Clogged ear after a cold (what to do)

Causes of ear congestion with a runny nose

A feeling of congestion in the ears appears if the eardrum loses its ability to oscillate normally. This is an elastic piece of connective tissue that is stretched in the anatomical region between the outer and middle ear. The latter is inside the bone. To balance the pressure on the eardrum from the outside and inside, there is a small channel – the Eustachian tube. It connects the middle ear cavity with the nasopharynx.

With a cold, the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed and swells, and a lot of interstitial fluid accumulates in it. Swelling can spread to the opening of the Eustachian tube, so it will narrow and not be able to let air through. Because of this, the pressure inside the ear will not be able to withstand atmospheric pressure, the eardrum will stretch and fluctuate worse. A person at this moment feels that the ear is stuffed up with a runny nose.

But the unpleasant symptom may have other reasons:

• allergic rhinitis – more often appears in the spring and summer, when plants bloom;
• otitis media – the result of poor treatment of rhinitis, when a bacterial infection penetrates from the nasal cavity into the middle ear;
• infection of the external auditory canal – develops when water with microbes from open water enters, as well as after scratches due to improper cleaning of the ears;
• sulfur plugs – a large accumulation of the secretion of the ear glands, which blocked the passage;
• foreign body – often small children put small parts or beads inside;
• water ingress – after bathing or swimming, there is a feeling of congestion for a while, which usually goes away on its own.

What to do?

There is no need to believe the myth that without treatment, a cold goes away in 7 days, and with treatment – in a day. With a runny nose, like other infectious diseases, microbes can spread to neighboring organs and cause complications. In the case of the ears and nose, this is sinusitis or otitis media, which can cause hearing loss.

If congestion appeared for the first time and lasts less than 3 days, you can try to cope on your own. To do this, it is enough to cure a cold. But if discomfort persists, an increase in body temperature, pain inside the ear, or the appearance of purulent discharge, you need to contact an otorhinolaryngologist, or an ENT doctor.

These symptoms are an indicator of the spread of the infection. Therefore, a special inspection is required. And if hearing loss is suspected, tympanometry, or acoustic impedancemetry, is done.

Ear congestion is treated at home, you do not need to go to the hospital. But any methods must be used with caution so as not to harm even more. For example, there is a recommendation to pinch your nose with your fingers, puff out your cheeks and with your mouth closed try to compress the air. This method helps to get rid of congestion only if it arose due to a pressure drop. This usually happens when flying, when the plane is gaining altitude. If you try to blow your ears with rhinitis, you can accelerate the development of otitis media. Therefore, it is better to start at home with simple, but recommended by doctors, methods.

Vasoconstrictor drops from ear congestion

To get rid of congestion in the ears, you need to cure a runny nose. In the first three days, the nose swells, a clear liquid may ooze from it. This process occurs due to an increase in vascular permeability. Moreover, the swelling extends to the nasal concha, reaches the opening of the Eustachian tube.

Why, if you try to blow your nose at this time, nothing happens: there is no mucus in the nasal cavity yet. Therefore, at an early stage, stuffy ears can be treated with vasoconstrictor drugs. These are nasal drops that cause capillary spasm and reduce their permeability. This removes the swelling of the mucous membrane and at the same time restores hearing.

But when using vasoconstrictor drops, care must be taken:

• instill nose after 12 hours, or no more than 2 times a day;
• do not use for longer than 3-5 days;
• do not use drops if there are severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

If you treat a runny nose with vasoconstrictor drugs for more than the recommended period, the risk of addiction increases. In this case, the vessels will lose their sensitivity to the drug and, in response to the drops, will expand even more, increasing the swelling of the mucous membrane.

But for those who suffer from stuffy ear and rhinitis and cannot do without drops, you can replace them with saline nasal rinses . They help reduce swelling and improve breathing.

Anti-inflammatory drops for ear congestion

If the doctor examined the ears and found signs of inflammation, or otitis, he will prescribe anti-inflammatory drops . Usually these are complex preparations, which include the following components:

• antibiotic;
• antiseptic;
• local anesthetic.

Therefore, when using drops, you can get rid of pain and congestion in the ears, cure otitis media.

Some drops have an oil base. Such drugs are prescribed for those who, in addition to inflammation, have sulfur plugs. The oil will moisturize them and help to bring them out painlessly.

Sometimes, with severe inflammation of the eardrum, the doctor may recommend drops with glucocorticoid hormones. They are used for a short time in order to remove the swelling as quickly as possible and not provoke the development of side effects.

As an additional remedy, ENT doctors prescribe herbal drops. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect, but they are milder and less likely to give side reactions.

Compresses for ear congestion

After consulting a doctor, if there are no signs of damage to the eardrum, various compresses can be done. They can be dry or wet. For a dry compress, a cotton swab is used, which covers the entrance to the auricle. In some cases, a bandage is made from several layers of cotton wool and gauze, which is fixed on the blocked ear for several hours.

Wet compresses can be cold or warm. The former are used less frequently. For a warming compress, warm water is prepared, into which a small towel or cloth is dipped. It is applied to the ear for several minutes. You can do this procedure once or twice a day.

A person who often suffers from ear canal congestion can prepare a special infusion in advance. To do this, take 30 g of propolis and 1/3 cup of alcohol. Some folk healers suggest replacing it with vodka. The ingredients are mixed in a glass bottle and left in a dark place for a week. After that, before use, the tincture is shaken, cotton swabs are moistened in it and laid in the external auditory canal for several hours. To enhance the warming effect, you can tie a scarf on your head. But to relieve congestion in this way for a long time, so it is better to resort to the technique in cases where medical care is not available.

Warming up from ear congestion

Drug treatment of the common cold is often combined with various warm-ups. At home, you can do simple inhalations: heat 1 liter of water in a wide saucepan, add a tablespoon of salt and a little less soda to it. Evaporation will produce alkaline steam, which warms the nasal passages and relieves swelling. This method can be used at an early stage of rhinitis, when breathing is difficult, and there is no discharge from the nose.

But before you remove congestion by heating the area of ​​​​the auricle, you need to consult a doctor. If otitis media has arisen, it cannot be heated at an early stage. This will create favorable conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. Therefore, a lot of pus will appear, and the eardrum may collapse.

In some cases, ENT doctors prescribe warming up the nose. To do this, you can use special salt heaters, use warm bags with sea sand. Sometimes the procedure is carried out using boiled potatoes in their skins. Usually 2-3 procedures relieve nasal and ear congestion.

In some clinics for the treatment of colds, they offer a visit to the physiotherapy room. There, in the direction of a doctor, you can warm up the ear by quartz treatment.

Ear congestion prevention

In order not to know about such a problem as stuffy ears, you need to carry out timely prevention of a cold or start treating it as early as possible.

In the autumn-winter period, when the central heating is turned on and the air in the apartment is too dry, you can turn on the humidifier . It will relieve dryness in the nose and help not get sick with a cold. It is also effective to do daily wet cleaning.

Well removes a runny nose and prevents stuffy ears massage the wings of the nose. With your fingertips, you need to make circular movements that will increase blood flow and help you quickly get rid of the first signs of rhinitis.

If you often have to be treated by an ENT doctor, especially in childhood, adenoids may increase due to colds. This will lead to a decrease in local immunity, blockage of the airways, and permanent nasal congestion. To avoid such complications, the doctor will suggest removing the adenoids. 

Getting rid of congestion in the ears is not difficult and you can do it yourself, you just need to cure a runny nose. But in difficult or incomprehensible situations, it is better to entrust your health to an experienced doctor.