General information
There are many different causes for pain behind the ear. The type of pain may also differ. For some people it is a dull non-specific pain, for others it is an additional pain in the jaw and other complaints are possible.
Lymph node swelling
There are lymph nodes behind the ears. Their location is therefore called retroauricular. These lymph nodes, like the rest of our lymph nodes, fulfill immune defense functions.
Lymph nodes can swell in the course of immunological reactions, such as those that occur in inflammations and infectious diseases. An example of this is Pfeiffer’s glandular fever, which is caused by the Ebstein Barr virus. Young people in particular suffer from this disease.
A painful swelling of the lymph nodes is quite normal here, so that pain behind the ears can also occur. But also respiratory tract infections, tonsillitis and inflammation of teeth very often lead to painful swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and head. The lymph nodes behind the ear are then swollen, painful under pressure and can be moved against the surface.
Such retroauricular swelling is harmless and usually disappears by itself within two weeks. Any swelling that persists for longer than three weeks should be examined by a doctor to rule out a malignant cause. In the context of protracted illnesses such as glandular fever and inflammation, such painful lymph node swelling behind the ear can, however, persist for longer than three weeks.
However, these lymph node swellings do not require special therapy. The underlying infection or inflammation is treated individually. When the cause disappears, the pain behind the ears also disappears.
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen relieve the symptoms and pain and can be taken as needed. However, it is important to clarify what the cause of the swelling is. Possible causes are bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, allergic reactions or diseases of the immune system.
In addition, metabolic diseases, diseases of the lymphatic system and malignant diseases (cancer) can also be the cause. A malignant swelling of the lymph nodes is usually very firm and not displaceable. It often does not hurt either. Nevertheless, pressure on surrounding structures can cause pain behind the ear, so this should be kept in mind. Here, the therapy usually consists of surgical removal of the primary tumors as well as chemotherapy and/or radiation.
