A bout of pain behind the right ear may be caused by inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear, boils behind the ear, or acute tonsillitis. 1. Inflammation of lymph nodes behind the ear: When the lymph nodes behind the ear and neck are inflamed, the lymph nodes may become enlarged, painful or tender. 2. Boils behind the ear: boils are acute purulent lesions of hair follicles due to the invasion of individual hair follicles and surrounding tissues by pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which may lead to redness, swelling and pain behind the ear when boils appear behind the ear. 3. Acute tonsillitis: When tonsillitis attacks acutely, the pain can be radiated to the back of the ear through the tympanic branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve in the pharynx or the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, resulting in pain behind the ear. It is recommended that patients seek timely medical examination, clear causes for targeted treatment, pay attention to personal hygiene in life, keep the skin clean and dry, avoid squeezing, scratching and rubbing the affected area.