What Does It Mean If You Have Pain on the Left Side of the Head Right Behind and Above the Ear?

Pain in the left side of the head around the ear is often associated with vascular headaches, mastoiditis and stress in the joints of the neck, according to Sportsinjuryclinic.net, MedlinePlus and Dr. Raeburn Forbes of Severe Headache Expert. Each of these conditions have additional symptoms associated with them.

Increased blood flow in the head is the apparent cause of vascular headaches, reports SportsInjuryClinic.net. As a result, pain and throbbing are often felt in areas where blood vessels reside, such as behind the ear. Migraines are a common form of vascular headache. An estimated 20 percent of the population experiences a vascular headache at some point in life.

Mastoiditis is an ear infection that spreads to the bone behind the year, according to MedlinePlus. It is a more common condition in children, and it was frequently fatal before the invention of antibiotics. Ear drainage and hearing loss are common symptoms along with the pain in the head and around the ear.

Pressure on the joints in the neck typically results in cervicogenic headaches, according to Dr. Forbes. This headache often spreads from the neck into the side of the head and behind the ear. This can result from bad posture, impact injury or whiplash. Treating the underlying neck problem, such as with physiotherapy, helps relieve the head and ear pain.

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