Are red burning ears, nose, and joint pain symptoms of relapsing chondritis?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am scared of a few symptoms that I have been experiencing. It seems to be like relapsing chondritis. I have had red, burning ears for weeks along with burning in the nose, and joint pain. Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I am here to help you get the best medical advice.

Relapsing polychondritis is a very rare condition, and it commonly happens around 45 years of age, predominantly in females. So, your symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have relapsing polychondritis. In that case, there should be redness or inflammation of only the cartilaginous part of the ear, only on the bridge of the nose, and pain or swelling in the knuckles or knee.

Redness or inflammation of the ear happens mostly around an injury site lasts for some days to weeks and resolves spontaneously. The pinna can become floppy and can be associated with impairment in hearing.

I hope you got answers for all the queries that you had.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

May I know since when you are experiencing these symptoms? First, please stop worrying. Relapsing polychondritis is quite rare. Do you have any hearing impairment? Have you taken any treatment or done any investigations? I suggest you get the following basic investigations done:

CBC (complete blood count).
CRP (C-reactive protein).
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).
Kidney Function Test.

There should be documented inflammation in the cartilage of two sites to fit the diagnostic criteria.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.