Why does ears clog?

Probably, every person at least once got along with the problem of stuffy ears. And if on an airplane, for example, the reason for such congestion is quite understandable, then in ordinary life this ailment speaks of completely different provocateurs. Today we'll talk about why ears are blocked and how you can cope with this ailment.

Cause of ear congestion

Ear congestion, although not the rarest that occurs in life, nevertheless does not make it easier. Such an ailment creates obstacles to normal life, distorts the sounds of nature and the environment, one's own and other people's voices, gives the feeling of a "cast-iron" head. Such a problem often comes along with a feeling of tinnitus, and it's worth saying right away that an absolutely healthy body shouldn't behave this way.

The role of the pressure equalizer in the atmosphere is played by the auditory tube located in the middle ear. When a jump in pressure occurs in the external environment, the auditory tube lays down and a feeling of congestion appears. And if, with serious changes in pressure, for example, during takeoff and landing of an airplane, such a reaction of the body is considered normal, then laying the ears with a slight change in pressure should alert the person. After all, such a reaction may be evidence that the body simply needs the help of a qualified specialist. For example, a complication after the disease is otitis media, when scars or adhesions remain near the tympanic membrane, which interferes with its mobility and equalization of pressure.

Constant congestion in the ears may indicate that a foreign object has entered the ear, as well as education sulfur plug... Almost all diseases and inflammatory processes that spread to the nasopharynx affect the proper functioning of the auditory tube. An inflammatory process in the middle ear and a primitive runny nose can lead to the closure of the orifices of the auditory tube and make the ears stuffy. A similar situation is played out with a curvature of the nasal septum, with sinusitis, adenoids and polyps, which is common in children. In this case, the cause may originate from hypertension, ischemic brain disease, and also as a consequence of a head injury.

The appearance of noise and congestion in the ears is an ailment that can spread to one or both ears at once. This disease, which is the name of Meniere's syndrome, began to be identified and diagnosed two hundred years ago, but despite this, no one has been able to fully study the nature of the origin and the methods of treatment to this day. However, it is almost certainly clear that congestion manifests itself against the background of other health problems: hormonal imbalance against the background of menopause, high or low pressure in the body, allergies, vascular dystonia. The development of Meniere's syndrome is not clear, but there is an assumption that a malfunction in the metabolism that occurs in the tissues of the inner ear acts as a provocateur.

As noted by modern medicine, about 50% of patients seeking help with similar symptoms have problems with the mobility of the joint located in the temporomandibular region. In such a situation, it is simply impossible to cure the disease without an osteopathic specialist. In any case, whatever the cause of congestion and tinnitus, for a correct diagnosis, safe and effective treatment, you need to consult a doctor, in this case, the ENT will help.

Why does ears clog with a cold

As we already said, almost all diseases and malfunctions in the nasopharynx cause ear congestion. To understand the relationship between the common cold and ears, you need to remember the anatomy. There is a pair of holes near the wall of the nasopharynx, which is precisely the place where the tunnels begin, leading to the right and left ear, or rather to the eardrum. It is through these tunnels that oxygen enters the middle ear in small portions. Portioned air supply occurs due to the tightness of the auditory tube. The opening of the pipe and the penetration of air is necessary at the time of chewing and swallowing, and you can also "blow through" the pipe deliberately.

To do this, the nose is pinched with the fingers, the mouth is closed and an attempt is made to blow air through the nose. This is called the Valsalva technique. Normally, when the atmospheric pressure is similar to the pressure in the eardrum, but if the equality is violated, congestion appears. When a nose gets clogged with a cold, this indicates swelling of the mucous membrane, which is not limited only to the nasal cavity. The mucous membrane that leads to the ears swells in a similar way. Consequently, air stops flowing to the membrane, which leads to congestion. In this case, the Valsalva technique is suitable, but sometimes the swelling is so strong that this technique does not work. But that's not all.

If the patient has nasal congestion, then every time he tries to breathe through the nose, negative pressure forms in the nasopharynx, which has a bad effect on the middle ear and provokes congestion. Therefore, in the case of a cold, ear congestion is more a symptom than an underlying disease and does not need to be emphasized in treatment. Pay all your efforts for the treatment of colds, then with her descent, the normal condition of the ears will return.

The child has blocked ears - what could be the reason

The health of the child is very important and paramount for every parent, therefore if even the slightest complaint about the state of health comes from the baby, most mothers immediately panic and begin to stuff the child with pills. Take your time, first you need to understand the reasons.

Ear congestion in children is almost as common as in adults, and the reasons are not very different. It is worth distinguishing between serious ear congestion, which indicates that a child has a disease, from a harmless one. For example, the ear may stop hearing due to the appearance of a sulfur plug. The ear canal is blocked by a clot of sulfur and sound waves cannot pass normally, which is why the problem occurs. In this case, it is enough to remove the interfering object in the form of a lump of sulfur and everything will be fine. You can do this yourself, but it is still better to contact a pediatric ENT.

If the child is very small, then you need to make sure that he has not thrust a foreign object, such as a bead, into his ear. If, besides the simple “I don’t hear,” the parent receives other health complaints, then you definitely cannot do without a visit to the doctor.

Symptoms that a child has ear congestion:

• the appearance of dull pain;
• feeling as if there is a foreign object in the ear;
• partial hearing loss;
• the appearance of ripples in the eyes;
• noise and ringing in the ears;
• painful sensations may appear when swallowing;
• stuffy nose;
• dizziness;
• irritability, general lethargy, trouble sleeping, and decreased appetite;
• discharge of pus from the ear - observed in advanced cases.

There are several reasons why children may have their ears pawned. The most common, which we have already mentioned, is sulfur plug. Paradoxically, in the overwhelming majority of cases it occurs in those who constantly clean their ears with cotton swabs. Dear parents, please note that even the manufacturers of such sticks themselves, in good faith, write on the packaging that they cannot be used for cleaning the inside of the ear. Doctors say the same thing. You can clean the ear, but only from the outside, do not try to reach “to the brain” through the ear canal, thereby you simply push the wax deeper and aggravate the problem.

The second most popular reason is otitis media of the middle ear. The rest of the provocateurs of ear problems are a runny nose and problems with the nasopharynx, in the work of the auditory tube, pressure problems, a deviated nasal septum, water getting into the ears (during bathing), foreign objects, as a reaction to prolonged use of certain types of medications, rhinitis, reaction to acclimatization.

Treatment of ear congestion depends on the cause that led to the ailment, and in order to accurately determine the cause, you need to contact a specialist who will prescribe a safe and effective treatment.

How to treat ear congestion

Before starting the treatment of blocked ears, you need to determine in which part of the ear the problem occurred and what caused this. To do this, you need to contact a doctor who will examine the patient. Let's consider in general terms the methods of treatment depending on the cause of the disease:

• If the cause of congestion is the temporomandibular joint, you need to seek advice from an osteopath, who will consider each individual case in more detail.
• If there is an inflammatory process in the middle ear and a malfunction occurs in the auditory ossicles, the specialist prescribes a course of taking drops and warming up with a blue lamp.
• If the problem of congestion lies in the inflamed skin of the ear canal, then heating will only aggravate the problem, so the specialist uses only drugs that suppress the activity of bacteria and relieve inflammation.
• With a curved nasal septum, surgical intervention is indispensable, but after the septum takes its place, the congestion of the ears will go away.
• If water gets into the ear, then you just need to gently remove the liquid using a cotton swab.
• In case of congestion due to sulfuric plug, the latter must be removed. Ideally, contact the ENT for this, he will do it quickly and safely. But if this is not possible, you can use hydrogen peroxide by burying it several times a day for several days, so the sulfur plug will dissolve. You can use special drops that gently and effectively dissolve the sulfur and facilitate its release to the outside.