Tinnitus is a disease familiar to many. And it is especially unpleasant when something squelches in the ear. The reason may be that water has entered the organ of hearing. But it can also be a symptom of an illness. It is not always possible to independently determine the cause of extraneous sounds. It is better to immediately contact the ENT for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
It happens that a symptom can go away without medical intervention. Or it may happen that squelching sounds in the ear are a signal of the development of the disease. Without proper treatment, this symptom can turn into an inflammatory process. It is possible that this foreign body or sulfur clogged the ear canal. In any case, only the ENT decides what the treatment will be, but only after establishing a reliable diagnosis.
Formation of sulfur plug
When gurgling sounds appear in the organ of hearing, this does not always mean that water has entered and does not come out of the ear. Most often, there are completely different reasons. Let's take a look at them.
For example, sulfur plugs often occur. It's because of herextraneous sounds appear. It is possible that there will even be a feeling that something is squelching in the ear. Hearing loss is also possible. There may be discomfort similar to ear canal congestion. By itself, the sulfur plug does not pose a great danger. The bad thing is that it can prevent the removal of water from the ear, which could get into the organ of hearing while swimming. Cork can also create a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria.
The beginning of the inflammatory process
It may be accompanied by a sensation of water in the ear. But over time, pain appears. The temperature rises. Some of the major organ diseases are:
- otitis (here, this is internal inflammation of the ear);
- eustachitis (this is an inflammatory process of the auditory tube and tympanic cavity);
- otomycosis (when the ear canal is damaged due to mold or yeast).
In these diseases, the sensation of fluid in the ear is due to the accumulation of pus behind the eardrum. It irritates the receptors and auditory bones, respectively, a sound appears, it squishes in the ear as if water has entered the ear canal. The inflammatory process is the most dangerous cause of the appearance of extraneous sounds. Accompanied by inflammation and other symptoms:
- The body temperature rises. And you can knock it down only after the treatment of the ear canal begins. The temperature stays high, above 38 degrees.
- There is a feeling of discomfort in the auricle, pain, which may beboth with pressure on the ear, and constant.
- Headache and dizziness.
- Hearing loss, stuffiness feeling. The reason is the presence of pus and loss of elasticity of the eardrum.
- When the disease is neglected, discharge from the auricle appears. It could just be fluid, as well as pus.
Presence of water in the auricle
Why is it squelching in my ear? The reason for this is the presence of water in the auricle. She can get in any way. When swimming (on the sea, in the river, in the pool). Children may simply play with water and it may accidentally get into their ears. Trouble often happens when washing the head, ears. If there are no pathologies, then the water can flow out on its own, without medical intervention. Although, the structure of the ear canal is individual for everyone. When there are strong curves or other structural features, water can easily flow further (from the outer ear to the middle ear). Here, the ENT should deal with the removal of water.
Other reasons
There are several other reasons that provoke a sensation as if something is squelching in the ear.
- Hearing loss. Congenital or acquired. The sensation of water in the ear is due to a malfunction of the hearing organs.
- Acoustic nerve damage due to illness or injury.
- Heart disease. It happens that there is a feeling of water in the ears simply by increasing the pressure.
- A foreign object got into the ear canal. It may even be that a fly just crawled into the sink untila man was taking an evening walk.
- Sometimes this is a signal that a tumor is developing in the body.
- Ear injury. As funny as it sounds, cotton buds are a common cause of this injury.
If you experience any discomfort in the ear area, you should definitely contact an otolaryngologist. After identifying the cause, treatment will be prescribed. If it turns out that the problem is much more serious, then the ENT will send the patient for examination to specialists of a narrower profile.
Even a child understands when there is a feeling that something is squelching in the ear. Treatment must be prescribed by a doctor. Unfortunately, there are adults who try to solve the problem on their own. At home, it is impossible to correctly determine the cause, and even more so to choose the right treatment. For example, even with inflammatory processes in the ear, completely different drops are prescribed.
Drug treatment of otitis media
Treatment is prescribed depending on the stage of the disease and where the inflammation is localized - the outer, middle or inner ear. If there is purulent discharge from the auricle, then the treatment will take place under the strict supervision of a doctor. Perhaps inpatient treatment will be prescribed. Medicines for otitis media:
- Antibiotics to destroy microbes that provoked the inflammatory process. They are prescribed when the disease is neglected. Or when it is revealed that microbes are the cause of inflammation (Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Ciprofloxacin, Cefolexin).
- Ear drops. They are useful if the disease was detected in time. Or when the patient is on the mend. Drops can be alcohol-containing, containing antibiotics. The choice is simply huge. Therefore, it is the ENT that prescribes drops and dosage. Drops containing NSAIDs - "Otipaks", "Otinum"; containing glucocorticoids - "Anauran", "Polydex"; containing an antibiotic - "Normax", "Otofa".
- If the causative agent is a fungus, then antifungal drugs ("Candibiotic") will be prescribed.
- Drugs that help strengthen the immune system. They fit well with almost any treatment (Immunorix, Licopid, Polyoxidonium).
- Antihistamines. They help reduce swelling, speed up recovery ("Suprastin", "Claritin", "Zirtek").
From the listed preparations it is clear that without a doctor it is simply impossible to figure it out. Moreover, the wrong treatment will only aggravate the picture and may lead to hearing loss.
Get rid of sulfur plug
If there is a suspicion that the cause of gurgling in the ear is a sulfur plug, then cotton buds will help to remove it. The method of therapy should be prescribed only by a doctor, for example:
- If the cork is small and rather soft, then you can remove it with the help of drops. The dosage and duration of therapy will depend on the size of the plug. The most important rule is that after instilling drops into the ear, it will be necessary to plug the ear canal with a cotton swab, but so that it does not absorb the medicine. Lie down on your side (if the rightear, lie on the left side and vice versa). After 15 minutes, open the ear canal and let the sulfur plug come out along with the drops. After that, it is desirable to rinse the auricle with boiled water. The temperature should be 38 degrees. If the temperature is lower, then you can earn ear inflammation.
- When the cork is already old, large, dry, the procedure will take place in two stages. To remove the cork, drops of hydrogen peroxide will be instilled into the auricle. The steps above are repeated. After the peroxide has been eliminated from the ear, the second stage begins. The ear is washed with saline or furacilin solution.
- The most common way is washing with water. You can, of course, carry out this procedure at home, with the help of a pear. But it is better if the ENT does it. To do this, they have a special syringe (without a needle, which is what unknowing people are afraid of). It is the doctor who can calculate the required pressure, and after the procedure, the cork will be determined completely or only part of it.
Water hit
When there is fluid in the ear, treatment is most often done on its own. If the water is in the right ear, then you need to tilt your head to the right side and jump on your right foot until the liquid flows out on its own. In this case, it is imperative to have a fulcrum, for example, to stick to the table with your hand. Otherwise, you may fall and be injured.
You can make a cotton tube (turunda), moisten it with oil and insert it into the ear. Cotton wool will absorb liquid, and oil will help not damage the skin of the ear canal. This methoduseful for removing moisture from the ears of young children. So that the child does not act up, you can feed him at this time. Swallowing food promotes the movement of water, so the cotton absorbs into the cotton faster.
The easiest way is to lie on your back and slowly, just slowly, turn your head in the direction in which the water has entered and does not come out. The liquid will then flow out naturally.
If water gets in and your ear hurts, what should I do? Boric alcohol helps a lot. It is necessary to drip a few drops into the diseased organ of hearing. It will disinfect the auricle well (this is useful, especially if the water was dirty). The alcohol itself evaporates well.
Preventive measures
It is better to prevent liquid from getting into the ears when taking water procedures. For swimming use rubber caps. When going to the bath, you can plug your ears with a cotton swab. If the child does not like caps and does not allow cotton wool to be inserted, then you can lubricate the ear passage with a fat cream. It will prevent water ingress. Since the oil film will repel liquid. The water itself, getting into the ear canal, does not pose any danger. But if the weather is cool outside, then it will cause inflammation. This is where the treatment needs to start. It is necessary to immediately tell the doctor what caused the ear inflammation.
Non-dangerous reasons
There are other causes that cause gurgling in the ears, which do not carry any danger.
- When there is a sharp contraction of the muscles in the ear canal: sneezing, a sharp cry. At this time, the bones rubeach other, and the organs of hearing perceive it as squelching.
- Contraction of the laryngeal muscles and the auditory tube. This occurs when swallowing.
Conclusion
But whatever the nature of the appearance of third-party sounds in the ears, gurgling, noise, crackling. It is always best to consult an otolaryngologist. Do not be afraid of doctors. Such a seemingly harmless symptom can turn into a serious illness that may require serious treatment. And it's good if everything goes without consequences. Moreover, unnatural sounds interfere with a normal lifestyle, interfere with a good sleep, communication, do not allow you to fully delve into work, and so on. It is better to start treatment right away than to correct mistakes later.
