Rhinitis is quite common among children and adults. During it, be sure to clean the nose. Sometimes blowing your nose is accompanied by unpleasant sensations - people's ears are blocked. There may even be severe pain. For what reason does this happen, what can it indicate and how is ear congestion treated? You will receive answers to these questions from our material.
Reasons
There are several common reasons for stuffy ears when blowing your nose.
- Chronic diseases of the nasopharynx.
- Blowing your nose too hard or incorrectly. It is necessary not to clean both nostrils at once, but to pinch them one by one.
- Rejection of the use of vasoconstrictor drugs, which contribute to the painless removal of mucus from the nasal passages.
- Introduction of liquid from the irrigation solution or nasal secretion into the auditory tract.
Below is a more detailed analysissome causes of nasal congestion when blowing your nose.
Anatomical reasons
Puffing up the ears when blowing your nose is 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. Blowing your nose creates pressure on the Eustachian tube. The main purpose of this part of the body is the connection of the middle ear with the nasopharynx. Therefore, if you overexert yourself blowing your nose, you may get stuffy in your ear.
Another reason is the entry of mucus into the Eustachian tube, which leads to inflammation and swelling of the middle ear. The result of these metamorphoses is not only the congestion of the organ, but also the appearance of pain. To avoid undesirable consequences, you need to properly blow your nose, that is, alternately pinch your nostrils.
Diseases
When you blow your nose, your ears are blocked 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, ear congestion occurs.
- Rhinitis contributes to the filling of the sinuses with mucus, which clogs the course of the middle ear. Air circulation is obstructed.
- Due to frequent illnesses, human immunity is destroyed. At the same time, an excessive amount of sulfur is produced in the body, which leads to the formation of traffic jams. Due to blowing the nose, the substance is even more compacted, and there is a feelingear congestion.
- Otitis caused by viral infections is also accompanied by this unpleasant phenomenon. They are caused by bacteria that enter the ear canal when you blow your nose. It is important to diagnose the disease 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 in the ears, but also by pain in the temples, the affected part of the face and the ear area.
Sinusitis
If during or after blowing your nose your ear is stuffed up and your head is spinning, this may indicate such a serious illness as sinusitis. In this case, unpleasant sensations are observed both during the pathological process and after recovery. They may be accompanied by high fever and difficulty breathing. This is often due to the spread of bacteria to the Eustachian tube.
What to do?
Imagine the situation: you have a stuffy ear when you blow your nose. What to do in this case? There are several ways to get rid of discomfort:
- Apply a warm object to the nose area. A linen napkin or diaper is ideal, but they need to be preheated. You can use a boiled egg or heated s alt in a bag.
- Apply an alcohol compress to the area near the blocked ear. This method can only be used after consulting a specialist.
- Yawn while opening your mouth wide, or swallowsaliva. This will help normalize the pressure.
- You can put your hand on the auricle, wait a bit and sharply remove your hand.
- Pinch your nose with your fingers and inhale deeply. You need to take 5-7 breaths, however, if you hear a “pop”, you can stop earlier. The procedure will help get rid of tinnitus.
- Blow into a cocktail straw or inflate some balloons to restore your hearing.
- Use the ear drops prescribed by your doctor. Do not self-medicate.
- Tilt your head sideways for 5 minutes.
All of these recommendations can be used if your ear is blocked after blowing your nose. What to do if none of the above methods helped you get rid of ear congestion? You need to see a doctor. The same should be done if pain occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe 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 similar phenomena in the future.
Medicated treatment
Only a specialist can prescribe the correct treatment of the auditory canals, having previously determined why the ears are blocked when blowing your 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 an anti-inflammatory effect (asas a rule, these are Otinum, Otipax and Otirelax ear drops).
Antibiotics (Amoxicillin or Clarithromycin) should be taken during a relapse. The doctor may prescribe procedures to clean the ears from wax plugs and purulent discharge.
Earache during a runny nose
There are several unpleasant phenomena that occur when you blow your nose: stuffy ears or pain. They may indicate that bacteria got into the Eustachian tube along with the mucus from the nose, resulting in inflammation. If measures are not taken in time, otitis media may begin, which leads to various complications. If you experience pain in the ears, you must definitely consult a specialist, namely, an otolaryngologist.
Fighting ear pain
Above, we looked at what can be done if the ears are blocked when blowing your nose. In the case of the appearance of pain, it is necessary to simultaneously treat the ears and deal with a runny nose. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics or topical medications, such as drops, for you. Warming up may be required in some cases.
The situation is more complicated with damage to the eardrum. To preserve the ability to hear, you will have to resort to surgical intervention, namely, tympanoplasty. In some cases, the eardrum heals on its own, but this process should be supervised by a physician.
Stuffy ears and runny nose
Since ear pain and congestion often occur with a runny nose, these ailments are treated comprehensively. For this, vasoconstrictor or vasodilator drugs are used. Medicines belonging to the first group are used to combat the common cold, and to the second - to reduce swelling of the nasal mucosa. Remember: only a specialist can prescribe drugs, since it is he who will give you an accurate diagnosis. Self-medication can lead to adverse effects.
Precautions
Treatment of ear congestion takes more than one day, so precautions must be taken during this period. Firstly, in order to avoid water penetration during bathing, it is necessary to insert cotton swabs soaked in sunflower oil into the ears. Secondly, you should wear a hat to protect your organs from hypothermia, as cold can aggravate the course of the disease.
