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!
I am on day 11 post op. I am 31 years old. Day 1-9 were excruciating. Pain medication given from hospital never totally relieved the pain, only made it possible for me to eat and drink at their height of relief with copable pain. Day 5 plus I suffered from terrible ear pains in both ears, mainly right hand side. Nothing eased it. Sitting up from laying down was agony in the ears. Day 7 I spontaneously haemmoraged and had to be rushed to hospital. This happened 3 times. Each time I lost a lot of blood and choked on huge blood clots. Day 12 I still feel ill due to constant pain and ingesting lots of blood. I am glad I never ever have to have this operation again.
Holy ear pain! I am 24 years old and am on day 5. The ear pain really kicked in yesterday and my prescription pain medication did nothing to help. I tried peppermint oil, ice, laying down, sitting up, and nothing relieved it. I found this site and heated a rice bag in the microwave and oh my goodness! It felt wonderful! I haven’t tried gum, as I don’t have any but the heat help a TON!
Like a cooked bag of rice? My little sister is on day 4 post op and nothing seems to be helping. Thought we’d try this (:
Fill a fabric bag or a thick sock with uncooked rice, warm in microwave for 30-60 seconds. Then apply to the pained area. It’s a very pliable heat pack – works if you toss it in the freezer too.
Caitlyn,
I am 21 and I am currently on day 05 and have radiating ear pain and can’t sleep. Even the prescribed Percocet isn’t doing the trick. How was the pain on day 06-08 for you? When did you honestly start to feel better?
Thanks
I will also try the rice bag to see if it helps.
Stabbing ear pain was BRUTAL post-op for my adenotonsillectomy (that is tonsillectomy w/ adenoids removed at same time). No one warned me or mentioned how I could manage it (as stated above with chewing gum and/or heating pads) but I survived somehow. That said, it was hands down, the most intense, relentless, and overwhelming pain I’ve ever experienced & lasted for a solid 2 weeks. The liquid hydrocodone did not alleviate it but did take the edge off of it…..but my mom had to get the nurse to approve bumping my dose up to every 3 hrs vs the standard 4. All in all….surgery was totally worth it—-my throat never hurt AT ALL during recovery & chronic strep/tonsillitis&bronchitis became a distant memory. I literally NEVER get sick now….had the surgery on my 20th bday & 16 years later, I’m still the only person in the group who doesn’t get the “office cold”, have never once had the flu, and just honestly can say “I just don’t get sick.” (Totally different story in my childhood…..lived with Strep throat, ear infections, then as I got older, chronic tonsillitis that always turned into bronchitis very quickly). Wish I would’ve had the surgery YEARS AGO!!!
I’m 30 years old and I’m on day 7 after surgery and still can not eat and barely drink. This is the worse pain ever, I can’t even function and my pain meds are barely doing any thing for the pain. What has kind of helped is sleeping in my recliner and having ice chips. On day 4 I was so dehydrated I was taken to ER and I felt better but shortly after coming home pain meds wore off and not being able to swallow. My most pain that hurts is my ears and jaw and throat, ugh this is terrible, I’m praying for a little releaf.
Hang in there Amanda!! Push for more pain meds & STAY HYDRATED! Try CEPACOL numbing lozenges and force yourself to eat a few Popsicles/day. I know the ear pain is un-fing-believable but it WILL vanish around day 9 or 10. As for eating regular food…..took me an entire month-6 weeks to even feel up to it…..everything still felt too raw back there & I was afraid of bleeding. So, I lived off of soup and ice cream and lost about 15 lbs without even trying. (Hell, I earned it with al that pain!!). Good luck!!
23rd I had tonsillectomy after operation I was on a IV drip over night felt sick 3 times I can’t eat much as everytime I do it hurts biteing I’ve lost weight which is good I was in hospital for couple of days as they were worried as my selling in throat blocked my airways and I was tacky cardic 120 hopefully I will be better
I’m 20 years old and I’m on day 7. My throat is no longer the major problem now, although the left side is still pretty sore. Its my ears, especially my left ear. I find taking ibuprofen helps a lot, takes away all the pain but only for a few hours. The worst is in the morning after I wake up. The pain is excruciating, I can’t talk or open my mouth at all. I still can’t eat, haven’t eaten in a week and have lost 5kgs but thats to be expected. Im counting down the days I can eat copious amounts of pizza haha!
Also doing a warm salt water gargle I have found has helped a lot with the healing. I started doing it on day 5 and seen massive improvements.
I’m on day 7 …. I’m going to go try warm salt water right now