This is a question about RA do you ever have tenderness around your ear? I read some where that a few with RA have tenderness there. I feel it when i lay on my ear right before a big flare. I am new to this site I want to say thank you all for your post you have help me so much all ready just knowing others have gone threw what i am going threw. I have been to more doctors then i can count. I have all the systoms of RA but the blood work has been neg or borderline one time i was rh postive 32. Iam on pred 10mg and pain pills. My family doctor has really tried to help me he wants to put me on mtx but rheumy wants to wait anyway i just want to say thank you this is a great place to come for support.
Not sure if it's the same as you're talking about, but the pain I get in that area is in the jaw joint. Gets so bad it's hard to open my mouth wide enough to get my toothbrush in to brush my teeth.
hope you get some answers soon,
Kelly
Gizzy and Kelly...it sounds as if you all maybe suffering from TMJ. It is a disorder where the jaw bone area can become inflamed cause difficulity in eating, brushing your teeth, etc.
You will often feel this pain in your ears. Your dentist can give you a clear dx's of this with xrays and an exam of your jaw. I was dealing with it since my youth. Wasn't dx'd till well into my 30's...it came a year after my dx's with RA.
When I am flaring, it gets really bad.
The dentist gave me these tools to help. One, when your jaw is inflamed...eat only soft foods that are easy to chew or eat soup and or ice cream( I can deal with that)
Cut back on or stop eat hard candy which aggrevate the jaw joints. Talk less on the days your jaws are inflamed. The more use the slower the joint is to heal.
And if the pain persists the denist can mold you nite guard for your mouth or one to where throughout out the day. This helps to give the jaw a resting time OH...and don't clunch your jaws...I do when I am stressed, angry and also in my sleep.
There is a lot of info on TMJ on the internet.
Roblyn
Welcome Gizzy~We're glad you're here.Roblyn, that is some good advice for TMJ!
Gizzy, maybe you need to see a different RD. I dont usually advise people to jump up and switch doctors, but if you have had positive bloodwork and they still wont treat you something is not right. Meanwhile your joints are deteriorating when they dont have to be. Once you lose them, they are gone. You need someone who is going to give this the attention it needs. If you dont have any other choice but to see the same RD, you may have to get a little pushy. Usually some printed out material on the effects of RA left untreated, along with a letter stating that you are aware of your test results and that you want to start some form of treatment to preserve your joints can help. You take that with you and state your case, and if they still say no request that the letter be placed in your permenant chart. That way when you sue for malpractice, it will show that even you the patient knew what treatment you needed. You clearly have RA and your doctor is withholding treatment. You have a right to get mad! It would be better if you could get a new doc though...less stress for you, a better doc/pt relationship, and this doctor you have now doesnt sound very good. Good luck to you, you deserve to be treated better.
I have RA around the ear, in fact if you ask a spot, i probably have it, my case is very extensive. The swelling around my ear, nose and jaw are all sinus related. My RA factor has been 0 for 19 years, my sed rate is usually normal, but my ANA is slightly elevated. I've asked my Dr. about those results, he said there's no dought I have RA, poss. some signs of lupus. Go figure how these test work! I've come to the conclusion that nobody knows anything for sure about our disease.
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