What's wrong with the left side of my head??

[smeep]

For the last 4-ish nights I've woken up with the left side of my head hurting. But only when I sleep on that side - it happened tonight too when I nursed DD down, during which I spent an hour on my left side (though not as bad as the last few nights when it's woken me up). I've woken up in pain, gone to get some ibuprofen and it slowly starts to improve even before the ibuprofen can start to take effect. After a while it's pretty much fine, with some lingering weird feelingness (yes, that's a word now). 

It's from my ear to my lower and upper jaw and cheekbone. It goes from basically the opening to my ear (but behind it) to my upper jaw, stopping at about my cheekbone, and my lower jaw stopping just shy of the front. Tonight I noticed that my left ear and left side of my throat were also a little itchy after it happened. 

I will say that I've had recurrent tooth abscesses for a few years (getting it fixed is not an option) but I'm not so sure that's what it is because, A) my ear is hurting too, B) I almost certainly would have an obvious forming swelling abscess by now, and C) there's a little opening with a very thin layer of skin covering it and now I get a little bubble of pus there before any other signs of an abscess start and I only had that happen last night but no other time while this has been going on.

I'm going to start attacking it with raw garlic and some goldenseal but I was wondering if anyone had any idea what this is? I was thinking maybe ear infection, but does that radiate that far and only when laying on that side for a while? I have Medicaid but don't want to hassle with getting that switched around to see someone if I don't have to. Then again, it would be a nice excuse to stop by the Starbucks by the doc and see the cute barista who loved my "Got Breastmilk?" coffee cup...  Gotta love a man who isn't freaked out by that.

[lauren]

Could it be TMJ (temporo-mandibular joint disorder)? That can affect the jaw and causes wicked headaches.
 

[smeep]

Could that cause swollen lymph nodes or anything? Would it affect just one side? (see my last post in my other thread about the lymph node thing:). I think I have TMJ but I've only ever had occasional pain when eating or swallowing, usually when I haven't eaten much or at all for a few days, never any other issues that I've noticed.

[tinyblackdot]

ear infection? wisdom teeth?