. I can breath better than i’ve ever been able to in my life, but my ears, along with the bugs crawling around may drive me crazy, eventually. I also now have debilitating Tinnitus. The Boston Pops don’t have nutt’in on the tones my ears have. Something about, I have the unfortunate ability to actually hear my brain activity, or so many Specialist say. Even so, these Eustachian Tubes are what equalize the pressure in your head. When they go, the NIGHTMARE begins It’s as though your head is imploding, and exploding all at the same time. In a blink you can go from one to the other. I’m still healing from all this, but it doesn’t feel promising. Nope! not in the least. Before I close, I don’t have a balance problem, and i’ve been x-rayed every way you can be, including a ct scan of my sinuses, and MRI of my entire brain. The pain I suffer from this can be absolutely unconscionable, though it is rare. As far as feeling like water is in my ears, that’s happened to me only twice in the 3 years I’ve had this ailment. Also, the Specialist I saw told me that ETD is very mysterious in the medical world here in the U.S.. He said a ‘normal’ Radiologist, and or, ENT wouldn’t know what to look for. Finally, some advice for anyone who has pressure problems in their ears, do yourself a favor and help your Doc. Mention to them ETD. That’s how I found out I had it. I did my research and then mentioned it. Though I had the symptoms, 4 different ENT’s and a slew of GP Docs didn’t have a clue.
Which doctor did you see in fort Worth, Texas?
By the way, if you have a Eustachian Tube which is locked open and you can hear yourself talk (autophony), or breathe, this condition is call Patulous Eustachian Tube not ETD.
I have ETD as well. I was diagnosed about 15 years ago on a routine ENT visit. However I’ve been to other ENTs regarding the same issue but never knew what it was.
I suffered from this as well, for three years! It started out as a sensation of my ear feeling “full”. Then the vertigo arrived, followed by tinnitus, & ending with loss of consciousness multiple times a day, everyday. Jump ahead about a year & 1/2 , my home was diagnosed with toxic mold. I couldn’t afford to move or hire a restoration company, I was slowly dying. I ended up with a fungus ball in my ear. Since the mold has been eradicated, I’ve had zero issues.
How was the fungus ball in your ear removed?
Hi, my friend has the itchy insect feeling in her ear and was told by the ear specialist it was a muscle in her ear that goes into spasms. She finds if she presses her ear at the top it eases it. Hope this info helps someone. Good luck.
I also have that crawling and itchy feeling in both my ears from time to time. I also thought I had tiny bugs having a dance party in there. My ENT just said ( oh my ). That was it!!! But I noticed if I just put my finger and press it closed it stops it right away. I’ve had this so long now that when I’m around my friends and my imaginary buggy friends come and visit me I hurry up with my finger to my ear and then my friends start laughing and say Oh no her friends came back for a dance off contest!!! So if any way gets a good diagnosis let me know. I will have to find a new ENT!!!
Omg! I’m reading down through this feed and thinking I’m going to loose my mind with the noise/feeling. I read your post and it worked! I’m amazed! Thank you sooooo much!
I haven’t had the sensation of bugs. At present I get a periodic sharp pain in my ear & the annoying sensation that cold water is running out my ear. I always check my ear and it is dry as can be. I do hear the fluorescent lights vibrate, and household appliances. I hear buzzing sounds from a deep timber to super high pitched ones. I was congested a while back, but now just a sniffle & a slightly running nose from Spring. The past couple of months it has seemed like I have experienced a slew of new weird sensations. If no cure, at least it helps knowing that I am not alone!
Its possible that it is just air moving around – I thought I had water in my ear but the last ent said its not water that it must be air – once I heard this – I started thinking air instead of water and have now figured out if I move my jaw to one side or the other then hold heating pad on one of the ears with the ear facing downward while keepomg jaw to the side and taking deep inhale then pinching nose and slowly exhaling but not hard u can hear the ears pop – repeat on other side and with any luck symptoms will either go away or lessen at least for the time being.
Relax dont freak out
Mark and others:
I was recently diagnosed with patulous eustachian tubes, the same condition that you presented with. Instead of being flat, as are normal tube openings, the eustachian tube is convex and constantly open. Hence the ears do not respond to barometric pressure normally, frequently feel full of fluid, and can be extremely sensitive to sound. As barometric pressure changes, I have stabbing and aching ear pain in and around my ears.
My sensitivity to pressure was scientifically but accidentally confirmed on a recent trip. As I headed to my higher-altitude destination, a minor storm began increasing in severity. While I continued to climb through the canyon, I experienced increasing pain in and around my ears. During this experience I kept hearing an odd crumpling sound in the car, and soon realized that the empty water bottle in the cup holder was crinkling in response to pressure changes just a few seconds after I registered the pain in my ears. I wanted to incinerate the license of every physician that doubted my sensitivity was possible and who couldn’t think of a simple test to verify my story and my symptoms!
For years I have had barometric pressure migraines with related ear pain. My belief is that the extreme muscle tension from fibromyalgia and ME cause both the inner ear issue and the migraines. When everything–muscles, tendons, fascia–is already tight, the slightest environmental changes can cause pain. In fact, fatigue is listed as one of the causes of patulous eustachian tubes. Take TMJ (please!), a comorbidity of fibromyalgia; if muscle tension can affect the jaw enough to displace it, it follows that extreme muscle tension also affects the ears and eyes. My vision is impacted by fibro, too, particularly in the left eye. I know this is a result of muscle tension because I can manipulate the muscle of my left eye with my hand and actually improve my vision. If it were a lens issue, this improvement would not be possible. Again, a small experiment that no ophthalmologist would believe or even try.
As you mentioned, the surgery was not successful in treating your inner ears. According to my ENT, an estrogen medication is usually given to try and build up the tissues in the inner ears. If you can’t take estrogren, then a steroid nasal spray such as Nasacort is your only choice. I’ve been on the Nasacort for 8 weeks and noticed no change in ear pain.
Before being diagnosed with the inner ear issue, I went through three months of near-constant migraines accompanied by ear pain at a staggering level. I was so noise sensitive I was virtually paralyzed. How do you ask for help when you can’t tolerate the sound of your own voice?
Pain medication helps to some degree, and I have found meditation also provides relief. However, meditation has to be practiced often when you are well so you can implement it when you are unwell.
I would love to hear of others’ experiences with fibro-related patulous eaustachian tubes, vision issues, TMJ, migraine, and chronic musle tension.
Oh, my lands! I was complaining to my daughter recently regarding an annoying feeling of hair getting in my right ear, and also feeling like a bug was crawling around in my ear. There was no hair, and no bug (I used a Q-tip, which produced nothing). I am also having a feeling like blood coursing thru the veins in my head on the right side, and can feel/hear my heartbeat along with it. – Very scary! I should mention also that my eardrum was punctured when I was in my late teens; and have had tinnitus ever since, even tho scar tissue healed over the puncture. I also suffer with chronic Sinusitis on the right side. I was going to make an appointment to see an ENT; but I guess there’s no use now, since it appears nothing can be done about it. Thanks to my precious daughter for sending me this site – now I know I’m not crazy!
Can someone help? I’ve been having sharp pains in my ear at random times, sometimes a few weeks apart, others maybe a few days. For example, I looked up at the sky the other day and when I loocked back down the sensation happened. It’s not just any sharp pain it’s like a burning vague kind of thing and it hurts a lot. Also, lately I’ve been getting tapping noises in the same ear, any help would be greatly appreciated.
After reading many of these responses, I think I’m finding something relating to many of you. Somehow I think that my Dr damaged my ear when I went to have is rinsed out due to it being blocked severely that I was seriously “deaf” for 2 solid weeks. I had tried everything. He gave me medication for the sinus & whatever else was related to the problem for excess ear wax but had a 2nd dose of anti-biotics. Went back, they put some ear wax softner in my ear & had to leave it for 45mins then go back. The infection wasn’t cleared. However, the Dr decided to rinse the ear out anyway, BIG mistake apparantly according to another Dr as the ear is already inflamed & swollen inside. Well, since then, I have earache as deep as I can feel but not the normal ear ache. Just pain and at times its really painful. Since then, I get these senstations that my something is crawling either in my ear or under the skin outside the ear & feels like the thing is crawling from one place to the next & is literally felt. I’ve read about dry ears too. I still don’t have a solution at this stage as the Dr says nothing should be put inside the ear. I’m actually considering putting a clove of garlic in as they say that is a natural remedy but for pain. Maybe it works for this too. So, the point is this. We have had trauma to our ears at some point & this is my understanding of the occurances. Don’t think it will ever go away. Mine is over a year now & no change. Just gets really irritating.
Let me add that I found drinking lemon juice water thins the sinuses and runs clear & watery. Skipping one day with no lemon water leaves me trying to swallow think mucus & whatever else is built up inside. Make yourself the drink in large doses. With honey to make it more palatable if you don’t like it as is.
This crawling sensation in my ears is driving me crazy. Wakes me up, so I am losing precious sleep. I also have a *smell* that only I smell. Disgusting smell! Anyone? Help?? PLEASE???
I have been having the exact same issue as you. I thought the smell was something weird in my nose but maybe it’s not? Have you gotten any answers?
I don’t want to scare you but smelling bad odors only you can smell could be neurological. Please see a neurologist ASAP. No joke. I worked as a surgical tech for 18 years.
Smell might indicate a cyst of dead cells. These can be progressive and require diagnosis, and a surgical solution.
I’ve been having this persistent pain I’m my left ear for about a month now. Most times, it’s a faint, scratching feeling that I can ignore if I put my mind to it. Other times, it gets so bad that just touching my outer ear hurts like you wouldn’t believe. When it gets like that, I feel this sharp pain, shooting from my outer ear straight in. Other times, I just feel like there’s a fly in there, learning to moonwalk or looking for something to eat (like my brain). What’s worse is my overactive imagination keeps showing me scenarios where there’s something laying eggs in my head.
I sincerely hope that that’s not what’s happening, because that would suck.
I haven’t ever torn or punctured anything – not that I know of – so I don’t really get why this is happening.
I now clean my ears (nothing is wrong with the right one, I’m just OCD like that) up to 3 times a day, looking for relief. I let the q tips just sit there for minutes at a time, before I take them out. Most times they come out clean. Other times, they’re stained with something yellow and unhealthy looking.
I’m worried, and afraid.
I want to see an ENT doctor, but I live in a very obscure part of Nigeria where doctors rarely know what they’re doing and are almost always on strike.
Can someone help me, and give me advice that doesn’t involve pouring “blessed anointing oil” into my head?
I have been having the same problem, I’ve only had for 3 days now, it makes me less motivated, and as I’m at school I often doze off and loose valuable information for my upcoming exams. I am looking into seeing a doctor tomorrow morning.
I’ve been having an earache for just a couple of days, but today I was in excruciating pain and as I sleep it’s the most awful feeling ever. If I sleep in one side i feel as if liquid is pouring out with this wind like sound and then when I sleep on the other side it feels as if something is crawling down it. I’ve also been having on and off earaches that feel as if the ear itself is being detached. I have taken pain medicine such as ibuprofen and it does not help at all, it might even be making it worse. I don’t think its a normal earache at all.
Michael, the yellow you mentioned in your ear is just wax. This is totally natural and protects your ear canal but sometimes you can get a build up and actually oil could help that. I used to pour a little olive oil into my ear, lie down on your side and leave it there for 5 mins or so and then tip it out using a tissue to wipe. Then do the other side. This should break down any big build up in wax. Although if you have a hole in your eardrum as some people do have then this maybe won’t be a good thing to do. Putting things in your ear like q-tips isn’t really a good idea but I can’t really say anything as I do this too.
As far as CFS/ME goes we all know that it causes our nervous system to go overboard, we feel over sensitive and feel pain at a slight touch. Or get sudden onset of high sensitivity to light and sound. The feeling of bugs or itching may be a part of this and so meditation would be a good way to try to alleviate the symptoms as calming the body will help.
I wake up every day with what I feel are blocked ears. My sinuses have been noticeably bad since being ill as a teenager with sinusitis but it’s more than that…I’ve always overproduced mucus. I’ve always sniffed and coughed. My ears itch frequently, I tend to scratch them with a hair pin which probably is not great for them! And I hear lots of high pitched noises that come and go, and have tinnitus when I wake up in the morning. I can almost never breathe freely out of my nose. That in itself is very tiring. My mum used to think my sniffing and coughing was a habit and never took me to the doctor when I was young. I’ve had some generic allergy testing (from blood taken) all come back negative but I am going to pay privately (I’m in the UK) for more thorough testing which will tell me intolerances as well.
One thing my doctor does agree with is that I have inflammation in my nose. He tried to brush me off about my symptoms but when he looked up my nose he took me a bit more seriously. I think my sinuses in general are the same and anything you can do to address the inflammation is going to be a good thing (although I don’t really want to be taking steroid sprays for ever! Even if they do ease congestion in the short term) I know that when I cut out refined sugar and processed foods my ears get a bit better. So I think finding out any intolerances and cutting them out could really help too. Fingers crossed huh, I’ll post again if I get any positive results from this.
And I get wet coming out of my ears too, it doesn’t feel like just wax as it’s too watery. I can wiggle my finger round and make a squelching noise so I know I’m not imagining it. My partner had heard this and thinks it’s weird!
I find that since having a diagnosis for ME I find it harder to go to my doctor with symptoms as it’ll just be part of my ME. Maybe that’s my own worry in my head but I feel like I don’t get taken so seriously
I have similar problem. After wake up i feel like something touch in my ear drum. And when i turn my head down i feel like movement in my inner ear, Even after i bath i use cotton buds to clean and dry the ear. Then after few hour i got feel like something is in my inner ear, few month ago i consulted with doctor but doctor told there is no treatment for inner ear so doctor suggests me to use hearing aid device.But still nobody get exact problem of mine. It hardly to explain this exact problem.
-Thank you all! These comments were very helpful. My left ear feels like there is a hair on it too! I am 51, but this sensation is new to me. I will try to pinch the ear. I wouldn’t go to an ENT…too expensive and they just don’t get certain things. Too much explaining with no help. But thank you all for commenting. These type forums are a huge help to everyone!
Radiofrequency radiation (wifi, cellphones, smart meters, cordless phones, phone towers, etc) can cause ear problems including tinnitus, and can cause muscles to spasm. Check out common symptoms of electrosensitivity- lots on youtube about it. It’s a real thing and can cause all sorts of weird symptoms, even if you don’t know yourself as electrosensitive. The fact is our bodies are electrical- synapses between nerves carry electrical impulses- it’s the way all, parts of the body communicate with each other. Naturally this is going to be affected if we bathe ourselves in microwaves, which is how all the above appliances operate. Try disabling the wifi on your modem and wiring everything. What’s more important- your health or your latest gadgets? Cordless phones carry very strong RFR from the base non-stop. Keep your cellphone away from your body and bedroom. Good luck.
3 weeks ago was in the hosp for 24 hours. Many hours after being admitted went to the bathroom bug crawling I thought roaches but they were ants.while I am in bed waiting to be moved to another room the ants were crawling on the walls and 2 were in my bed I killed one of them .fast forward feel something crawling in left ear skin around jaw and chin broke out in a rash .my doc said. The ears looked ok o nd continue putting antibiotic on rash. I am 76 years old very hard of hearing without a hearing aid which I can’t afford.now hearing seems worse.going to make appt with ent doc after reading the posts from everyone.hope to get help and will post my findings.went in hosp for chest pain have had heart attack bypass am diabetic in stage 3 of kidney disease and severe pain from hip replacement and whole spine messed up go to pain doc for that.now a bug in the ear is driving me nuts and I live each day with the other problems.o.k. I am done.good night.
Ear fungus…. Miconazol solution in arosol spray on the and in the ear from a slight distance to NOT cause harm to the ear drum…
Solution drops for the ear… and
oral anti fungus treatment…
If you “feel” the movement within the ear the fungal infection is deep and profound and it can take a full year to totally treat.
YES, I said a full year.