I'm 26 and this just started happening to me withing the last 4 months. It is always the cartilage on my right ear. It usually will be red and hot for about 30 minutes. I'm Irish/ Brazilian/ Italian. I'm O+. I have very slight TMJ (But I've known about it since I was 18, and it's never bothered me). I am exposed to florescent lights all day at work.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it happens. I can be at work, I can be on lunch, I can be at home playing on the computer. My ear will just randomly feel like getting all hot and red.
I have to say I'm sad to read that it seems like once this starts happening to you, you're stuck with it for the long haul.
I get red ears, which is very noticeable when I get in front of large groups of people, including my family, and they remain bright red for a long time. This also happens to me in most group situations. Could this be a symptom of high blood pressure? Is there a way that I can get this corrected with surgery?
Answer:
Rest assured that the phenomenon of having your ears turn bright red spontaneously in the absence of fever is common and generally not related to any underlying medical problem, including high blood pressure.
Most likely what you are experiencing is blushing, which is a normal involuntary reaction that results from dilation of the superficial blood vessels, bringing more oxygen-rich, red blood to the face and to the ears and upper neck. Blood vessel dilation frequently occurs in response to external temperatures or an emotional situation, such as anger or embarrassment. Alcohol also dilates blood vessels in the skin. As blood rushes to the skin's surface, it creates a sensation of warmth, as well as a flushed appearance, even in your ears.
Everyone blushes, and the intensity and frequency usually peaks in the teenage years and declines after that. However, anyone at any age, from birth to old age, can blush.
Fair-skinned people are more likely to be aware of blushing, but researchers have been unable to discover a clear physical reason why some people experience frequent blushing and others do not. Some studies suggest abnormalities in the actions of a chemical called serotonin, which transmits messages between nerves and regulates mood, play a role.
Some people experience excessive problems with blushing and become exquisitely sensitive to people's reactions to the blushing or misinterpret their reactions. Both responses can lead to "social phobias." Other symptoms related to social phobias include frequent and excessive sweating, trembling, and unexplained dizziness, all of which can impair social interactions. Some people become so distressed by these reactions that they withdraw from situations known to stimulate these symptoms.
Research shows that counseling by a mental health professional using a technique called cognitive-behavioral therapy often helps people with blushing and social phobias. The therapist helps you confront emotional situations that trigger blushing and develop a realistic appraisal of the effects of your blushing on others. Once you overcome some of the anxiety that triggers the blushing, its frequency and intensity will decrease, allowing you to function more comfortably in previously threatening situations.
Some people with social phobias respond to drugs called beta-blockers and others are helped by drugs that affect serotonin levels. An option for the few people who do not respond to behavioral or drug therapy and who cannot function professionally or socially because of facial blushing or excessive sweating is a procedure that involves cutting the nerves responsible for blood vessel dilation in the face. However, other effects of this procedure limit its usefulness, and it is reserved for only the most disabling conditions. Talk to your doctor.
Comment
I'm 26 and this just started happening to me withing the last 4 months. It is always the cartilage on my right ear. It usually will be red and hot for about 30 minutes.
I'm Irish/ Brazilian/ Italian. I'm O+. I have very slight TMJ (But I've known about it since I was 18, and it's never bothered me). I am exposed to florescent lights all day at work.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it happens. I can be at work, I can be on lunch, I can be at home playing on the computer. My ear will just randomly feel like getting all hot and red.
I have to say I'm sad to read that it seems like once this starts happening to you, you're stuck with it for the long haul.
Replies
Some reading I found...
I get red ears, which is very noticeable when I get in front of large groups of people, including my family, and they remain bright red for a long time. This also happens to me in most group situations. Could this be a symptom of high blood pressure? Is there a way that I can get this corrected with surgery?
Answer:
Rest assured that the phenomenon of having your ears turn bright red spontaneously in the absence of fever is common and generally not related to any underlying medical problem, including high blood pressure.
Most likely what you are experiencing is blushing, which is a normal involuntary reaction that results from dilation of the superficial blood vessels, bringing more oxygen-rich, red blood to the face and to the ears and upper neck. Blood vessel dilation frequently occurs in response to external temperatures or an emotional situation, such as anger or embarrassment. Alcohol also dilates blood vessels in the skin. As blood rushes to the skin's surface, it creates a sensation of warmth, as well as a flushed appearance, even in your ears.
Everyone blushes, and the intensity and frequency usually peaks in the teenage years and declines after that. However, anyone at any age, from birth to old age, can blush.
Fair-skinned people are more likely to be aware of blushing, but researchers have been unable to discover a clear physical reason why some people experience frequent blushing and others do not. Some studies suggest abnormalities in the actions of a chemical called serotonin, which transmits messages between nerves and regulates mood, play a role.
Some people experience excessive problems with blushing and become exquisitely sensitive to people's reactions to the blushing or misinterpret their reactions. Both responses can lead to "social phobias." Other symptoms related to social phobias include frequent and excessive sweating, trembling, and unexplained dizziness, all of which can impair social interactions. Some people become so distressed by these reactions that they withdraw from situations known to stimulate these symptoms.
Research shows that counseling by a mental health professional using a technique called cognitive-behavioral therapy often helps people with blushing and social phobias. The therapist helps you confront emotional situations that trigger blushing and develop a realistic appraisal of the effects of your blushing on others. Once you overcome some of the anxiety that triggers the blushing, its frequency and intensity will decrease, allowing you to function more comfortably in previously threatening situations.
Some people with social phobias respond to drugs called beta-blockers and others are helped by drugs that affect serotonin levels. An option for the few people who do not respond to behavioral or drug therapy and who cannot function professionally or socially because of facial blushing or excessive sweating is a procedure that involves cutting the nerves responsible for blood vessel dilation in the face. However, other effects of this procedure limit its usefulness, and it is reserved for only the most disabling conditions. Talk to your doctor.