After tonsillectomy surgery, patients have plenty of unpleasant side effects to deal with. Swelling of the uvula, tongue, and throat are usually the first hurdle adults have to deal with post tonsillectomy. Swallowing and breathing can be difficult. This isn’t too surprising, especially considering all that the throat has been through. Icing and gargling with ice water can help reduce this swelling, as can a steroidal treatment. The next problem after tonsillectomy, usually a day or so post-op, is pain in the throat area. Again, no big surprise. Icing is also a good way to treat, as are narcotic pain killers and/or over the counter pain medications. Topical analgesics like throat sprays can also offer some relief.
What surprises many is a phenomena occurring several days into their tonsillectomy recovery- ear pain.
Post Tonsillectomy Ear Pain – Cause and Treatment
Cause
Literally thousands of patients sharing their experiences on this website have commented that their ears hurt after tonsillectomy. Ear pain after tonsillectomy is probably the second or third most common side effect that patients experience- second only to pain and swelling. But why does this happen? There was no scalpel or hot knife near the ears, so why should they feel like they’re being stabbed? The cause of ear pain post tonsillectomy starts at the throat and radiates to the ears. This is called a referred pain. Take a look at the attached diagram and note the lingual nerve. It’s directly connected to the ears and throat.
Treatments and Home Remedies
This referred pain can be quite severe. Often prescribed pain medications do not seem to relieve the ear pain that many experience after tonsillectomy. In addition to the pain medicines patients are taking, there are two home remedies that usually can provide some relief. The first of which is chewing gum. In light of the unpleasant side effect of have sugary residue in and around the throat, most tonsillectomy patients prefer a sugar -free gum. A mint flavor can also feel cooling. Exactly why chewing gum relieves ear pain is hard to say. Certainly activating the muscles around the ears and jaw may help, but more likely, like yawning, gum chewing releases pressure from the ear area.
The second remedy for ear pain after tonsillectomy is applying a heating pad or warm compress to the affected area. Again, the reason for its effectiveness is not entirely clear but most patients describe a relaxing comfort from applying a wet, warm towel or electric heating pad to the affected area. To reduce inflammation, alternate between warm and cold compresses.
-Greg My short bio
Have you found a trick for taking the edge off of ear pain, especially after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy? Please share it in the comments section below. Thank you!
Hi I’m 17 years old. I got my tonsils out and adenoids out because they both were huge. I got them out December 12th 2 days after my birthday. I’m on day 9. My doctor appointment is on the 22nd. Nothing is helping me. I think my left ear has been swollen for a couple of days now. I can barely open my mouth enough to brush my teeth. I can’t chew anything because it hurts my tongue. I am starving and all I can bear to eat is apple sauce. I decided since yesterday to take the medicine on schedule so I don’t feel any pain. Mornings suck because of my dry mouth. And every time I take a drink this weird sound comes out. I haven’t talked in almost a week it hurts to much. Chewing up is nasty. I feel like i am going to die I wish this would be over. I hope this doesn’t last forever because I want to eat food. I can’t eat icecream anymore because of the mucus it causes and I committed twice already during this week. I can’t eat chicken noodle soup nor mash potatoes. I tried mac and cheese and it was hard to chew because of my tongue. And my taste has gone. All I can drink is water and it’s painful. 🙁 nothing is helping me and I lost 10 pounds already.
I am trying to help my 16 year old daughter through her tonsillectomy and adenoids removed – she is on day 5 with horrible ear pain and throat pain obviously. While I appreciate hearing all the experiences and now realize it’s a valid complaint from her – it would be nice if you all could update the board with when you did start feeling better and maybe some positive comments about feeling better after recovery. I won’t let her read this as it’s depressing and since she has had it done, nothing to do but try to find a light at the end of the tunnel.
Hi Stephanie – I ended up going to the Emergency Room yesterday (day 10) after some bleeding in my throat and feeling very weak. I got a steroid in my IV along with a bag of fluid and two doses of pain medicine. I feel drastically better today, I think the steroid really helped reduce my swelling a lot. Today is day 11 for me, and I can finally eat soft food and drink without serious pain. If she is not feeling any better in a day or two, consider taking her into the ER. I also had severe neck pain and could not tilt my head back to gargle, but they prescribed a muscle relaxer that has also helped. I think even with the swelling going down, it also helped reduce the pain. i also finally slept all night since my surgery, which is great for letting my body heal!
I am a 37 year old female on day 9 post tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. The ear, jaw, and back teeth pain started to get very severe about day 6 and the worst trigger is cold liquid. I’ve been drinking warm almond milk (avoiding dairy) but that’s the only liquid that is somewhat tolerable. If I drink cold water, I basically end up in a fetal position in tears. Try to find your triggers so you know what to avoid.
Other tips for reducing the ear/jaw/teeth pain:
– Use a large rice pack that wraps around the back of your head and apply the heated rice pack with slight pressure to both ears. Also helps with neck pain from adenoidectomy!
– Take a decongestant or Mucinex to help deal with any excess mucus causing pressure in the area. Afrin can also be helpful if you are congested, just don’t overuse it.
– Stay on the pain medicine even if it only hurts when you eat or drink
– Gargle with a warm salt water and baking soda mixture several times a day, helps reduce swelling and clean the throat area for faster healing. Do this both before and after eating!
– Get a chiropractic adjustment, your body has been dealing with a lot of physical stress from the surgery and needs help to get nerves working properly again
Hope this helps someone who is in pain like me, it will be short term and we will feel better after this nightmare is over!
I’m so happy I found this site! I thought I was going crazy! I had surgery on the 7th and everything went fine. The first couple of day were rough but nothing I couldn’t manage. I am a 25year old female who has given birth all natural so I know pain! BUT THIS…. I would so rather go through birthing another child than have one more day of these earaches!! I am running out of pain meds and I am scared to ask for more. My surgeon told me there would be no reason for a post op appointment and that I could return to work in about a week. Boy was he wrong! Today marks one week and I can’t go anywhere with this ear pain or this breath!
Hey guys!!
Honestly thank goodness there is this page. Im going to try every tip and trick to reduce this intolerable pain. I’m 30 years old and have lived an independent life since 18. I am currently in my parents spare room trying to stop crying every 30minutes because it feels like someone is drilling through my ears with a toothpick. I’m on day 6 and don’t no how much more of this hell there is left or I can go through but Sleep is rubbish and the pain when I wake makes this the stupidest decision I’ve voluntarily made in my life.
Bobby