Ear congestion is a feeling of blockage of the external auditory canal, which often accompanies the development of ENT diseases. Pathology arises from the close relationship of the respiratory system with the auditory analyzer. If the ear is blocked with a runny nose, the cause of discomfort may lie in the blockage of the opening of the Eustachian (auditory) tube with nasal mucus or its inflammation.
The inflammatory reactions that occur in the nasopharynx may involve the middle section of the auditory system - the tympanic cavity and the Eustachian tube. Untimely destruction of the infection in the respiratory organs leads to inflammation of the mucous membranes and, as a result, the development of eustachitis and otitis media. Ear congestion occurs as a result of a decrease in atmospheric pressure inside the middle ear cavity and a decrease in its mobility.
A bit of anatomy
To find out the reasons why the ear is blocked with rhinitis, you need to understand how the auditory system works. The external section of the analyzer is represented by the auricle and a short passage that ends with a membrane. Behind the elastic membrane is the tympanic cavity, which in turn communicates with the nasal cavity through the Eustachian tube. The inner ear is made up of semicircular canals, nerves, and the cochlea.
A persistent feeling of blockage in the ear canal can lead to the development of hearing loss.
It lays down the ears only if the pressure on the elastic membrane from the ear cavity and the external auditory canal becomes unequal. If, for some reason, the mouth of the auditory tubes becomes clogged, a vacuum forms inside the middle ear. That is why the external pressure on the elastic membrane becomes too great, as a result of which it is literally pulled into the inside of the tympanic cavity.
Causes
Nasal congestion is one of the main causes of impaired drainage and ventilation function of the auditory tube. The respiratory organs are closely related to the auditory system, therefore, inflammation in the respiratory tract often leads to complications in the form of eustachitis and otitis media. Choanas (entrances to the auditory canal) open directly into the nasopharynx. If an infection develops in the nasal cavity, this inevitably leads to an increase in the secretory function of the glands that secrete nasal mucus. An excessive amount of viscous secretion in the nasopharynx clogs the mouth of the Eustachian tube, which subsequently leads to a significant decrease in pressure in the middle ear cavity.
The causes of congestion can be both physiological and pathological. If the pathology is not diagnosed in time, this will lead to the spread of infection inside the auditory analyzer. The defeat of the middle and internal parts of the auditory system is fraught with the development of not only otitis media, but also labyrinthitis.
Swelling of the mucous membranes
In most cases, ear congestion with a runny nose indicates swelling of the mucous membranes in the nasal cavity and, as a result, choanal blockage. Inflammatory reactions lead to stagnation of lymphoid fluid in soft tissues. Its accumulation entails an increase in the volume of mucous membranes and a decrease in the internal lumen in the Eustachian tube.
Bacterial inflammation in the nasopharynx is fraught with angioedema and inflammation of the middle ear. Due to the violation of the patency of the Eustachian canals in the ear, atmospheric pressure decreases. The growing vacuum in it leads to the fact that the ear membrane is literally drawn into the ear under excessive external air pressure. Stretching the membrane negatively affects its elasticity, so it becomes practically immobile.
If, due to a runny nose, the ear is blocked, it is necessary to eliminate the swelling in the nasal cavity in time, as a result of which the drainage function of the auditory tube will be restored.
Accumulation of muconasal mucus in the nasopharynx
The causes of ear popping may lie in the flow of muconasal mucus into the auditory canal. With a severe runny nose (rhinorrhea), the nasal fluid does not have time to evacuate from the nasopharynx. The viscous secretion accumulating in the nasal cavity penetrates into the choans and clogs the auditory canals. As a result, this leads to impaired ventilation of the ear cavity and the formation of a vacuum in it.
The flow of muconasal secretions into the ear cavity entails the development of otitis media. To restore the functions of the auditory analyzer, first of all, you need to cure a cold. Thanks to this, rhinitis will disappear and, accordingly, inflammation in the mucous membranes of the nose will decrease. Normalization of the secretory function of the goblet cells (mucus-producing glands) will facilitate the outflow of fluid from the Eustachian tube.
Formation of sulfur plugs
Considering the causes of ear popping, one cannot fail to mention the excessive production of sulfur in the external auditory canal. Any respiratory illness leads to a decrease in general immunity. This stimulates the production of earwax, which prevents infectious and allergic agents from entering the auditory analyzer through the external auditory canal.
Self-extracting ear plugs often leads to trauma and perforation of the eardrum.
According to practical observations, about 3 out of 10 patients get stuffy ears due to the formation of a cerumen in the ear canal. It creates an obstacle to the passage of air, so the external pressure on the eardrum drops. Its protrusion leads to a decrease in elasticity and, as a result, hearing impairment.
Therapy methods
Ear congestion from a runny nose can be easily eliminated with exercise. But before you can restore air pressure to the ear membrane, you need to eliminate the cause of the problem. To restore the functions of the ENT organs, it is recommended to do the following:
- Remove mucus from the nasal cavity. It is possible to restore the ventilation and drainage functions of the auditory tubes only by removing nasal mucus from the nasopharynx. To do this, you need to blow your nose, then rinse the nasal cavity with saline;
- Eliminate edema in the mucous membranes. If you have a runny nose and a blocked ear, you need to take care of the elimination of swelling in the inflamed tissues. For such purposes, decongestants (vasoconstrictors) and decongestants are usually used. The resumption of the patency of the Eustachian tube will help to equalize the pressure on the membrane and, accordingly, eliminate the congestion in the ears;
- Eliminate infection in the ENT organs. With the development of pathological processes in the ear cavity, it is necessary to use antibacterial or antiviral medicines. In addition, it is necessary to destroy the rhinovirus infection directly in the respiratory tract, which led to a violation of the functions of the auditory analyzer.
If, after discontinuation of decongestants, ear congestion persists, you need to see an ENT doctor. Putting on the ears without pain most often indicates that there is no infection in the middle ear. In this case, simple manipulations will help to eliminate the unpleasant symptom:
press the wings of the nose with your thumb and forefinger;- close your mouth and gently try to blow air through your nose;
- if you hear a pop, stop exercising.
press the wings of the nose with your thumb and forefinger;It is important to remember that when the nose is blocked, you cannot blow out the air with your mouth closed.
Before starting the exercise, you need to clear mucus from the nasal passages. If this is not done, while blowing out the air, mucus can penetrate into the auditory tube and provoke the development of tubo-otitis.
Drug overview
Only an otolaryngologist can prescribe adequate treatment for any ENT disease after examining the patient. If you have a blocked ear due to rhinitis, the doctor will draw up a comprehensive antiviral or antibiotic therapy, since hearing loss is only a sign indicating inflammation of the ENT organs. Typically, the following drugs are included in the treatment regimen for respiratory diseases:
| Medication type | Name of the medicine | Operating principle |
|---|---|---|
| antivirus | destroy pathogenic virions, thereby reducing inflammation in the organs of the ENT spectrum | Arbidol, Ergoferon, Remantadin |
| antimicrobial (antibiotics) | eliminate bacterial inflammation in the airways and auditory analyzer | Augmentin, Amoxicillin, Ceftriaxone |
| solutions for rinsing the nose | cleanses the nasal mucosa and Eustachian canals from mucus, which prevents air from entering the middle ear | Miramistin, Physiomer, Aqua Maris |
| decongestants | reduce swelling in the nasopharynx, thereby normalizing air circulation in the auditory tube | "Rinonorm", "Nazol", "Dlyanos" |
| ear drops | accelerate the regression of inflammation in the external ear canal and membrane | Dexon, Otinum, Otipax |
Ear drops are used only for inflammation of the membrane and tissues in the external auditory canal.
Ear drops are used only for inflammation of the membrane and tissues in the external auditory canal.If the ear is blocked on only one side, most likely, the cause of the symptom lies in the blockage of the choans by nasal mucus. To accelerate the outflow of nasal secretions from the respiratory tract, you can use mucolytics ("Rinofluimucil", "Lazolvan"). They will help reduce the viscosity of mucus and speed up the process of its evacuation from the nasopharynx.
Conclusion
In the event that you have a stuffy nose and ears, you need to find out the cause of the symptom. Most often it lies in the blockage of the opening of the Eustachian tube with nasal secretion, which prevents air from entering the auditory analyzer. With an infectious (septic) lesion of the respiratory tract, it is possible that edema occurs in the mucous membranes, not only in the nasal cavity, but also in the ear cavity.
To eliminate the unpleasant manifestations of the disease, it is necessary to destroy the infection in the organs of the ENT spectrum. For this, drugs are used either antiviral or antimicrobial action. Decongestants, ear drops and solutions for sanitizing the nasal cavity are used as symptomatic drugs that help eliminate congestion.
