Runny nose is a fairly common occurrence among children and adults. During it, you must definitely clean your nose. Sometimes blowing is accompanied by unpleasant sensations - in people it is laying ears. Severe pain may even occur. For what reason is this happening, what can it indicate and how is ear congestion treated? You will receive answers to these questions from our material.
Causes
There are several common reasons why your ears are blocked when blowing your nose.
- Chronic diseases of the nasopharynx.
- Too intense or irregular blowing of the nose. It is not necessary to clean both nostrils at once, but to clamp them one by one.
- Refusal to use vasoconstrictor drugs, which contributes to the painless removal of mucus from the nasal passages.
- Ingestion of fluid from a flushing solution or nasal secretion.
Below is a more detailed analysis of some of the causes of nasal congestion during blowing.
Anatomical causes
It blocks the ears during blowing, mainly due to the fact that the middle ear is adjacent to the nasopharynx, so any changes in this system cause a response in other organs. When blowing your nose, there is pressure acting on the Eustachian tube. The main purpose of this part of the body is to connect the middle ear with the nasopharynx. Therefore, if you overstrain while blowing your nose, ear congestion may appear.
Another reason is that mucus enters the Eustachian tube, which leads to inflammation and swelling of the middle ear. The result of these metamorphoses is not only the stuffiness of the organ, but also the appearance of pain. To avoid undesirable consequences, you need to properly nose your nose, that is, nostrils are clamped alternately.
Diseases
When blowing your nose, it lays ears not only because of the location of the nasopharynx and middle ear, but also because of various diseases.
- Viral infections lead to inflammation of the lymph nodes. As a result of the resulting edema, and ear congestion occurs.
- Rhinitis contributes to the filling of the sinuses with mucus, which blocks the course of the middle ear. An obstacle to air circulation is created.
- Due to frequent diseases, human immunity is destroyed. In this case, an excessive amount of sulfur is produced in the body, which leads to the formation of plugs. Due to blowing the nose, the substance is more compacted, and there is a feeling of stuffiness in the ear.
- Otitis caused by viral infections is also accompanied by this unpleasant phenomenon. They are caused by bacteria that enter the ear canal when blowing. The disease is important to diagnose at the first stages of its development, as over time it develops into purulent otitis media, which can lead to hearing problems.
- Inflammation of the facial nerve is accompanied not only by congestion of the ears, but also by pain in the temples, the affected part of the face and ear area.
Sinusitis
If during or after blowing your nose, your ear is blocked and your head is spinning, this may indicate a serious illness such as sinusitis. In this case, unpleasant sensations are observed both during the pathological process, and after recovery. They can be accompanied by high temperature and shortness of breath. Often this is due to the spread of bacteria to the Eustachian tube.
What to do?
Imagine the situation: you have a stuffy ear when blowing your nose. What to do in this case? There are several ways to get rid of discomfort:
- Apply a warm object to the nose. A linen napkin or diaper is ideal, but they must first be warmed up. You can use a boiled egg or heated salt in a pouch.
- Apply an alcohol compress to the area near the stuffy ear. This method can only be used after consulting a specialist.
- Yawn, while opening his mouth wide, or swallow saliva. This will help normalize the pressure.
- You can put a palm on the auricle, wait a little and sharply remove your hand.
- Pinch your nose and inhale deeply. It is necessary to take 5-7 breaths, however, if you hear “popping”, you can stop earlier. The procedure will help get rid of tinnitus.
- Blow into a cocktail tube or inflate a few balloons to restore hearing.
- Use the ear drops that your doctor has prescribed. Do not self-medicate.
- Perform head tilts in different directions for 5 minutes.
All these recommendations can be used if the ear is blocked after blowing the nose. What to do if none of the above methods help you get rid of your stuffy ear? It is necessary to consult a doctor. This is also worth doing if pain occurs in the area of the organ or a whistle appears. After the examination, the specialist will prescribe a good treatment, as well as give some recommendations on how to prevent such phenomena in the future.
Drug treatment
Only a specialist can prescribe the correct treatment for the auditory canals, having previously determined why he puts his ears when blowing his nose. Most often, patients are prescribed drugs that have a vasoconstrictive effect and relieve swelling of the Eustachian tubes (these are drops and sprays, for example, Sanorin, Tizin and Nazol), reduce inflammation in the nasopharynx, since they have anti-inflammatory effects (usually these are ear drops “Otinum”, “Otipaks” and “Otirelax”).
During relapse, antibiotics (Amoxicillin or Clarithromycin) should be taken. The doctor may prescribe procedures for cleaning the ears of sulfur plugs and purulent discharge.
Earache during runny nose
There are several unpleasant phenomena that occur when you blow your nose: it puts your ears in or pain appears. They can say that bacteria got into the Eustachian tube along with mucus from the nose, resulting in inflammation. If measures are not taken in time, otitis media can begin, which leads to various complications. If you experience pain in the ears, be sure to consult a specialist, namely, an otolaryngologist.
Fighting Ear Pain
Above, we examined what can be done if you put your ears when blowing your nose. In the case of pain, it is necessary to treat the ears and fight a runny nose at the same time. The doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics or topical medications, such as drops. In some cases, warming up may be necessary.
More difficult is the case of damage to the eardrum. To maintain the ability to hear, you will have to resort to surgical intervention, namely tympanoplasty. In some cases, the healing of the tympanic membrane occurs on its own, however, this process should take place under the supervision of a physician.
Stuffy ears and runny nose
Since earache and congestion often occur with a runny nose, these ailments are treated comprehensively. To do this, use vasoconstrictor or vasodilator drugs. Medicines belonging to the first group are used to combat a runny nose, and to the second - to reduce swelling of the nasal mucosa. Remember: only a specialist can prescribe drugs, as it is he who will give you an accurate diagnosis. Self-medication can lead to adverse effects.
Precautionary measures
Ear congestion treatment takes more than one day, therefore precautions must be taken during this period. Firstly, to prevent the ingress of water during bathing, cotton swabs dipped in sunflower oil should be inserted into the ears. Secondly, a hat should be worn to protect organs from hypothermia, since cold can aggravate the course of the disease.