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WHO KNEW PILLOWS CAUSE PAIN

I have developed Pillow Ear!

Is it because I’m an old lady?

Sarah Ouellet
Our DNA in Words
Published in
2 min readNov 3, 2024

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The photo shows a woman sleeping on her right side, her head on a pillow. The room is dark, indicating she is sleeping at night.
Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

The last several years have introduced me to a new, annoying, painful condition - pillow ear.

Perhaps you have experienced it. Maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. In short, it’s a painful ear after resting your head on a pillow at night. This is the way most of us sleep.

Look it up; I did after complaining to my sister about my painful right ear in our regular Tuesday night phone call. She laughed at calling my tender ear pillow ear.

As usual, when we chat, I search for more information on whatever subject we are discussing or wondering about. To our astonishment, pillow ear results from pressure applied on ear cartilage for an extended period, especially when pressed against a firm surface. Pain results and does not disappear immediately.

I’m a side sleeper, sleeping long periods on my left or right, predominantly my right side, as that ear is tender and sore in the morning. It is distressing that my sleeping habits are causing pain.

It can also mean that your ear has become sensitive to pressure. I never had this problem years ago. Is this also an age-related problem?

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Sarah Ouellet
Sarah Ouellet

Written by Sarah Ouellet

I am an old, opinionated woman who loves animals and nature. I feed stray cats, skunks, possums, and birds.

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