I’ve been dealing with the same red, hot ear symptoms as everyone else for about 3 weeks. Here are some specialists I’ve seen and what I have learned:
Specialists Rheumatologist- Relapsing Polychondritis can cause ear redness, but it spares the lobe. It typically last days to weeks and the ear is swollen and very painful. You have to also concomitantly have symptoms affecting 2 more areas: eyes, respiratory system, nose, joints, hearing.
Lupus can also affect the ears but mostly the cheeks and the rash is butterfly like and usually red to purple.
Dermatologist- spoke to a derm who said her son has the same issue and he is 29. She isn’t concerned about it and says she is seeing it a lot more, and attributes it to stress and potentially food or other allergies. Another derm thinks it could be rosacea since I have redness on my face.
Gastroenterologist - facial flushing can very rarely be a symptom of carcinoid syndrome. Typically this flush includes the face neck and chest and there are a number of other symptoms. You can have a 5 HIAA test which is a 24 hour urine test to check serotonin levels. You’ll need to be off a number of foods and meds that could skew the results, but if positive, you can have a special scan that would look further into the body.
Endocrinologist- have an appt but haven’t seen. Could be related to diabetes, thyroid issues, mastocytosis, adrenal gland tumors, etc.
I work in the medical field and understand that googling this symptom is the worst idea on the planet. The red ears can in itself cause more stress which can make you feel panicked and it’s a vicious cycle. There is such a thing as idiopathic flushing which means it happens and the cause is unknown.
RES is more common than what is published but that typically always includes the earlobe.
Cervical and back issues can affect the nerves that go to the ears, too.
Honestly, I would work with your PCP and ask to run some tests or refer to a specialist to rule everything out. If nothing else, get the piece of mind from the lab work and tests and know that there are many others who are healthy and deal with the same quirky issue.
Comment
I’ve been dealing with the same red, hot ear symptoms as everyone else for about 3 weeks. Here are some specialists I’ve seen and what I have learned:
Specialists
Rheumatologist- Relapsing Polychondritis can cause ear redness, but it spares the lobe. It typically last days to weeks and the ear is swollen and very painful. You have to also concomitantly have symptoms affecting 2 more areas: eyes, respiratory system, nose, joints, hearing.
Lupus can also affect the ears but mostly the cheeks and the rash is butterfly like and usually red to purple.
Dermatologist- spoke to a derm who said her son has the same issue and he is 29. She isn’t concerned about it and says she is seeing it a lot more, and attributes it to stress and potentially food or other allergies. Another derm thinks it could be rosacea since I have redness on my face.
Gastroenterologist - facial flushing can very rarely be a symptom of carcinoid syndrome. Typically this flush includes the face neck and chest and there are a number of other symptoms. You can have a 5 HIAA test which is a 24 hour urine test to check serotonin levels. You’ll need to be off a number of foods and meds that could skew the results, but if positive, you can have a special scan that would look further into the body.
Endocrinologist- have an appt but haven’t seen. Could be related to diabetes, thyroid issues, mastocytosis, adrenal gland tumors, etc.
I work in the medical field and understand that googling this symptom is the worst idea on the planet. The red ears can in itself cause more stress which can make you feel panicked and it’s a vicious cycle. There is such a thing as idiopathic flushing which means it happens and the cause is unknown.
RES is more common than what is published but that typically always includes the earlobe.
Cervical and back issues can affect the nerves that go to the ears, too.
Honestly, I would work with your PCP and ask to run some tests or refer to a specialist to rule everything out. If nothing else, get the piece of mind from the lab work and tests and know that there are many others who are healthy and deal with the same quirky issue.