Each person more than once experienced an unpleasant sensation of stuffiness in the ear. The cause of this phenomenon can be both pressure drops and a serious illness. What to do if your ear is blocked? When should I see a doctor immediately?
Most people have an ear in their ears when moving quickly from top to bottom - for example, in a fast elevator, on an attraction, while traveling on a mountain road or in an airplane. If the ear is blocked after a sharp descent, just try to swallow a few times or yawn deeply. Sometimes an unpleasant sensation appears after swimming in the pool or any body of water. In this case, it is necessary to wait until the water itself flows out of the ear, or to clean the ears with cotton buds. The above reasons for congestion should not cause you concern. They leave no consequences. This is not a disease, it is just a reaction of the body to pressure drops or to water.
What if my ear is blocked for other reasons?
Look for other symptoms of the disease. You may have stuffy ears with a cold. Quite often this becomes a complication caused by a runny nose. Therefore, the first thing you need to cure a runny nose, which will take with you an unpleasant stuffy ear. It is recommended that you clean your nose with saline about 5 times a day. When the salt gets inside, the swelling of the mucosa is removed, disinfection occurs, the sinuses are released. After such a procedure, an ordinary “Naphthyzine” or any other similar drug should be instilled into the nose.
If you have a normal temperature, you can make a small compress for the ear. Soak a piece of gauze in boric alcohol or in vodka, put it around your ear, cover with a piece of waterproof film and gently wrap it with some warm scarf.
If the measures taken do not give any results, and you do not know what to do if your ear is blocked, go to the ENT. In any case, a competent doctor will help you speed up recovery and eliminate the possibility of complications. In addition, the specialist can detect other more dangerous diseases that require immediate intervention. What could it be?
Firstly, there is a risk of developing an inflammatory process. If your ear is blocked, you may be referred to an ENT specialist. The same doctor will be able to clean your ears if a sulfur plug has appeared in them, blocking the ear canal. Sulfur plugs are removed using a special syringe, from which a strong pressure of water strikes . After cleaning, you will be advised to use softening ear drops.
Secondly, if a few days before the onset of this symptom you flew on an airplane - you have a barotrauma. See your doctor if more than a day has passed after your flight. In most cases, barotrauma appears with a runny nose.
Thirdly, ARI and SARS viruses can adversely affect the sensitive endings of the auditory nerve of the inner ear. This leads to acute sensorineural hearing loss. This disease requires an urgent visit to a doctor. Timely treatment will allow you to fully recover your hearing.
Fourthly, there is a danger of serious circulatory disorders in the system of the internal auditory artery. This disease is accompanied by dizziness, high blood pressure or cervical osteochondrosis. This reason requires immediate medical attention.
Fifthly, ear congestion can be caused by illiterate use of drugs. Side effects of many drugs cause such sensations in the ears. Stop using dubious medicines and the side effects will go away by themselves.
So what to do if your ear is blocked? If congestion persists for more than a day - do not self-medicate, seek medical advice. Ignoring such an alarming symptom can lead to undesirable consequences.