A runny nose is one of the symptoms of a cold, which causes a lot of discomfort, partially deprives the sense of smell, impairs appetite, makes breathing difficult during sleep. Doctors prefer the scientific name of this problem - rhinitis.
Inflammation of the nasal mucosa in itself is unpleasant due to discomfort in the respiratory tract, but sometimes with a runny nose it blocks the ears. This is a rarer phenomenon, but you need to know why this is happening. In addition, even simple rhinitis should in no case be left to chance, and especially if it puts ears in a cold.
Causes
Naturally, there can be several of them.
If we talk about ordinary rhinitis, then the stuffiness of the ears depends on the structure of the auricle (more on that later). But when there are still additional symptoms, such as pain in the head, very abundant discharge from the nose, soreness in the sinuses, this may indicate sinusitis.
Also, a similar effect occurs with sinusitis. It is often accompanied by heaviness in the head, a decrease in volume and distortion of sounds.
If, among other things, there is still some discharge from the ears and hearing loss, then you should not go to the doctor, but run, because it can be otitis media - an inflammation of the ear, and it must be treated immediately.
Moreover, when the patient is dizzy, the temperature rises, he feels weak, then there may not even be a catarrhal disease, but something more serious, associated with impaired brain function.
So, if you get your ears covered with a cold, what should you do first? You need to make sure that it really rhinitis, and eliminate otitis media, sinusitis or sinusitis. If, in addition to stuffy ears and nasal discharge, at least one of the above symptoms is observed, then this is a signal that you can’t do without a doctor in any way.
Expectant mothers may be worried when their ears are stuffed with a runny nose. What to do during pregnancy? In principle, the same thing, without any self-medication. Especially in no case do not buy ear drops at your own discretion, because they may have contraindications.
Therefore, you need to contact a specialist to accurately diagnose. In the case of sinusitis, otitis media and sinusitis, congestion of the ears is a consequence of the inflammatory process, and therefore it does not make sense to treat it by itself. Firstly, valuable time can be missed, and the hearing can be badly damaged, and secondly, it is reasonable to eliminate the cause, not the effect.
But if other symptoms are not observed, then, most likely, we are talking about rhinitis. So how does a stuffy nose affect ear discomfort? It turns out that the whole thing is the device of the hearing aid.
Ear structure
It’s not without reason that the otolaryngologist is also called “ear-throat-nose” in a popular way, because, indeed, these organs are in very close connection. The nasopharynx, auditory and vestibular apparatus are a single system.
The ear consists of three main parts: external, middle and internal. First, the sound falls into a narrow passage that abuts the eardrum. This is the visible part of the hearing aid that begins with the auricle. Next is the middle section of the auditory analyzer, the air pressure on the walls in which should be equal to atmospheric. The Eustachian tube, the organ that connects the nasopharynx with the ear cavity, is responsible for the regulation of this process. It circulates air in the forward and reverse direction. That is why when a cold occurs, it puts ears: when the nose is stuffed up, the passability of the pipe becomes much worse, almost no air enters there. Accordingly, a pressure difference arises in the middle ear and in the Eustachian tube. This creates the effect of clogging.
That is, it turns out that in fact in the ear cavity is just an air plug.
Popular solutions to the problem
It is imperative to take measures if, with a runny nose, he puts his ears. What to do - to treat rhinitis itself or this symptom? The first option is more reasonable and expedient. Of course, the symptom can be eliminated for a while using a specific technique, but after an hour or two the ears will again be blocked. Therefore, it is better to recall all the proven methods of treating rhinitis. As a result, congestion of the ears will also disappear.
So, if you get your ears covered with a cold, what should you do? Reviews of many patients show that, firstly, the use of a large amount of fluid has not been canceled. Tea with honey, compotes, berry fruit drinks effectively remove viruses from the body. Vitamin C-rich foods strengthen your immune system against colds. And it can be not only lemons, oranges, tangerines, but also sauerkraut, lingonberries, apples and even parsley. You can enhance their action with ascorbic acid.
These tips, which were used by our grandmothers, do not affect the ears in the first place, but will help to quickly deal directly with the common cold. When he will already move to his last stage, then the stuffiness of the hearing aid will slightly disappear.
Quick symptom management
Sometimes stuffy ears cause such great discomfort that you want to get rid of it for at least a few hours. And it is possible. So, if your ears are blocked with a cold , what should you do to quickly eliminate this symptom?
First of all, you need to get rid of the mucus in the nostrils, but you need to do this one at a time so that the discharge does not fall into the middle ear. Then you can take vasoconstrictor drops. They will normalize the pressure in the Eustachian tube, and this will automatically remove the stuffiness of the ears. True, the effect will last no longer than 5 hours.
With a runny nose, lays ears: what to do (miracle way)
And you can perform one breathing exercise. First you need to draw air into your lungs, pinch your nostrils and try to exhale without opening your mouth, and then swallow a couple of times. Sometimes the cork in the ears does not disappear immediately after such an exercise, but after a couple of minutes. In any case, the effect is temporary and is not a cure in itself.
To warm or not to warm: that is the question
If, with a runny nose, it lays ears - what to do, and what not to do? Do doctors recommend warming up?
There are three medical opinions about this. Some otolaryngologists are categorically against it. Others consider this process useful, but only with the use of dry heat (heated sand, salt, boiled egg) and in the absence of temperature, still others prescribe heating almost always if the possibility of otitis or other purulent processes is excluded.
Sometimes the patient is given alcohol compresses - internal and external. In the first case, a cotton wool moistened with boric alcohol is placed in each ear. But they do this very carefully so as not to damage the mucous membrane. The procedure is repeated several times, always with an interval of 5 minutes. True, many doctors do not recommend doing this.
An external compress of gauze soaked in 40% alcohol solution is applied to the area around the sink, covered with wax paper and plastic wrap and left overnight.
When often with a runny nose he puts his ears: what to do (prevention)
To prevent this, the nasal passages must be constantly cleaned at the onset of rhinitis. You can do this with tinctures from herbs (calendula or chamomile) and washing with saline in the following proportion: half a teaspoon of salt per 120 ml of warm boiled water.
Well, stuffy ears with a runny nose, of course, can be treated. The main thing is not to delay and not to think that everything will pass by itself.