Can't tell if it's toothache or earache

[Ilovecreamycoffee]

I was experiencing a pain since lunch time. Basically every time I swallow, I feel a pinch on one side of my mouth. I don't know of its a toothache or located in my ear.

I used a dental gel and a salt water rinse and it seems to have improved somewhat. Now every time I swallow there is a slight pain in behind my ear.

I do suffer from ear pain and I have to wear caps most of the year, even in summer time if its a cold day in August or September as an example. Yesterday I was working outside and I never had time to cover my ears. It was a cold day.

Now I don't know if the pain I am experiencing is a tooth or ear. I took ibuprofen earlier for a sore arm.

This pain continued for the remainder of the day yesterday. I went to bed early at 10 and I fell asleep at about 11. I looked after the pain before bed with medicine and it honestly wasn't bad. I woke at about 3am with the pains back. Basically every time I swallowed. I was aware of the swallowing and the pain which made me do it more. I got up in the middle of the night to look after the pain. I fell back to sleep again at about 5am. Woke again at 7 and at that stage I had drag my body out of bed because there was no point staying in the bed any more. In the morning. I threw everything I had at this.

-Floss
-Toothbrush
-Pain medicine
-Clove oil
-War drops
-Dental gel

• Salt water rinse

-Ibuprofen gel rubbed into my face

It settled down now but the day is torturous due to lack of sleep. I haven't a clue what the pain is about. I am keeping on top of all the measures because I need to have a good night's sleep tonight.

Now I don't know if I should be going to the doctor or to the dentist to sort this out. The pain has settled but I am afraid of it coming back. I am so so so so tired too.

Sorry

War drops should read ear drops.

It's settled. Forget about it.

The pain has settled somewhat but there is a niggling pain left. So the big pain is gone and there is still something there niggling. I don't know if its ear or tooth.

I kept on top of the pain medication all day in the hope that pain wouldn't set in again like it did yesterday evening and last night. I took some medicines at lunch time and used dental gel and ear drops.

I'm still stuck in work since 10am and there's no sign of me finishing yet. I badly need a bed. The pains are coming back again. Not as heavy as last night but some pains nonetheless. I have no idea if this is ear pain or dental pain.

Lower wisdom tooth pushing through?

Is usually my sinuses when I have pain that I can’t distinguish between tooth or ear.

It's not a wisdom tooth. The side of my face is the side where three or four of the lower back teeth are gone. There's there's no teeth on that side of my mouth on the lower side and there's no new tooth. I can't establish if there's anything coming through on top. I doubt it.

Sinuses, or jaw clenching?

I used to suffer from sinuses but not anymore. It's been a few years. About 6 years since my last sinus infection. They usually come with or after a cold. Its been two years since my last cold.

There's no jaw clenching on that side of my mouth because the lower teeth are missing.

One of my teeth looks like it's in a vulnerable state with a crack and some discolouration. Maybe it's that. I will get a picture.

Close your mouth, hold your nose and exhale. A doctor told me to do that when I had similar pain and it was a blocked eustachion tubes although be careful, not too much, you don’t want to burst your ear drum

I have to wear a cap to protect my ears. I went without a cap at the weekend. It was cold and thought maybe it was too premature. Not only on Sunday, I did the same on Monday. I was working out and I didn't have time to grab my cap and put it one. It could be that too.

I always paid the price when I went without a cap.m and suffered with sore ears.

Thank you so much CeeCee. I will try that tonight when I get home.

Have u definitely had your wisdom tooth out that side.

I had teeth out when I was younger from that side of my mouth. I don't know about wisdom tooth.

Any retained roots after the extractions of the 3/4 lower molars /premolars?

I was talking to a lady who had covid before the Christmas time. She said she had flu type of sickness with a vicious wisdom tooth pain and jaw pain. She thought she would have to go to the hospital with the pain.

I was concerned my partner could have been exposed to the covid. He is mixing with his family all the time and his sibling and nephew had to go for covid test. I don't know what their results are.

I am vaccinated with 2 doses of vaccine. What if I was exposed to covid and it's showing up in this way? It kind of does feel like heavy phlegm at the back of the throat - that type of swallowing.

I was very good for the past two winters at keeping colds away and I am not placing myself into situations where I could pick up colds easily and there's no one in my circle with colds. Now I'm thinking if this is possibly covid. I asked my partner what the results were and he was a little bit slow to answer but he said negative. The slow response has me doubting it in case the family decided to conceal their results so that they don't need to isolate themselves. That definitely crossed my mind when I was chatting to my partner on the phone. I suppose only time will tell now at this stage.

I don't know about retained roots.

Start with a dentist appointment and dental X-rays. Rule all that out first and then get your ears (or sinuses) examined at GP. Unlikely to be Covid if you've had both vaccinations.

Thing is I had a check up and cleaning done at the dentist last week. There were xrays taken too and there was no decay in my mouth. I only got that done last week on Friday morning. What are the chances my mouth will fail me and cause me trouble in the few days since then.

I will monitor the pain situation over night and tomorrow and I will start off with another dentist appointment and take it from there.

Ahh, you didn't mention the very recent dental check up and X-rays. If you were given a clean bill of dental health only last week, you should feel confident it's unlikely to be of dental origin.
In that case, maybe see how it goes or see if you can get a GP to check your ears?

Thank you for all of the replies. I had ano8night where I was awake with some pain. I went to bed early and slept well until about 2.30. I was up and awake until 4. I fell back to sleep easily at 4 and slept well til 7. I'm up since then.

I didn't know what this was but I think it's maybe sinuses. There's a heavy phlegm feeling at the back of my throat. It's been years since I had sinuses and I always had ear problems with sinuses. I'm disappointed because it came out of nowhere. I really wasn't expecting this.

My GP told me before that with sinuses, they will only prescribe after a certain number of days with symptoms. I forget what she said - maybe 14 days - I can't remember. If this is sinuses, I will have to battle on.

I am gone back to the remedies that used to help me - paracetamol, ibuprofen, vitamin C, loads of fluids, - there's other stuff that tends to help me but I wasn't prepared - garlic, manuka honey, sudafed. I won't be anywhere near a shop or pharmacy today unfortunately to pick up more supplies.

Whatever this is, it's definitely messing with me big time. I feel OK right now but it will probably all emerge again later.