So what is a runny nose? In medicine, this condition is denoted by the beautiful word "rhinitis". The mucous membranes of the sinuses become inflamed and swollen, which causes such familiar symptoms as nasal congestion, clear or greenish discharge, itching in the nose and palate. In addition, there may be a feeling that the ear is stuffed up with a runny nose. Let's figure out together why this happens and how to recover as quickly as possible.
What should I do if my ear is blocked?
Even the most non-medical people know that the ears, throat and nose are interconnected systems. This is indicated by the slang name of a specialist dealing with this area of diseases: earthroat. Therefore, it is natural that if one of these organs becomes ill, then the infection passes along the chain to the other two. For example, otitis can often occur from a harmless runny nose. To answer the question "what to do if the ear is stuffed up with a runny nose", let's take a closer look at the structure of the auditory system.
Auditory system
Its beginningis the external auditory meatus, which passes into the auditory canal. The passage ends with the tympanic membrane, which is a thin membrane. On the other side of the eardrum is the middle ear, that is, the space that fills the air. One point is very important here: for the normal functioning of the auditory system, it is necessary that the pressure inside the middle ear and the pressure inside the auditory canal be equal to each other. Otherwise, the person begins to hear worse, suffers from tinnitus, etc. Pressure levels are balanced with the help of the Eustachian tube - it connects the human auditory cavity with the throat. Inside this pipe, air circulates freely in both directions, due to which the pressure is normalized. If the patency of the tube deteriorates (for example, it becomes clogged), then there will be a pressure drop on both sides of the eardrum.
Do you feel like your ear is stuffed up with a runny nose? The reason may be precisely in the Eustachian tube: a runny nose provokes its narrowing or even complete blockage. Hence the feeling of congestion. Therefore, in order to normalize the state of the ear system, first of all, you need to get rid of the common cold.
Get rid of congestion
So, what is the first thing to do if your ear is stuffed up with a runny nose? There are several quick fixes for the problem. First of all, buy special nasal drops at the pharmacy that cause vasoconstriction. Of course, they cannot be considered complete.medicine, because they do not cure a runny nose, but only remove its symptoms. But in order to relieve swelling from the Eustachian tube, such drops are simply necessary. In addition, their use reduces the risk of developing an inflammatory process in the ear. Another effective remedy is specialized ear drops. They are sold without a doctor's prescription and quickly relieve the feeling of congestion. If you trust folk methods, you can prepare an alcohol compress yourself. To do this, dilute alcohol with water and moisten a gauze bandage with it. Put it on the auricle so that the ear is outside. From above, cover the ears with cling film and a layer of cotton wool. The compress is done at night.
If none of these methods helped, consult an otolaryngologist (ENT) - it is quite possible that you have sinusitis.
