Why Do My Ears Hurt When I Run? 12 Causes and How to Fix Each One

Why do my ears hurt when I run, and what helps? Most of the time it's cold wind on your ear canals or earbuds pressing in the wrong spot. Clenching your jaw without realizing it is another common cause. Less often, the ache comes from a pressure change, your neck or throat, or an ear problem a doctor should look at.

Your ear canal is unusually easy to chill. In its inner, bony part, the skin sits directly on bone with very little tissue in between, as an anatomy review on StatPearls describes. That helps explain why a cold run can leave a deep ache that seems to come from inside your head.

This guide covers 12 causes. There are six everyday ones you can usually sort out yourself and six medical conditions. Each comes with what to try first, and the red flag section explains when to stop experimenting and see a doctor.

Quick Answer: Why Do My Ears Hurt When I Run?

Start with when and where the pain shows up. You can usually do something yourself about the first five rows below. The last two call for a closer look.

In the order this guide covers them, the 12 causes are cold air and wind, jaw clenching, earbud fit, loud volume, pressure changes, referred pain from the neck or throat, ear or sinus infections, allergies, acid reflux, swimmer's ear, a perforated eardrum, and earwax buildup.

Is It Normal for Your Ears to Hurt When You Run?

It's common, but you don't have to accept it as part of running. Otolaryngologist Peter Ashman, MD, told Peloton that ear pain on runs is "not an unusual topic to hear about." The everyday causes covered here have simple fixes you can try on your next run.

Work through the causes below. Use this article as a troubleshooting guide to find the one that matches and try its fix. Check the red flags further down if nothing fits or the pain doesn't budge.

Cold Air and Wind

Start here. Ashman told Peloton that cold, wind or a combination of the two is the number-one reason for ear pain while running. The canal's thin lining "is very sensitive," he explained, "and when it gets cold or windy, it's going to cause those nerve endings to fire and the blood vessels to constrict."

ENT surgeon Ronen Nazarian, MD, told Outside's RUN that the skin there has "minimal underlying fatty tissue." He added that "the discomfort often feels deep-seated because it's actually the sensitive bone beneath the skin that's reacting, rather than the skin itself."

If your ears ache more once you head inside, rewarming may be part of it. Pain as chilled skin rewarms is best documented in frostbite, a far more serious cold injury, where MedlinePlus describes skin that turns "red and extremely painful" as it thaws. Nazarian says ordinary cold-ear discomfort usually goes away once you've been indoors for at least an hour.

If the pain doesn't lessen once your ears warm up and lasts more than two days, Nazarian advises seeing a doctor, because an ear infection may be the real cause (more on this in the red flag section).

Exostoses ("Surfer's Ear"): A Cold-Water Condition

If you've searched around, you may have come across "exostoses," bony growths in the ear canal that develop slowly with repeated cold-water exposure. The condition is nicknamed "surfer's ear," and it also shows up in swimmers, divers and kayakers.

Surfer's ear isn't an infection. It also differs from swimmer's ear, which is covered later in this guide. Many people have no symptoms. Others notice hearing loss, repeated ear infections or drainage. A feeling of fullness is another symptom people notice.

Nazarian told RUN that it can happen to any athlete exposed to cold or water, though the research focuses on cold water. Unless you also swim, surf or paddle in cold water regularly, it's an unlikely explanation for ear pain on runs. It's included here so you know the term if you see it.

Jaw Tension (TMJ)

Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jaw to your skull just in front of your ears. When the jaw muscles and joints are strained, the pain can spread: Mayo Clinic lists "aching pain in and around the ear" as a symptom of TMJ disorders.

Many runners clench without noticing, especially during hard efforts or races. "Most people aren't even aware of it because they're focused on running," Ashman told Peloton.

Check your jaw about every mile. Lower your shoulders if you're clenching. Then loosen your jaw so there's a little space between your teeth. As the run goes on, that habit can keep tension from building up.

If your jaw is already sore, skip gum on runs for a while. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research lists jaw clenching and gum chewing among the habits to cut back when you have jaw pain.

Ill-Fitting or Too-Loud Headphones and Earbuds

If the pain only shows up while you're wearing earbuds, they're a likely culprit.

Earbuds that don't fit comfortably are "going to push on that sensitive tissue in the ear canal," Ashman told Peloton. A hat, headband or hood pulled over them adds more pressure. Hygiene matters too: ENT Health, the American Academy of Otolaryngology's patient site, says contaminated earbuds can lead to an outer ear infection, so wipe yours clean after sweaty runs.

Music volume is a separate issue. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, sounds at or below 70 decibels are unlikely to damage your hearing even after long exposure, while long or repeated exposure at 85 decibels or louder can. The World Health Organization suggests keeping your device below 60% of its maximum volume. Ringing or muffled hearing after a run is a warning sign that the sound was too loud.

Air Pressure and Altitude Changes

Ear barotrauma happens when the air pressure inside your middle ear doesn't match the pressure outside, so the eardrum gets pushed or pulled. MedlinePlus lists flying, scuba diving and driving in the mountains as typical causes.

Running changes altitude much more slowly. At most you can expect mild plugging or popping during a long mountain climb or descent. The drive to a high trailhead can do the same.

The fix is the same one you'd use on a plane: swallow, yawn or chew gum. Each helps open your eustachian tube, the small channel that lets pressure even out on both sides of the eardrum, as ENT Health explains. If you already carry gum on long runs, see the case for chewing gum while running for when it helps and when it doesn't. If your jaw is the problem, swallowing or yawning is the better choice.

Referred Pain: When It's Not Actually Your Ear

Not every ache you feel in your ear starts in your ear. Doctors call this secondary or referred ear pain, and in adults it's more common than pain that starts in the ear itself. Jaw tension, covered above, is one example.

The American Family Physician article behind that finding names jaw joint problems, dental problems and neck (cervical spine) problems as common sources. Sinus and throat problems can refer pain to the ear too, through nerves the areas share. Ashman adds that a strained neck, or a throat dried out during a hard effort, can inflame tissue in the head and neck. If you breathe mostly through your mouth on cold runs, our guide on how to breathe while running covers nose and mouth breathing.

A rough guide before you see anyone: if tugging your outer ear or pressing the small flap in front of the canal hurts, the problem is more likely in the canal itself, as with swimmer's ear. If your ear feels normal to the touch, your hearing hasn't changed, and you also have a stiff neck, sore jaw or sore throat, referred pain is more likely. Only an exam can tell you for sure, so see a clinician if it keeps happening.

Underlying Conditions That Can Cause Ear Pain

You can usually fix the mostly mechanical or environmental causes above yourself. The six below are medical. They're less likely to be the first explanation, but they're worth getting checked if nothing above fits or you have other symptoms along with the ear pain.

Ear Infections and Sinus Infections

In adults, a middle ear infection (otitis media) usually brings ear pain or pressure, fluid coming from the ear, or trouble hearing. A sinus infection can cause ear pain and pressure as well. Fever, dizziness or facial pressure alongside ear pain are reasons to see a doctor, not to change your gear.

If you're sick with symptoms below the neck, like a fever or body aches, it's best to rest and skip the run, sports medicine physician Lauren Borowski, MD, told Peloton.

Seasonal Allergies

Allergies and colds can swell the lining of your nose, and that swelling can block the eustachian tube, leaving your ears stuffy or full, sometimes with a mild ache. If it tracks with pollen season or a known trigger, allergy medicine may help, but read the label and ask a pharmacist first.

Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine aren't for everyone. MedlinePlus advises telling your doctor before taking pseudoephedrine if you have high blood pressure, heart or thyroid disease, diabetes, glaucoma or an enlarged prostate. The FDA has also proposed removing oral phenylephrine from over-the-counter decongestants because it isn't effective. Older antihistamines such as diphenhydramine may make you drowsy, which you don't want on a run.

GERD (Acid Reflux)

With gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach contents often come back up toward your throat. Reflux that reaches your throat can irritate it, and throat irritation is a recognized, though less common, source of referred ear pain. Running itself can trigger reflux. In a 1989 study of healthy volunteers, running caused more reflux than cycling or a weight routine, and exercise after a meal caused more than exercise on an empty stomach.

If this sounds like you, give a big meal more time to settle before you run, and steer clear of foods that set off your heartburn; the American College of Gastroenterology recommends avoiding personal trigger foods. If it keeps happening, talk to a doctor rather than just working around it in your training.

Swimmer's Ear

Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an infection of the outer ear canal. The CDC says it's typically caused by water that stays in the canal for a long time, and doctors also list humidity, sweating, earplugs and earbuds as risk factors. The classic sign is pain when you move your outer ear or press the flap in front of the canal.

Unlike surfer's ear above, it's an active infection, not a slow bone change. It needs treatment from a doctor, usually with eardrops.

Perforated Eardrum

A torn or perforated eardrum can follow an ear infection, a sudden pressure change or an injury. Running itself isn't a typical cause. Mayo Clinic lists ear pain that may go away fast, fluid coming out of the ear, hearing loss, ringing and a spinning feeling (vertigo) among the symptoms. Most tears heal within a few weeks, but this is a "see a doctor" issue, not a "wait it out" one.

Earwax Buildup

In some people, the ear makes more wax than it can easily clear, and the wax hardens into a blockage. MedlinePlus lists earache, a feeling of fullness, ringing and some hearing loss as common symptoms. Ashman told Peloton that wax pressing on the canal or eardrum "can move around and cause pain" once you start running.

Don't dig it out with cotton swabs. ENT doctors note that most cleaning attempts push the wax deeper. If your ear stays blocked or muffled, a clinician can check for a buildup and remove it safely.

When Ear Pain During Running Is a Red Flag

A simple change usually eases the everyday causes covered above. Covering your ears or relaxing your jaw can help. You can also fix your earbuds or wait for a pressure change to pass. Stop self-treating and get checked if you notice any of these:

• Pain that doesn't lessen once your ears warm up and lasts more than two days. Nazarian says that pattern can point to an ear infection rather than a simple cold-air reaction, and the NHS advises getting medical help for earache that doesn't improve within two to three days.
• Sudden hearing loss. The NIDCD says to treat sudden deafness as a medical emergency and see a doctor immediately.
• Fever, dizziness or fluid draining from the ear.
• Pain after a direct blow or injury to the ear, even a minor one.

Any one of these is reason enough to see a doctor or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. Don't run through them and hope they clear up on their own.

How to Prevent Ear Pain When You Run

Prevention is usually quick and simple once you've worked out the likely cause.

A Gear Ladder for Cold-Weather Ear Protection

Cold-related ear pain responds well to layering but more coverage isn't automatically better. Let conditions guide the gear that you choose. Traffic gets harder to hear with anything worn in your ears or over them.

Earplugs block wind too, but they block sound as well, and NIOSH notes that too much sound reduction makes people less aware of their surroundings. If you want plugs for wind, Nazarian says custom earplugs "can include a membrane that allows sound to pass through." Even then, save them for routes away from traffic.

The right layer keeps the ache from starting. It does more than ease the pain after it begins. If you still get pain at your current layer, move up the ladder rather than adding more of the same gear.

Fixes for Jaw Tension, Headphones, and Underlying Conditions

• Jaw tension: check your jaw every mile or so. Skip gum while your jaw is sore. See a dentist if you clench or have jaw pain outside of runs too. A mouth guard is one option they may discuss. Still, the NIDCR notes there isn't a lot of evidence that guards improve jaw pain.
• Headphones: check that the tip size is right. If in-ear buds keep bothering you, try an over-ear or bone-conduction style. Wipe your earbuds clean after sweaty runs. Keep the volume low enough that you could still hear a car behind you.
• Allergies and sinus issues: treat the congestion and the underlying trigger rather than only the ear symptom. Before taking a decongestant, check with a pharmacist.
• Acid reflux: allow more time after a big meal before your run. Flag a recurring pattern to your doctor.
• Infections, a perforated eardrum or a wax blockage: these are problems you can't fix yourself. See a doctor for treatment rather than adjusting your gear or timing.

A quick self-check before your next run can help when the cause still isn't clear.

1. Will it be cold or windy when I run? If so, start with the gear ladder.
2. Am I wearing earbuds, and does the pain track with them? If so, check the fit and volume first.
3. Do I have a sore throat, stiff neck, sore jaw or stuffy nose along with the ear pain? If so, the ache may be referred pain or congestion. Address that problem instead.

What to Do Next

Match your symptom pattern to a cause using the quick answer table at the top, try the specific fix for that cause on your next run, and give it one or two sessions before deciding it didn't work. If you've ruled out the common causes or notice any of the red flags above, that's your signal to see a doctor rather than keep experimenting with gear. Finding and fixing the cause beats running through the pain.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my ears hurt more after I stop running than during the run?

Rewarming may be part of it. Pain as chilled skin rewarms is best documented in frostbite, where thawing skin becomes extremely painful. ENT surgeon Ronen Nazarian says ordinary cold-ear discomfort usually fades after you've been warm indoors for at least an hour. See a doctor if the pain lasts more than two days and doesn't lessen once your ears warm up.

Is it normal for your ears to hurt when running in cold weather?

Yes, it's common. The skin lining your ear canal sits close to bone and has very little insulation. That skin can ache in cold air and wind. It's uncomfortable but usually isn't dangerous. It typically fades once you've been somewhere warm for at least an hour. Cover your ears with a headband or ear warmers if this happens every cold run. If it doesn't ease once your ears warm up and it lasts more than two days, see a doctor.

What's the difference between swimmer's ear and surfer's ear (exostoses)?

An infection in the outer ear canal is swimmer's ear. Water left in the canal too long is usually the cause and moving the outer ear typically hurts. Surfer's ear (exostoses) develops over years. Repeated cold-water exposure causes bone to grow slowly in the canal. For a long time it often causes no symptoms. Their names are similar. One is an active infection while the other is a gradual change in the canal.

Can a buildup of earwax cause ear pain when you run?

Yes. Hardened earwax buildup can cause an earache. It can also cause a plugged feeling or ringing or muffled hearing. An ENT doctor told Peloton that wax can shift during a run and cause pain. Don't dig wax out with cotton swabs. They tend to push it deeper into your ear instead. A clinician can check for a blockage and remove it safely.

Does chewing gum help with ear pressure while running?

It can. The eustachian tube opens with help from chewing and swallowing. Then pressure is able to even out on both sides of the eardrum. It helps most on a long mountain climb or descent. The same goes for the drive to a high trailhead. Yawning works too and so does swallowing on purpose. If your jaw is already sore, either one is a better choice.

Can loud music through headphones damage your hearing while running?

Yes. Listening at 85 decibels or louder can cause hearing loss. That applies to long or repeated periods of listening. At or below 70 decibels, sounds are unlikely to cause hearing loss. The World Health Organization's rule is simple. Keep the volume below 60% of your device's maximum. Ringing or muffled hearing after a run is a warning sign that it was too loud, and keeping the volume low enough to hear traffic also keeps you safer.

When should ear pain after running be checked out by a doctor?

If the pain doesn't ease once your ears warm up and lasts more than two days, or if it keeps coming back on runs despite the fixes in this guide, see a doctor. Fever, dizziness or fluid draining from the ear are also reasons to get it checked. Sudden hearing loss is a medical emergency, so see a doctor right away. Pain after a direct blow to the ear (even a minor one) is worth a prompt appointment too.

Alex Gorovenko

I completed my first 10K on a dare. In a year, I ran a half-marathon. Another year later, I finished a marathon race. Today I run 4 marathons a year and a half-marathon every week. I learned everything about running the hard way. So, I help runners achieve better results easier.