Swelling and pain in the recess behind the earlobe may be associated with chronic strain of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, lymphadenitis and temporomandibular arthritis. General treatment, medication and surgery should be chosen according to the cause and characteristics of the disease.
1. Chronic strain injury of the sternocleidomastoid muscle: During sleep, the brain is in a state of rest, and it cannot make timely adjustment to the imbalance of muscle pulling stimulus. Therefore, the bad position during sleep will make the neck muscles and joints suffer from uneven force, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle will be fatigued by continuous force, which may cause swelling and pain. It can be treated by localized hot compresses, improving sleeping posture, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen orally.
2. Lymphadenitis: purulent inflammation in the nose and oropharynx, when spreading to the lymph nodes through the lymphatic route, it is easy to trigger inflammation of the lymph nodes in the angle of the jaw, resulting in swelling and pain. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin can be chosen to fight infection, and local hot compresses, physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory ointment can also be chosen for treatment.
3. Temporomandibular arthritis: Temporomandibular arthritis can be caused by trauma, yawning, prolonged opening of the mouth, singing, general anesthesia, tracheal intubation, bruxism, mental tension, anxiety, sleep disorders and other factors. If you remove the causative factors in the early stage of the disease, the symptoms can often be relieved, assisted by local hot compresses and physical therapy, oral meloxicam and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also relieve pain.
For those who have pain and swelling in the concave area under the earlobe, they can actively consult a doctor for a systematic examination to clarify the diagnosis and cause of the disease, and then follow the doctor’s instructions to standardize the treatment.