Ears Burning Sensation

It can be quite normal to experience burning sensations in the ear occasionally for a brief period, when one gets embarrassed or eats very hot and spicy foods. This type of sensation is caused by a sudden rush of blood to the ears, which is triggered by the factors mentioned above. Such type of heat sensation in the ears usually resolve within a few minutes.

Causes of Ear Paresthesia

Burning sensation and redness in the ears could be a sign of certain health problems, especially if it is experienced frequently without any apparent reason. Many people can also get a tingling or numbing sensation in the ear. The term for such abnormal skin sensations is paresthesia. It could be associated with the following conditions.

Ear Injury
An injury to the ear can damage the sensory nerves to produce this sensation in the ears. Any type of injury to the ears such as, direct blow to the ear, as well as injury received during an accident can cause this condition.

Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy refers to the damage of the peripheral nerves, and it is one of the most common causes of abnormal skin sensations like, tingling, numbness or burning that can be felt in various parts of the body including, the ears. Severe traumatic injury, as well as certain metabolic problems, infection and exposure to toxins can be responsible for damaging the nerves of the peripheral nervous system.

Diabetes
Diabetes, or to be more specific untreated or poorly controlled diabetes can damage the nerves of the peripheral nervous system, and produce skin sensations like tingling, numbness and burning sensation. Peripheral nerve damage caused by consistently high levels of blood sugar is known as diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy usually affects the extremities of the body such as, the hands, feet and sometimes the ears.

Trauma to the Cranial Nerves
Cranial nerves are the nerves that originate from the base of the brain. In humans, there are 12 pairs of cranial nerves, traumatic injury to which may result in this condition.

Stroke
It may be associated with stroke as well, especially if it is accompanied by symptoms like, facial numbness, dizziness, headache, difficulty in speaking, blurred vision, slurred speech, confusion and paralysis or numbness on one side of the body. A stroke is caused when the supply of blood to the brain gets impaired.

Other Causes
Apart from the conditions mentioned above, this condition could be associated with sunburn, chemical burn, heat burn, extreme cold, peripheral artery disease, allergies, nerve compression, multiple sclerosis, use of hypertension medications and cerebrovascular accidents.

Treatment for Ear Paresthesia

As it could be associated with so many health conditions, it can be treated only after ascertaining the exact causes. Therefore, the diagnosis can involve a complete evaluation of the medical history of the affected person, physical examination, CT scan of the ear and the brain, neurological examination and specific tests for examining movement, balance, coordination, vision and hearing of the individual. All these tests and examinations would help to narrow down the causes of burning ears, and rule out other ear problems. Once the condition is diagnosed properly, it can be resolved by treating the underlying cause.

As frequent sensations of numbness and burning in the ears can be associated with certain major health problems, it is better to evaluate this condition medically with the help of a physician or health care provider. This would not only help to get rid of this uncomfortable sensation, but would prove very effective in finding out the underlying causes and preventing the complications associated with such conditions.