A number of medical conditions or environmental situations could cause you to have pain in your ears during exercise. An ear infection can become exacerbated with movement. Stress can cause the discomfort, or it could be a sign of more serious complications. The ear canal is a sensitive organ, so tell your doctor about this condition and get a confirmed diagnosis before taking any measures on your own.
Broxism
Broxism is a habitual reaction many people have to stress, MedlinePlus says. The condition causes you to clench your teeth together so tightly that it causes jaw, neck and ear pain. Teeth grinding also is associated with the dysfunction and leads to a wide range of complications, including ear pain and worn teeth. Bruxism occurs at night while you're sleeping or when you're under stress. Exercising beyond your capacity or while under stress to perform during a competition can set off a burst of daytime teeth grinding that leaves you with a sore jaw and referred pain in your ears.
Infection
An ear infection, common among children, usually starts in the middle ear. You can have pain if you bounce around during an exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, the middle ear is a space behind the eardrum filled with air that holds the tiny ear bones. You also might experience a sore throat and reduced hearing when you have an ear infection. Pain may worsen after exercising and be accompanied by leaking. Often, you can get an ear infection after you've had a cold or the flu. You could develop an ear infection, also called swimmer's ear, after exercising in a pool where you picked up a virus or other bacterium.
Hypertension
Ear pain is one of the signs of high blood pressure. Exercising often increases your blood pressure, and if you're at risk for hypertension, the extra load on your heart can cause your ears to start ringing or undergo painful buzzing. Weightlifting is particularly troublesome for people with hypertension because your blood pressure tends to spike when you exert excessive force on the lift. After a round of strength training, if you feel pain in your ear, you may have continued high blood pressure that doesn't resolve when you stop working out. If you have a headache along with the ear pain, you may be in danger of having dangerously high blood pressure that could lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Rupture
Athletes who work out in environments with changing barometric pressures are at risk for developing a ruptured eardrum that can be very painful. Most commonly at risk are scuba divers and hikers and cyclists who train in the mountains. The sensitive membrane that separates the middle ear from the outer ear, the eardrum, can burst when exposed to rapid pressure increases, MedlinePlus says. Though divers, skydivers, hikers and mountain climbers typically take precautions to avoid rapid pressure changes, if your eardrum is weakened from an infection or other trauma, you may experience a rupture anyway.
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