Ear pain is not uncommon among runners, particularly during colder temperatures, but there are ways you can minimize or avoid experiencing any during or after running.

Physiological factors, including trapped sweat, earwax build-up and temperature change can all play a part in altering pressure in your ears and leading to discomfort during exercise.

Eustachian tube dysfunction

The Eustachian tubes provide protection for ear canals and drums by equalizing pressure across both sides of the middle ear space. When swallowing or yawning occurs, these tubes open to let air into and out of the middle ear space – should they become blocked with debris, symptoms such as muffled hearing, fullness in ears or balance issues could occur.

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) usually arises from something simple that can be treated at home; antihistamines may help relieve inflammation in the ear canal caused by seasonal allergies or cold symptoms, for example.

Your doctor can diagnose ETD by asking about your symptoms and conducting a physical exam of your ears, canals and drums, nasal passages and back of throat.

Barotrauma

Air pressure fluctuations can wreak havoc with your ears, prompting changes faster than your eardrums can adjust and leading to vertigo or pain, bleeding or rupture of an eardrum. If this occurs for you, seek medical help immediately as treatment should be sought as soon as possible.

Your doctor can diagnose ear barotrauma using an otoscope to examine your middle ear, and also by instilling air into it to check for clear fluid behind the eardrum; this allows them to determine whether the pressure change has pushed inward against it and caused pushing of the eardrum against its original location. Ear barotrauma often results from rapid changes in air or water pressure fluctuations during activities like scuba diving, elevator riding and flying on airplanes.

Allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is caused by an overly-sensitive immune system which reacts harshly to normally harmless particles, including dust mites, pollen from trees and flowers, grass pollen and pet dander (tiny flakes of dead skin) entering the body and stimulating an immune response through natural chemicals designed to protect it – including histamine – which cause mucous membranes in the nose, eyes and throat to become itchy and inflamed.

Sneezing, itchy nose and throat symptoms and thick nasal discharge are hallmarks of allergic rhinitis; unlike colds or flus, this condition does not result in fever. Other symptoms may include thick, watery nasal discharge and itchy ears; certain foods, acid reflux during sleep, air pollution or strong odors can trigger nonallergic rhinitis as well.

TMJ disorder

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorders can inflame both your jaw muscles and nerves, as well as restrict jaw movement. TMJ disorders occur in the jaw muscles on either side of your face – in front of your ears – affecting chewing muscle groups on each side. TMJ symptoms include pain with chewing; clicking, crackling and popping noises when biting down; swelling on either side of the face as well as restricted jaw movement.

TMJ disorders may lead to tinnitus, an annoying high-pitched sound in your ears. They may also result in headaches, obstructive sleep disorder, neck and shoulder pain.

TMJ may not appear on an MRI scan as its causes lie with your jaw joints and muscles; however, your doctor can order one to identify whether any other conditions could be contributing to TMJ.

Swimmer’s ear

if the ear canal is damp, bacteria and fungus can flourish and lead to skin irritation within it, leading to infection (otitis externa). Children with narrow ear canals are particularly prone to swimmer’s ear; symptoms of which include itching and pain with fluid or cheeselike material leaking out from within it.

Swimmer’s ear most often occurs in individuals who spend extended amounts of time immersed in water, such as swimming pools and lakes, however it can also impact those wearing hearing aids, wearing earbuds, wearing hearing aids, having dry skin conditions or those suffering from eczema.

An otoscope allows doctors to inspect inside your ear, clean it out, and may prescribe antibiotic-laced drops (known as eardrops ) with anti-infective properties and ingredients designed to fight infections and reduce swelling – generally taken for 7-10 days as prescribed medication.