People who have had their ears planted at least once in their life know how much their hearing quality is reduced and how difficult it is to perceive the information coming from outside. Meanwhile, such a condition very often develops against the background of untreated sinusitis. Anatomically, the organs of hearing and smell are very close to each other, so the spread of infection is rapid. About what you need to do if your ears are stuffed with sinusitis, we will tell in our article. But first, let us dwell on the causes and symptoms of this pathological condition.
What is sinusitis?
This inflammatory disease of one or two maxillary sinuses at the very beginning of the development of the process is usually accompanied by only a slight malaise. The patient has only swelling of the mucous membranes of the sinuses and nose. Purulent inflammation at this stage of the disease does not develop. Further, the edema narrows the passage between the maxillary sinus and the nasal cavity so much that the outflow of the secretion is disrupted. As a result, the sinus becomes clogged, which leads to the development of a purulent inflammatory process.
Violation of the mucus outflow and discoloration of the secretion is one of the initial symptoms of sinusitis in adults. Treatment of this disease should occur under the supervision of a physician. Otherwise, ignoring the symptoms can lead to serious complications, one of which is congestion of the ear from the inflamed maxillary sinus.
Signs of sinusitis
In the acute form of the inflammatory process occurring in the maxillary sinus, characteristic symptoms are observed. Treatment of sinusitis in adults is prescribed taking into account the following signs:
- increase in body temperature to 37.5-39 ° C;
- weakening of smell;
- lethargy, weakness, decreased appetite;
- an increase in pain, which is first localized at the site of sinus inflammation, on the frontal, temporal, and occipital areas;
- discharge from the inflamed sinus of pus, especially when the head is tilted forward;
- swelling of the soft tissues of the face, their redness at the site of localization of inflammation;
- tooth pain, the development of the inflammatory process in them.
The doctor can make the correct diagnosis on the basis of an x-ray. In the picture, the inflamed sinus will be darkened compared to a healthy one.
Why is sinusitis caused by ear stuff?
In fact, this is not surprising. Ear, throat and nose are connected by one system. That is why with a disease of one of these organs, the infection spreads very quickly to the others. If ears are stuffed with sinusitis, this means that the patient needs to undergo an additional examination. Pain and hearing impairment can signal complications and the beginning of the pathological process, which often lead to serious consequences.
One of the causes of pain and nasal congestion in sinusitis is blockage of the Eustachian tube. In this case, the patient is accompanied by discomfort and extraneous noise in the ears. If the inflammatory process is not stopped on time, it can lead to otitis media and severe hearing loss.
Symptoms of Ear Congestion
In acute purulent sinusitis, discomfort and hearing impairment occur quite often. Often this condition is accompanied by pain and fever up to 38 ° C.
You can verify that with sinusitis your ears are blocked, you can by the following characteristic signs:
- sensation of noise, squeaking, cod and gurgling in the ear;
- hearing impairment;
- changing the sound of your own voice;
- strong pressure in the nasal bone and in the head.
Since this pathological condition occurs against the background of inflammation of the sinuses, the patient may also be disturbed by headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
If, however, with sinusitis, there is a violation of the outflow of purulent secretion and its flow into neighboring tissues, otitis or eustachitis develops against the background of the underlying disease. In this case, severe pain is added to the symptoms described above, requiring immediate medical attention.
With sinusitis, the ear was blocked: what should I do?
It should be noted that discomfort in the ear can occur not only with inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. Only the otolaryngologist after examining the patient can make the correct diagnosis and select the necessary medications. This specialist should also be contacted if ears are stuffed with sinusitis, but they do not hurt. What can be recommended with this ailment?
Firstly, to get rid of the stuffiness of the ear, it is necessary to establish the cause of the unpleasant sensations. In some cases, in addition to traditional treatment, additional medication or physiotherapy may be needed. Only in this way can a positive result be achieved.
Secondly, it is strictly forbidden to prescribe treatment for yourself in the form of heating or washing the ear. This can lead to the spread of infection from one organ to another. In some cases, stuffy ears can be caused by accumulated mucus or sulfur plugs. To get rid of this problem, the doctor can recommend, along with drug treatment, the implementation of exercises that contribute to normalizing the intraocular pressure.
How to treat a stuffy ear?
You can get rid of this unpleasant symptom only after a complete cure for sinusitis. This can last quite a long time, especially if the therapy was not carried out in a timely manner and the disease did not become chronic. What to do if the ear is blocked? How to treat sinusitis and with what means?
It is imperative to clear the nasal passages from accumulated pus. For this, first of all, mechanical manipulations are carried out. In the early stages, you can get rid of pus using a soft catheter. If the patient turned to the doctor at an advanced stage of the disease, he is punctured with the maxillary sinus, followed by extraction of purulent contents. Such manipulations are performed in a hospital setting. As a rule, congestion of the ears passes immediately after getting rid of sinusitis.
Traditional remedies
If the ears are stuffed with sinusitis, the following drugs are prescribed by the otolaryngologist:
- Vasoconstrictor drops in the nose. They help relieve swelling and achieve significant relief of the patient's condition. It is important that their use is not recommended for more than 5 days. As a result, nasal breathing is facilitated and clogged areas in the Eustachian tube open.
- Drops in the ears. Their action is aimed at normalizing the condition of the ear canal, relieving swelling and pain. They may include an antibiotic (Otofa). Such drops are prescribed when the infection is attached and if regular purulent departments are observed.
- Antibiotic therapy. It is almost impossible to get rid of diseases such as sinusitis and otitis media without taking antibiotics, since their development is directly related to infection.
Taking any medication without a doctor’s prescription is prohibited. First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the patient's condition.
Traditional medicine and physiotherapy
To alleviate the patient’s condition, not only traditional medicines, but also physiotherapy and folk remedies can be used. However, their use should always be agreed with the attending physician. Self-medication in this case can only do harm.
At home, inhalation through the nose can be recommended, contributing to a better discharge of mucus and easier breathing. Alcohol compresses and warming up with ear congestion can be effective only if the doctor excluded the addition of otitis media to sinusitis. In the latter case, this can lead to a further spread of infection throughout the body.
Possible complications
Any patient is interested in the question of if the ear was blocked with sinusitis when this condition will pass. The duration of treatment largely depends on what stage of the disease the patient went to the doctor. As a rule, nasal congestion passes immediately after it is possible to get rid of sinusitis. At the same time, if treatment was started inopportune, the development of complications in the form of acute and chronic otitis media is possible.
During therapy, it is important to eliminate all factors that provoke a malfunction of the ear apparatus. If, after the treatment, congestion persists, additional examinations of the organ of hearing will be necessary. In some cases, the patient is made earblasting, which improves the Eustachian tube and normalizes all the functions of the ear apparatus.