Causes of ear congestion
The feeling of congestion in the ears is a rather uncomfortable phenomenon, often found in medical practice. This phenomenon is expressed in the altered sound of one’s own voice, the muffled sounds of the environment and the feeling that the head is heavy. Ear congestion may be accompanied by noise and sound effects in the ears. A healthy body should not give such reactions. The role of equalizer of atmospheric pressure in the middle ear is performed by the auditory tube. At the moment of a strong pressure surge, the pipe closes and there is a feeling of stuffiness in the ears.
Ear congestion caused by slight changes in atmospheric pressure should alert the person, as this may be due to some reasons that require medical attention. For example, complications after otitis media, when adhesions or scars remain in the tympanic membrane, which reduce its mobility, and pressure equalization in the middle ear is difficult. Continuous congestion occurs when a foreign body enters the ear cavity and when sulfur plugs form.
Any diseases associated with inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx and their consequences may affect the normal functioning of the auditory tube. Inflammation in the middle ear or a common runny nose can cause the mouths of the auditory tube to close, and the ear will be blocked. The same process develops with a deviated nasal septum, sinusitis, the presence of adenoids and polyps in children. Impaired hearing with a damaged auditory nerve also gives ear congestion. In this case, the cause may come from diseases such as hypertension, ischemia of the brain of the head, or from a head injury.
The appearance of tinnitus and congestion is a disease that can cover one or two ears.
This disease is called Meniere’s syndrome and began to be fixed more than two hundred years ago. However, to date, it has not been fully explored. The disease appears with existing failures in the body: allergies, pressure above or below normal, disturbed hormonal balance due to menopause, poisoning, vascular dystonia. What is the development of Meniere’s syndrome is unknown, but it is assumed that the impetus is an altered metabolism that has occurred in the tissue of the inner ear.
Modern research indicates that half of people with complaints of stuffy ears have impaired functionality and mobility of the temporomandibular joint. In this case, you can not do without an osteopath. In any of the above cases, the correct decision and safe action is to consult a doctor who is competent in diagnosing and prescribing treatment, and not self-medication, which aggravates the disease.
Diagnostics
Proper diagnosis is the key to successful treatment. Therefore, if you begin to feel symptoms such as noise and stuffiness in the ears, you should analyze the environment in which they appear, remember how long ago they appeared and whether there are other symptoms. The presence of noise and congestion in the ears for a long time, as well as the presence of dizziness, pain, nausea, indicates the need to contact an ENT doctor. As a rule, the diagnosis has several stages.
The doctor conducts the initial examination using special instruments. This stage will give an idea of the condition of the external part of the auditory canals and will immediately reveal the presence of foreign bodies, plugs, otitis externa. If necessary, audiometry is performed – diagnostics of hearing acuity and other indicators that affect the auditory analyzer, which will show the presence of hearing loss. Carrying out computed and magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to see such volumetric formations as a tumor on the brain and auditory nerve.
In case of hearing impairment and the presence of other symptoms characteristic of multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and other formations, a consultation with a neurologist is prescribed. The above diagnostic methods will help in determining the lesion, will enable the doctor to understand which part of the ear affects the noise and congestion in it. A comprehensive examination allows you to identify a serious disease at an early stage. Therefore, your personal conviction in the presence of earwax should not force you to self-medicate.
Treatment
Treatment of tinnitus and congestion is prescribed by a specialist based on the results of the diagnosis and identifying the cause of its occurrence.
Otitis (external, medium), depending on the degree of inflammation, requires the use of ear drops, possibly taking antibiotics, painkillers and nasal drops to narrow blood vessels. With the received barotrauma, treatment in the form of antibiotics and other drugs is prescribed only in case of a large rupture of the eardrum. In the absence of ruptures or their insignificance, special treatment is not necessary.
Treatment of Meniere’s syndrome has several directions. First of all, a diet aimed at reducing salt intake is prescribed, which helps to increase the time between attacks and reduce their frequency. Then drugs are selected that eliminate the occurrence of nausea, vomiting and irritability. Surgery is recommended for recurring dizziness that is not relieved by medication.
A neuroma formed on the auditory nerve is treated based on the size and progress of its growth. With a small size, waiting tactics are acceptable (treatment is not carried out, the patient is regularly observed by a doctor, examined). Tumor growth requires radiation therapy or surgery. Otosclerosis is also treated depending on the stage of the disease. Either a hearing aid or an operation to replace the auditory ossicles with a prosthesis is recommended to allow hearing to recover. There are a lot of treatment methods, the main thing is not to miss the time.