Hearing impairment due to congestion of the ear, in addition to obvious discomfort, as a rule, indicates the presence of diseases of both the hearing organs themselves and various pathologies of other systems and organs. Few people know what to do. The ear is blocked and noisy (right or left) - what to do in this situation ?. See the answers below.
Causes
If it makes noise in the ears and lays, the causes of congestion, directly related to the pathological processes in the ear, may be as follows:
- Accumulation of earwax (ear plug) in the external auditory canal may impair hearing and cause a noise effect. Normally, earwax dries out and falls out on its own. And only in the case of hypersecretion, sulfur accumulates and clogs the passage.
- Inflammatory processes in the outer and middle ear (otitis media) provoke swelling of the external auditory canal, as well as disrupt the functioning of the auditory tube, which, in turn, leads to a narrowing of the lumen and a decrease in hearing.
The disease can be caused by diseases of organs adjacent to the ear. For example, why a stuffy ear and noise:
- Due to the common cold and sinusitis, swelling of the nasal and maxillary sinuses occurs. They put pressure on the inner ear, which causes a feeling that the ear is stuffy, but does not hurt and makes noise.
- Inflammatory infectious diseases such as acute pharyngitis, tonsillitis (tonsillitis) are characterized by swelling of the mucous membrane of the throat, which can block the ear canals.
The causative agents of the infection quickly spread throughout the body, including the hearing organs, and a stuffy ear can be a symptom of the spread of the virus into the ear cavity.
In addition to all of the above, a stuffy ear can be part of the symptoms of various diseases and taken into account when making an anamnesis, for example:
- Congestion of the ear due to edema caused by a general allergic reaction of the body to certain external allergens.
- With progressive cervical osteochondrosis, nerve endings are squeezed, which regulate the blood circulation in nearby organs. The result may be, for example, numbness of the fingers or hearing loss, stuffy ears.
- With hypertension, as a result of high blood pressure in the vessels, ear congestion can also be felt.
The causes of a stuffy ear are often certain external mechanical influences. Including water when swimming, take-off and landing of the aircraft, diving to a depth when diving, various injuries and bumps when playing sports. In any case, if you detect a symptom of a stuffy ear, you should seek the advice of an otolaryngologist.
Symptoms
In some cases, the pain in the ear is so severe that a person can experience many unpleasant moments when it appears. Sometimes the ear blocks up. Moreover, the pain in this case is not felt at all. But do not rejoice, as congestion of the ears does not occur without a reason. Ear congestion can be a symptom of some serious and dangerous disease that needs immediate treatment. In addition, if the ear is blocked, then the patient may be accompanied by various unpleasant sensations. Such, for example, as a constant noise in the head. Sometimes there is such a strong ringing in the ear that the patient’s own voice seems to be a stranger.
The main symptoms
If the ear is laid without pain, then this condition may be accompanied by the appearance of constant noise distorting some sounds that occur, for example, when moving objects or moving people. This stuffy ear often appears with pressure drops that can occur when swimming or flying on an airplane. In certain cases, ear congestion may be accompanied by headaches. And also ringing, coughing, dizziness, itching, nausea. If ear congestion is accompanied by pain and at least one of the above symptoms, then here we are talking about a disease or the development of a certain pathology.
Treatment
Many people probably had a feeling of stuffiness in their ears. If at the same time no painful sensations arise, then this can serve as a sign of the body reacting to pressure surges, as a result of which the hearing organs cannot have time to rebuild. Usually, nasal congestion does not require complex therapy and disappears after adaptation. But there are cases in which congestion of the ear is accompanied by aching and rather sharp pain, which in most cases indicates the onset of the inflammatory process in the affected ear. This condition can occur due to impaired air exchange, which can overstretch the eardrum. With this problem, it is better to consult a doctor to accurately determine the nature of the pathology and prescribe appropriate therapy.
High blood pressure
Nowadays, several treatment methods are used that can relieve the patient from ear congestion. So, if a feeling of stuffiness in the ear arises due to a pressure drop due to being in the elevator or flying on an airplane, this can be eliminated with chewing gum. Chewing it, saliva is liberated abundantly in a person and swallowing becomes more frequent, which helps to reduce pressure in the ears. If a person has a jump in pressure, a different method is used: breathe with your mouth, covering your nostrils with your fingers. After it is necessary to make a sharp exhale through the nose. At first, a person may experience a slight pain, which is not harmful to health, but this method will help to forget about ear pain.
After swimming
Let’s say, after swimming, the ear is blocked, it makes noise and rings. What to do? Need to remove the water from the ear. If this is not done, after a while the fluid can lead to the development of an inflammatory or infectious process. To do this, you can tilt your head with your affected ear down and slightly jump on your leg. If this method does not help, you can warm up the ear a bit by taking a heating pad and lie on it with your stuffed ear for about 15 minutes. Usually during this time, the water that causes congestion comes out of the ear, and congestion disappears. Instead of a heating pad, you can use an ordinary red brick: it is well heated, wrapped in a dense cloth so that light heat emanates from it. Brick is applied to the affected ear and wait for it to cool. Additionally, during the procedure, it is recommended to drink a diaphoretic.
Foreign body
If a foreign object enters the ear, it must be quickly removed, immediately contacting a physician. To remove a dangerous object, use special tweezers with a blunt end. It is necessary to act very carefully so that the object does not push further into the ear.
Sulfur cork
If the ear is blocked due to the appearance of sulfuric plugs, you need to eliminate it. Due to moisture or some mechanical factors, the cork can swell quickly, blocking the passage, significantly impairing hearing. It is not recommended to clean your ear yourself! Inaccurate manipulations can injure the ear canal tissue, damage the membrane or inner ear. With inept movements, you can also completely block your hearing, even further tamp the sulfur. It is better to entrust this process to an otolaryngologist who will do everything right.
Colds
With a runny nose and catarrhal diseases, the mucous membrane of the nasal passage swells, the pressure in the tympanic membrane decreases slightly, and a feeling of congestion may occur in the ears. In this case, you need to quickly cure a cold. Often, congestion of the ear appears due to a sore and sore throat.
After or in case of illness, the ear is suddenly blocked and it makes noise What to do in this case? Usually, drops, compresses, antipyretic drugs and, of course, warm drink are used for treatment. Additionally, you can rinse your nose with a special saline solution using a syringe.
Nose curvature
In this condition, the ears can periodically be blocked, therefore, for prevention, you need to perform a special set of exercises that will help eliminate excess mucus. In addition, this will help reduce pressure, which can be triggered by insufficient airflow through the nasal passage. You need to breathe through the nose, as well as slightly open mouth.
Side effect of drugs
If your ears were blocked as a result of taking certain medications, you should no longer use them, and choose other medications with your doctor. It is difficult to judge what the consequences of treatment with an inappropriate drug will be.
What to do: stuffy ears and noisy?
In case of infection, the development of inflammation and pain, it is necessary to prevent the development of harmful bacteria and microorganisms. It is not recommended to independently choose drugs for treatment, since there are many types of pathogens. For example, with bacterial otitis media, antibiotics are usually prescribed, while with fungus they can significantly aggravate the healing process. Even seemingly harmless warming of the ear can lead to the formation of purulent congestions. In some cases, drugs are used to treat ear congestion to eliminate hormonal disorders and stimulate immunity, which can also trigger the spread of pathogens in the ear.
The feeling of stuffiness is undoubtedly familiar to everyone. If it makes noise in the head and lays ears, but there is no discomfort, then treatment can be performed at home. But if this condition occurs due to a certain disease, or if congestion arose unreasonably and suddenly, it is better to consult a specialist to prevent the development of a serious disease. So, if you have a stuffy ear and make noise, what to do - you already know.