Every person at least once in his life had such a symptom as ear congestion. Often this condition is not an alarming symptom, as it arises from natural factors. But sometimes it indicates problems with the organ. If you often lay your ears, what should I do? We will consider the causes and treatment in the article.
What causes congestion?
Ears are organs with a complex structure. They are responsible for the perception of sound and the balance of the body. The organ includes the outer, middle and inner ear. The Eustachian tubes serve as the connection between the middle ear and the pharynx.
Why often pawn ears? Link it:
- With changes in atmospheric pressure. Appears at high altitude or depth, when traveling at high speed or when using an elevator.
- Sulfur plugs. They are formed during the active production of earwax, which closes the ear canal. Plugs are not hazardous to he alth and are easily removed in a few minutes by rinsing.
- Water in the ear. Liquid not removed in a timely mannerleads to ear congestion. The problem is eliminated with an ear stick and a few actions aimed at moving water into the nasopharynx.
- Transferred otitis media. The disease often causes adhesions on the eardrum, which can only be detected by a qualified specialist.
- Sensoneural hearing loss. This concept means a weakening of the auditory function, which appears when the auditory nerve is damaged from a lack of blood supply. This disorder is observed in people with cerebral ischemia, arterial hypertension, head injuries.
Other reasons
This is also related:
- With eustachitis. The auditory tube becomes inflamed with colds, polyps, deviated septum.
- Allergic rhinitis. There is swelling of the nasal mucosa, which leads to stuffy ears. Allergy occurs upon contact with an allergen - plant pollen, dust mites, as well as with the frequent use of vasoconstrictors - Naphthyzinum, Nazivina, Nazol. The reason may be in allergenic foods - citrus fruits, eggs, cocoa, honey, fish.
- Vegetovascular dystonia. Appears from pressure drops. Often observed in pregnant women and adolescents with hormonal changes and low hemoglobin.
- Narrowing or curvature of the ear canal. This may be an anatomical feature.
If you often stuff your ears, the reasons may be in rare ailments - sinusitis, acoustic neuroma. It is possible to identify these diseases only in a medical institution, therefore, whenSeek medical attention if this symptom occurs.
Why does this happen often?
If you often stuff your ears, then you need to see a doctor. This symptom may indicate a serious illness. It will not work to independently identify why the ear is often blocked. And self-medication can lead to negative consequences.
If you often stuff your ears, it is often associated with overwork. This symptom also appears with hypertension, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or separation of a blood clot. You should listen to your body. Often lays the ear from stress, an unbalanced diet, intoxication of the body, overheating in the sun, stuffiness.
Types of congestion
Often stuffs up ears in the morning with untreated colds of the nasopharynx, when mucus accumulates on the back of the throat during sleep. It then enters the auditory tubes, blocking the passage of air.
Ears are often blocked due to a sharp drop in blood or atmospheric pressure. But the reason may be in bilateral otitis media. Often the disease appears in children under 3 years old.
Often lays the right ear in pregnant women. This symptom disappears after childbirth. A feeling of congestion appears when a foreign object penetrates the ear canal. This is associated with the ingress of an insect. Often stuffy left ear or right ear from cerumen or leftover water after bathing. Both organs are affected when flying in an airplane or a normal ride in an elevator or subway. Often stuffy in earincreased intracranial pressure.
Symptoms
If you often stuff your ears and ring in your ears, but there is no pain, you need to evaluate the quality of compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. With its insufficient level, various negative states appear.
Muffling of the sounds of the environment, distortion of the perception of one's voice testifies to ear congestion. Decreased hearing acuity is accompanied by dizziness, the occurrence of noise in the head. These symptoms should not be ignored, you should visit a doctor. Depending on the type of problem, you may need to contact more than one specialist.
Who should I contact?
Ear congestion and headaches are considered common. It does not appear by chance. Therefore, it is necessary to find out and eliminate the cause, and only a doctor can do this.
These symptoms appear in the elderly, especially after physical exertion and emotional stress. This also appears in hypertensive patients - with increased pressure. Children and adolescents face this phenomenon in obesity. Often, symptoms occur with smoking, alcoholism, eating fatty foods. An ailment develops from stress and disruption of sleep and rest.
Vegetovascular dystonia during an exacerbation can lead to these symptoms, especially with inflammation of the cervical vertebrae. If headaches, dizziness, nausea, darkening of the eyes and congestion in the ears constantly occur, then a visit to a therapist is required.
If headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath appear,heart pain and stuffy ears, then you need to go to the cardiologist. A runny nose can lead to these symptoms. The nose is stuffy, and the lungs and brain don't get enough oxygen, leading to headaches and stuffy ears. In this case, they turn to an otolaryngologist (ENT).
When to apply?
If your ears are constantly blocked, you need to analyze when a problem occurs. You also need to find out what other symptoms appear. Need to see a doctor:
- when congested for a long time;
- tinnitus;
- pain;
- dizziness and nausea.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease by a specialist is performed in several stages. The first examination of the ENT is performed with special tools. This stage helps to determine the condition of the external part of the hearing aid, as well as to determine the presence of foreign objects or pathological changes.
If necessary, audiometry or magnetic resonance imaging is performed. The first involves testing hearing for acuity and other indicators that affect the auditory analyzer. The second allows you to see the tumor on the auditory nerve.
Often during the diagnosis, a biopsy is performed - a specialist takes samples of cartilage tissue. To exclude other ailments, the doctor sends the patient for examination to other specialists.
These methods allow you to determine the lesion, as well as to establish which part of the organ affects congestion. Through a comprehensive surveyit will be possible to successfully cure the disease and prevent negative consequences. Qualified assistance will quickly improve a person's condition.
Medicines
What to do if you often stuff your ears? Doctors often prescribe medications. Since the causes of congestion are different, the prescribed medications also differ:
- Vasoconstrictive drops that temporarily eliminate swelling of the nasal mucosa during a runny nose. These are Tizin, Nazol, Naphthyzin.
- Ear drops with anti-inflammatory effect in otitis - "Otipax", "Otinum". If the case is severe, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics - Sufradex, Dexon.
- Antiviral drugs - "Rimantadine", "Kagocel". They speed up recovery from colds, eliminate swelling, stuffy ears.
- Antibiotics if acute otitis media, inflammation of the facial nerve and other serious ailments are detected.
Other remedies
- Drugs for lowering blood pressure - Dibazol, Papaverine, Captopril, Losartan, Felodipine.
- Means for normalizing pressure and restoring vascular tone in VVD and Meniere's syndrome, for example, "Tonginal".
- Medications to increase blood pressure - Askofen, Ketorol, Ibuprofen.
- Antihistamines - "Citrine", "Diazolin", "Suprastin", "Vibrosol". They are prescribed for allergies that lead to swelling and congestion.
- Drops on alcohol ("Auridexan") and alcohol compresses.
All of these drugs canappoint only a doctor. You need to take medications under his supervision. It is necessary to pay attention to all changes in the body in order to provide timely assistance. It is important to take your he alth seriously. If you regularly stuff your ears, you need to see a specialist, but do not self-medicate.
What to do at home?
In this case, you also need to know the cause of congestion. Only then can the symptom be eliminated. If there is a piercing pain, and the temperature is very high, then you need to call an ambulance. If there is discomfort, if it is not possible to visit an otolaryngologist, you can use the following tips:
- The sulfur plug is easy to remove. To do this, a couple of drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide are instilled into the ear, and after a few minutes the ear is washed with warm water. If the cork is not removed, it is softened by instillation of a few drops of warm oil. Suitable olive, almond, sunflower. After a few minutes, the ear is washed with warm water using a syringe or a large syringe without a needle. You can go to the sauna, take a bath or shower, as the steam softens the plugs. With the help of a special diet, it will be possible to reduce the excretion of sulfur. Do not eat spicy, s alty, smoked foods. But vegetables are great. With active chewing of fresh carrots, radishes, apples, sulfur plugs are destroyed. You should not wash your ear with boric alcohol, which is aggressive and can increase inflammation. Do not pick out the wax plug with a sharp object, this can lead to injury to the eardrum.
- Inflammation and swelling of the mucosa, which usually occurs with colds and otitis, is reduced with the help of herbal decoctions. Chamomile, sage, calendula are used for rinses and compresses. It will take 2 tbsp. l. dried herbs, which are brewed in boiling water (0.5 liters). Infusion is performed for 2 hours.
- When congestion appears from a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure, then this is not a he alth problem. This is eliminated with the help of several effective methods: you should yawn deeply, open and close your mouth wide several times. You can suck on candy or chew gum. Also, the nose is pinched with fingers and air is blown with a cotton sensation, and then swallowed several times.
- After swimming, water often enters the ear, leading to congestion. You should tilt your head to the side and pull the ear. If this does not help, you need to pinch your nose with your fingers and blow the water out of the ear canal.
The indicated assistance measures are effective. It is important to listen carefully to your body. After all, if something is not in order, he immediately manifests it in the form of painful symptoms. In this case, it remains only to take timely measures to improve well-being.
Complications
Due to improper treatment or its complete absence, serious consequences can appear. Complications include:
- Otitis. There is an ailment with colds and flu. Symptoms include inflammation and swelling of the tissues of the middle ear, fever, and pain. Sometimes purulent masses are released from the ear canal. Usually the disease is observed in young children due to the structural features of the hearing aid.
- Neuritis of the facial nerve. Appears from the spread of inflammation. Treatment is usually long, the symptoms are pronounced. It will be possible to establish the presence of pathology by the lack of muscle sensitivity and facial asymmetry.
- Sinusitis. It comes from coryza, when the inflammation passes into the nose. There is swelling of the tissues of the nose, cheeks, forehead. Pus comes out of the nose.
- Reduced hearing quality. Sometimes this process is considered irreversible.
- Eardrum perforation. The complication appears from inflammation or inaccurate cleaning of the ears. There is pain, hearing loss. The danger is an increased risk of infection in the ear canal. With deep trauma, inflammation of the meninges appears.
Conclusion
To prevent complications, you do not need to treat the disease yourself. Contacting a specialist will quickly get rid of an unpleasant symptom. It will also help prevent many negative consequences.
