One of my ears is bright red and hot. What is this, and what can I do about it?

Hello
This is something that happens to me a lot. In fact, I found this page because I have one hot ear as I'm writing and thought I might see what the net has. It started about 20 minutes ago. Today, I have done nothing, except some washing and a short trip to the shops, all of which was many hours ago. The last 4 hours I've been sitting, relaxed watching TV. I can find no common link that suggests a cause. For the last few months I have been paying attention to what's going on around me when either of my ears starts to get warm. It seems to be completely random. Once, a long time ago, when I had a girlfriend, I used to freak her out. Every time my left ear got hot, I'd ring her and asked what she wanted. She never could work out how I knew she wanted me for whatever reason. Unfortunatly, it couldn't be that easy. She is long gone (1999) and there has been no noticable change in my ears getting independantly hot. I guess she just thought of me alot. My doctor has no idea what causes it.
Thanks for your time, whoever reads this.
Derek

Oh my-I thought I was alone...
I have fibromyalgia... this happens to me when I get really angry, frustrated, excited or if I am really tired... Now, I noticed tonight that they got really red and burning hot while I was watching the Ranger game that went into overtime... we totally needed to win this game to move up the rankings to 5th... (Yes, we WON)... but I was really excited.. yelling at the TV, etc... yeah, I am a bit of a nut... But, I also noticed that I ate chicken pot pie for dinner, which had onions and carrots in it, so maybe food allergy? Maybe it's all coincidental? Oh well... Rangers won and I am happy... hopefully the ears calm down soon cause I want to go to sleep...

BE WELL
Amber

You have to touch your ear to a reindeer nose before Christmas or all is lost.

I don't know if this is true because I have been looking for an answer for this question too, because one of my ears will turn bright red and get real hot... but through time I found it to be a feeling... it to me is a self consious feeling... for me when my right ear burns red, I have noticed its for positive anything.. maybe good news from friend family or lover.. but when my left ear burns red, usually means a moment of negative... either a close friend, family member, or lover is saying something negative or something negative is about to happen... pay attention to what goes on around you.. I have been online looking for the answer to this and the more I try to study it this is the solution why it happens... which doesn't mean its true... you just have to pay close attention to what is going on at that time..

I don't know if anyone else reading these posts is reading just because they're interesting or because they're looking for a cause, but this is fascinating. I'm not the type to get red, hot ears ever, not even when I'm angry. The only time that happens is when I purposefully try to focus on them without looking in a mirror. I know that sounds weird, but when I think about my ears, they start to heat up, and if I focus on the heat on them, they just get hotter and eventually turn red even when I don't touch them. So, I was wondering how many other people can make their ears hot in a similar way and, if you can, do you notice any other physical, emotional, psychological or behavioral differences after you do?

Red ears can be indicative of various problems if you exclude the obvious....pressure placed on that ear or ears, sunburn, someone talking about you. If you think about it, more than likely there are other symptoms that could coincide with the red, hot ears. If arthritis, headaches occassionally, poor digestion, sleep problems (too much, tired all the time, can't get to sleep, etc.), and many more, there is a good possibility it is a bacterial infection. I have had these 'hot ears', so have my 6 children and husband. After a plethora of problems for years, we were finally ALL diagnosed with lyme disease! Food allergies, poor digestion, neck problems, back problems, etc. can ALL be just a part of lyme disease. Left untreated, the symptoms will continue to increase in number and intensity. Swollen lymph nodes can result as well due to a clogged lymphatic system. Lyme is extremely difficult to diagnose and the tests are mostly inaccurate.

blessings

s massie

I just recently started getting this condition...it has happened with both ears...not just the right or left. It gets uncomfortably hot, then I look in a mirror or ask my husband and it is always bright red and the other ear is normal in color. This to me is very strange. People here have talked about sunscreen, etc, but sun does not have anything to do with this. It happens acutely and then goes away. I just thought someone may know what it could be a symptom of. I have other health issues...fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc...but I've had those for almost 10 yrs now....any ideas other than the ones above? Thanks!
Mary Beth

I've gotten hot red ears since as long as i can remember! I'm always asking people if they are red or to touch them to see if they don't just feel hot to me.

To answer some other peoples comments...
It's not sunburn
or a sharp blow to the ear
or an infection or frostbite
or to do with my emotions

I get them while eating dinner, reading, watching tv, sleeping...and as i type this my right ear is having an episode haha.

Alot of things on the net about red ears say its a symptom of ADHD...but i know I dont have that.

My only cure is to wet a flannel and put it against your ear (or ears)

Yesss having them is annoying...but its nothing we cant deal with so everyone shoudl just chillout and embrace the heat (especially when its a cold day)

Peace!

Do you drive a car? Which ear is it? It is possible that, if it is your left ear, (Providing you are in the States) it is being exposed more to the direct rays of the sun while you are sitting in your car, causing severe sunburn? You did not mention how long this has been going on or whether it was painful. I hope my answer helps you.

Stop sitting on your ear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This has been happening to me for years. I have heard it was a high blood pressure thing, but not sure. After reading the other answers I noticed a lot of people suffering from this annoying condition have fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a couple years ago, not sure if this is related. My ears get red and hot randomly and either one or both at the same time. I wish I knew what caused it!

My dad and I both get bright red ears that feel hot. I noticed it most recently when I was at the doctor and was in the waiting room. I was extremely anxious and nervous. When I finally got called back, my blood pressure was extremely high. After I spoke with the doctor and she calmed some of my fears about an unrelated issue, i noticed my ear was back to normal. She checked my blood pressure again and it was also back to normal. A few days later I went off my blood pressure medication and my red hot ear had returned! So I believe it is, in some cases, due to high blood pressure.

My son and grandson both have occasions when they have "hot ears" so badly that they have to put ice on their ears. When they first told me of this I had never heard of it before so I did a little research and found several possible causes of "hot ears", these include: lyme disease; food allegrys usually dairy products such as milk; fibromyalgia; high blood pressure; and one last one that is way out there- Old timers used to say that some people have an extra sensory ability ie. when their ears burn it is an indication that they will receive news or hear from someone on an important matter. Hince the old saying, someone must be talking about me my ears are burning.

RED HOT EARS me to try what I did stoped eating peanut butter, onions and carrots.Must be one of them because I have not had RED HOT EARS since I stop eating them. God be with you.

I have this problem as well. But not only my ears are effected. I also get red cheeks and my ears and cheeks are flaming hot. In my case it is caused by a food allergy to onions & carrots. Within minutes of eating anything that has even a hint of onion or carrot my ears and cheeks instantly get hot and flushed as well as a tummy ache. After about an hour it goes away. Perhaps everyone should keep record of what they had eaten before it's happened and emlinate that food?

I have had hot red ears all my life and just on a whim I typed it in google and am so happy I found other people with this I have rheumatoid arthritis and also Osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia I am not sure if they are related to this problem but I find that if I get tired my ears get red and burn most people laugh at me but it is very uncomfortable. when I workd at the end of everyday my ears would burn and turn red I hope someone has an idea what it is My Doctor has no answer for it.

I've had this condition for many years. I tried keeping a food diary to determine if there was a trigger there, but never found a certain correlation. It rarely happens early in the day. It often happens in the afternoon (at work)or early evening while I am standing or sitting (not caused by sleeping on that side). It happens in any season, and the episodes tend to last at least 1/2 an hour. I can melt ice or snow on my ears, or run water over my head and neck to get some relief but you can still see the redness in the outer edge of the ear. I don't think it is related to monosodium glutamate, or alcohol, or stress, or exercise or sun. It can happen five nights out of seven and then it might not happen for a week. I've never had my blood pressure checked during an event and discussion with my doctor hasn't given any clue. It is a bit concerning, because you figure it must have some internal cause. I do drink caffeinated coffee during the morning, but not after noon or evenings. I run 10-15 miles weekly and am 6 foot, 195 pound male of 50. I am certain I've had the condition since my 30's and maybe earlier. You'd think with as many people reporting this as I've searched on the web, some doctor would recognize this condition. What is it?

Yeah, pretty much everyone has them. It most likely happens when you are laying down against that ear. I don't know exactly how it happens but to stop it just put something cold against your ear.

I have it to and it sometimes always goes red and it gets hot but once i put something cold on it for awhile it goes away then it sometimes will come back i dont know why?

Hi

I was so pleased to discover that I was not a freak after all! Every now and again either one or both of my ears get hot and deep red, almost purple. As I have large ears and short hair I find it really embarrasing. The only thing I have found that works is to use cooling mist. It comes in an aerosol can and you can purchase it from any chemist. It's usually kept with the holiday stuff. It is also a handy size for putting in my handbag for when I'm out and I can guarantee my ears will start glowing if I'm out for a meal!

blood is rushing to your ear. mine did that when i got the top of my ear pierced, had to take it out when the piercing got infected.

Hi there, I too have the same problem with usually my left ear getting red and hot.I have had this since I was a teenager. My Dr. said that it is anxiety induced, even if you dont feel that you are, there is something churning inside you that sends your blood pressure and vessels a message to relax your innerself. Don't be worried and don't get worked up either or it will only worsen.

Thanks, Moe

My eight year old has had this condition since he was 3 yrs old but only recently has it started to bother him. The burning was absolutely unbearable. His pediatrician, although familliar with the condition, admits there is no definitive answer as to why it happens. Her suggestion was to elliminate food coloring from his diet. Easier said than done, but with conciderable effort, my son went 7 days with no artificial food colors and the symptoms were greatly improved. Now when his ears do turn red they are not nearly as hot. If you are a sufferer of red ear syndrome start reading labels and you will be surprised by how much artificial coloring is added to many types of food. It's worth a shot anyway.

Allergies make that happen to me.

Just out of interest how do you know that you don't have ADHD. I only ask as I have been researching this for the last hour or so for my daughter, who is not diagnosed with ADHD albeit my son and I both are, however she is diagnosed with Central Processing Disorder. Dress it up any which way you will, the criteria for adhd is not dissimilar.

I had the same problem it turned out to be A cheese allergy

You could go to a doctor. Just saying tht at least doctors know what there talking about. Sence theres a chance that someone may not have the right answer...

I have the same problem & I kept track of what I did & ate during the day. it took A while but I found it only happened 30 to 45min after I eat cheese so I stopped eating cheese for A week & my ears were fine then A couple of nights ago I ate A mall peice of cheese & my ears got red &hot again.

I have always wondered why this happened to me as well. It happened most when I was a teenager and so severely that my ears would blister and scab at random without spending time in the sun. I worked indoors and I had about a 30 second walk to work, so it wasn't because of the sun. It sometimes happened if I was embarrassed and then other times at random, but as I could feel it happening I would become embarrassed. Anyway, I don't know the reason, but it rarely happens now and is very minor. I found it interesting that my family has a history of fibromyalgia, particularly my father and grandmother, who also have a series of other health problems. When I was younger I did not have any health problems, but I have since become very ill in many instances with mononucleosis and possibly chronic fatigue. I have found countless similarities between such health issues and ms and fibromyalgia. It would just be interesting to find out the actual cause of these things.

I have been experiencing this phenomena with both ears simultaneously for several weeks now. It's been unsettling for me and those around me who wonder if I'm okay. I've noticed that it primarily happens when I'm anxious or apprehensive about something or otherwise experiencing a certain amount of stress. Although my anxiety, etc is no greater now than in the past, this seems to be a new reaction to these feelings.

Some bee may have stung you and now it's infected or swelling so it turns red and feels hot. Put ice on it so the swelling will go down and then it won't hurt.

I really dont know the answer to this question but I've been lookin for it and nothing yet. I've the same problem with my ears once in a while out of nowhere it just gets freaking red and hot is ither the left one or the right one and right now is the right one and Im not in the sun or hot or anything like that,I dont have any blood preasure problems or anything like that. Im as healthy as I can be, the only thing is that I'm left handed, thats all

Nothing, Rudolph could use a stand in this Christmas.

It is an old superstition across various cultures that when the left ear burns, someone is talking negatively of you. When it's the right ear, someone is remembering you or thinking of you.
I get these a lot. Don't know how true this superstition is, but these red ears are certainly not any condition that is medically diagnosed.

Somebody "clipped" you on the ear? Weren't LISTENING were you? Pay more attention!!

It could actually be gout !

my ear is are red even after the wet flannel!

Like so many others (to my surprise), I'm typing this as my ears are red hot and I chanced upon this page as I was googling for causes.

I have no clue why it happens either, but I'm wondering if it's a blood pressure issue. This shouldn't happen to a hypochondriac!

Share your answer...

I have had this problem for a few years, that i can remember, i'm only 13. I got red ears pretty much everyday in 6th grade, and then in 7th, i almost never got them. then towards the end of the school year and summer vacation, i started getting them again. My mom connected this to the fact that i had some physical activity almost everyday after school during 7th grade, and i only had physical activity after school about once a week the year i had it often, so possibly for me this could be related to a lack of exercise? i don't think it is caused by stress or anxiety because i was certainly more stressed out my 7th grade year than my 6th grade year.

has anyone thought it could be vitamin d deficiency? had hot red swollen ears for two hours today at work. dont see much sun these days. have not had red ears since i last worked in job that i didnt see much sun. that was five years ago.

oh WOW..one of my ears starts getting red and hot ..not long after the other ones at it...it goes away after a while ,but now the sides of my face hot. its very scarey to me and very annoying..it goes away in approx 45 minutes .i do not have high b/p...or high anything...but i ALSO..due to pain here and there thats takes you down..with pain.. I was diagnosted with fibro ALSO about 3 months ago ..TIME to do some ckecking on FIBRO...this ear things started appox 8 months ago..go figure......thanks u guys.....GOOD LUCK....

My son has struggled with this for years. He is now 8 and it just happened again tonight. There is no rhyme or reason to why or when it will happen and it is typically one ear.

Last week, my husband and I were on vacation, we met a lady working in a store and she started talking (out of the blue) about ADD/ADHD & the like and food allergies. She said her daughter was having a variety of issues with the above and her ear or ears would turn red. She finally found that (for her daughter anyway) that it was the red food coloring (dye) put in food. She removed it from her diet and it no longer happens. Not to mention, her ADD has calmed down.

My son doesn't have ADD/ADHD, but after eating dinner tonight his ear turned red and was hot.

I started thinking that he just finished eating homemade tartar sauce that had onions in it. (reading the comments below, a few people mentioned onions & carrots).

I don't know if these have anything to do with each other, but I suspect that most issues are dietary related.

I guess I am not alone after all. I have this Red Ear symptoms as long as I can remember. During my teenage day I can remember having a Red Ear when I am out in the sun,I could be riding a bicycle, running, playing hoops or even just walking, but I have never paid attention to it. Not until on my 20's , when I started working on a merchant ship, I used to worked on the galley (kitchen) with all this heat from the stoves and ovens. I could feel with just a bit tiny sensation and tell me ears will start to turn red sure did and My 3rd officer noticed it. Asked why are my ears are so red like tomatoes. So I told him it is because of the heat around me and my body absorbs it and the blood are rushing into my ears. It does go away after awhile when my body cools down or when my sorrounding is cool or comfortable. But I have also notice even on cold sorrounding condition especially when I work on a dairy cooler or walk-in freezer for maybe 20-45mins I can feel my ears starts to burn - there you go again my ears are all red again not just one ear but both. It also happens when I am tired from work or fatigued. It would happen in minutes when I am eating my meal, watching tv or in a computer just like now. My ears are burning since I started this comment. It also happens frequently during summer when I am driving and when my ear is exposed to the sun usually just one ear it depends on what side of the ear is exposed to the sun. It also happens during winter when I am outside moving the yard and when it's to cold and even when I am inside the house when we have the centralized heater is cranked to 74 degrees. It also happens when I am on the phone for a long period of time (this time only one side of the ear is affected) But I know it will go away after I take a shower and when I go to bed, it doesn't go away soon especially if I keep thinking about it. I am a asian decent 5'8 150lbs and I am on my mid 30's now perfectly fit (I think I am) well I took my BP just now it's 136/89 heart rate 72 - this is me after eating full serving dinner and sitting on the computer typing on this article right now. But my lowest resting BP rate was 118/71 HR:55 that's first thing in the morning when I wake up and before digesting any food. Tonight I feel a little bit tired and exhausted, worked on both cold and comfortable environment and maybe that triggered my RED EAR. It is also the reason why I am here find out what is the cause and if there is a cure. At least I know I am not the only one that have this blusing red ear.

It is not weather
It is not blushing
It is not high blood pressure
It is not anger
It is not over-activity
It is not under-activity
It may or may not happen when or after eating
It is not any certain time of day
It is not both ears at once, only ONE, and there is NO swelling or unusual appearance except for being red and hot
It is inherited: My grandfather, my mother, me, my two sons all have it, noting that their dad did not have "the hot ear thing", as we have always called it
(it particularly irritates one of my sons = the rest of us just ignore it)
It is not a gender thing
It is and has happened all our lives
It is not painful, and cold water or ice pack has no effect
No doctor or website has given me any answer...
The information above about Polychondritis does not apply to this "event"
Now what???

I answered this question a few minutes ago and then I decided to look it up again online. It is called Polychondritis. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the cartilage in the ear. It doesn't seem like much else is know about it- at least not on the site I found.

Does the top of anyone else's ear feel floppy when when they are red and swollen? My son has had this happen to him since he was a few months old. I did some research online that suggested that it might be an autoimmune disease. That makes sense after reading a lot of these posts because many of the other ailments mentioned are also auto immune diseases. My son actually was diagnosed with polynephritis, which is an infection in the kidney at the same time as one of his episodes of ear swelling. An autoimmune disease could have also cause the polynephritis also. Weird, huh?

can i just ask for the males on this forum whos left or right ear heat up and go read, have you got male pattern baldness or losing her suh as receding hairline or crown low or any type of hear hair loss, im wondering if theres a link, because i have this problem with my ear heating up just the left one and i think its becuase im losing my hair aswell

First of all...I've read some really lame answers and some outright insults on this page...go away trolls this is serious!

Anyway, I have had this problem for well over 20 years. I don't have the definitive answer, but I will share some facts and echo some thoughts that others have shared on this page.

- I typically get one red ear at a time, not usually both.
- I typically get red cheeks along with the red ear, but not always.
- My red ear (and cheeks) are almost always caused by anxiety, fear, or embarrassment. In fact I would say these emotional conditions are the main cause of this symptom in my case.
- When I get red ear, the more I dwell on it, the longer it lasts, and the redder and hotter it gets (again, emotionally triggered)
- I have small ears (that may just be a coincidence)
- If I swim in cold water such as the ocean, I get a bad earache in my inner ear canal (but not the outside of my ears where the redness usually occurs). I get the same type of ear ache if I'm outside for any length of time in the winter. This may or may not be connected, but it's worth mentioning.
- I get extreme ear pain when flying (change in air pressure). Again, it may or may not be connected but worth mentioning.
- I have social anxiety disorder (but I'm getting better at dealing with it!). So I easily get nervous, anxious, and shy. When those emotions are in full gear...my ears turn red and hot every time without question.
- I have not noticed any connection with food. I've tried eliminating the typical culprits (milk products, wheat, msg, etc) and it hasn't helped.
- I have even had people ask if I've been punched in the head. How embarrassing.
- After reading one of the above posts about someone who had frostbite, it seems to me that in my youth I constantly went outside in the winter with little or no ear protection. I don't know if that caused it, but it's worth mentioning.
- Red/hot ears often occur when I'm drinking alcohol. I rarely drink, only at social events, but it happens almost every time.

In summary, this is quite an annoying condition for me but nothing more. It doesn't physically cause me much pain at all, just a lot of embarrassment especially in a professional environment at work. I am convinced it's connected to an increase in blood pressure, which explains why my anxiety causes it, and why drinking causes it. Maybe a combination of small blood vessels in the ears/cheeks and high blood pressure are two conditions required to cause this, which is why it only happens to a small segment of society? Just guessing, but it has to be complicated or it would likely have been diagnosed by now. Good luck, and try not to worry. There are worse conditions that are life-threatening...this condition is merely embarrassing...but only if you allow it to be!!!

I shall try to offer some thoughts on symptoms; suffering with them for 55 years. They started at about the age of 8 or 9. I do believe that mine are due to frostnip, which is a mild case of frostbite. I grew up in the Boston area and never wore ear protection in winter. Like most kids, I spent as long outside as I could stand.
A few observations; I seem to recall that both ears would get bright red and really hurt. I tried cold water and/or ice for relief. Cold water seemed to soothe the most. However, the condition had to run its course over an hour or so. The cooling with water, etc, had no effect on the duration or severity of the condition. As for the severity of the condition from outbreak to outbreak, I seem to recollect that they were roughly equal. There was the possiblity of causing an outbreak and that would be by bending the ear(s) or otherwise causing irritation to one or both ears. The onset of the condition would typically shortly follow.
I have had lifelong low blood pressure, no other symptoms of Lyme disease thus I would think this is not a likely cause, my diet has, at times, included cheese and not. I have not tried to control my diet and simultaneously monitor the incidence of red ear. I am healthy and have always been so. There is not now nor has there ever been issues of fibromyalgia or any other neuralgic condition. Over the decades, it seems that some periods were filled with infrequent bouts of red ear and that the past five years or so have had a higher than average frequency. Still, nothing close to as frequent as when I was 10. I don't usually get both ears affected anymore, in fact, double ear condition is outright rare.
I do not wake up at night with a red ear bout, so the condition only happens when I am conscious. Later in the day is more likely, most often at night.
Now, to the reasonably quick way to end an episode. Although ice feels good where it touches the ear skin, it is a poor way to cool the entire inside and outside of ones ear(s). water poured over the ear is by far the most effective and quickest relief from pain and discomfort Iwhich ever level one finds) than any other. However, no matter how much water passes over, the condition remains. I have found a solution; it is cold air. It seems that the body when faced with cold water reacts by sending more blood directly to the ear to combat the 'cold'. The more one tries to cool the ear, the more the body tries to heat it. This is not the makings of a fix. There is a better approach. This is getting cold (air-conditioned here in Florida) air directly on the hot ear. The higher the fan setting pushing the cold air, the better. I find that I have to get in the car and turn the A/C on full blast and point all the vents at the offending ear. This for ten to fifteen minutes has the ear color back to normal; it stops the hurt from the heat almost immediately upon the cold air blowing on it.
If I get an attack of red-ear, I get in the car and take a drive. The problem is fixed for the moment. I would guess that the condition is life-long.
I do wonder why the condition doesn't have a medical name. They seem to have a name for every other human and non-human condition. I do think that the reading community should shoulder the task of creating a better name than red-hot ear syndrome.