Experiencing sharp pain in the ears is not a typical complaint of joggers. When it does occur, the pain is usually temporary in nature and resolves without any complications. However, pain that worsens and is accompanied by bleeding or persist for a few days requires medical evaluation. Fortunately, most sharp pains in the ears when jogging are preventable with ear protection and treatable with over the counter or prescription medications.
Features
Sharp pain in your ear while jogging might last for just a second or two, but could last a day or longer, depending on the cause. In addition to the sharp pain you might notice drainage from the ear canal, bleeding from the ear canal, headache, pain in the jaw, tenderness around your face or facial swelling. You might also notice changes in your hearing, such as ringing in one or both ears, difficulty hearing or loss of hearing, which is usually temporary in nature.
Causes
Ear pain while jogging does not usually result from the jogging itself. Some joggers find that exercising in very cold weather causes sharp pain in their ears. Jogging at high altitudes can change pressure in the inner ear, resulting in a ruptured ear drum, which can cause severe ear pain. Ear infections, sinus infections, allergies and migraine headaches can also cause pain in the ears during exercise. In addition, jogging while wearing earbuds can irritate the ear canal, resulting in sharp pain. Other possible causes of sharp ear pain while jogging include a traumatic head injury, exposure to an extremely loud noise, such as a jet engine or siren, or a foreign object inside the ear canal, such as an insect flying into the ear while you jog.
Treatments
Taking over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin as recommended by your doctor might relieve sharp pain in the ear after jogging. If the sharp pain in your ears during jogging resulted from a ruptured ear drum, the rupture will likely heal on its own. If the eardrum does not heal, your physician might refer you to an otolaryngologist who will either apply a chemical patch on the hole or perform surgery to correct the rupture, according to the Mayo Clinic. If a foreign object such as an insect becomes lodged in your ear, resulting in sharp pain, your doctor or local hospital emergency room can safely extract it.
Prevention
If your usual jogging route takes you through noisy areas, utilize earplugs to help protect your eardrums from loud sounds. If jogging at high altitudes, consider using pressure-equalizing earplugs such as those often used while flying on airplanes. Treating allergy, sinus or cold symptoms before they cause an ear infection can also help prevent sharp pain in the ears when jogging. If you enjoy listening to music while you jog, make sure your earbuds fit properly just inside of your ears, or wear headphones that do not require insertion into the ear.
