Blocked ears

For many people, one of the initial symptoms of a cold is that the ear closes. If the cause of the pressure in your ears is a cold, your doctor will usually recommend using a nasal decongestant spray. In this way, if you experience a blocked ear during a cold, the previously described Eustachian tube, can be kept free with the aforementioned spray. 

The pressure in the ears when you have a cold is caused by the blockage in the middle ear, therefore it can no longer be adequately ventilated. The ear is closed and it is then that viruses and bacteria may have the opportunity to trigger a middle ear infection. It is for this reason you should keep your ears clear when you have a cold. If you feel pressure on your ears when you have a cold, take action, it may not yet be too late! 

In addition to decongestant nasal spray, inhaling also helps to activate mucus drainage and relieve ear pressure when you have a cold. To this end, if you manage to keep your nose clear, you have a good chance: if your ears close when you have a cold, an infection can be stopped.

If the feeling of pressure in the ear occurs without external influences, such as a blocked ear after swimming, an infection such as a sinus infection (sinusitis) is usually the cause. Earache pressure, likewise, the feeling of a closed ear can also arise when the Eustachian tube is blocked, for example due to the increased formation of mucus with a cold or an allergy (e.g. hay fever). In contrast to changing air pressure from outside, this often only creates pressure in one ear. 

If there is no pressure, but your hearing performance becomes increasingly poor, its origins be completely innocuous. A clogged feeling in the ear and dull hearing are commonly caused by plugs of earwax forming in the ear. A simple pug of earwax blocking the external ear is perhaps the most frequent cause of pressure in the ear itself. This phenomenon is the direct consequence of the presence of specific receptors (baroreceptors) in the external auditory canal. 

These receptors respond to pressure variations and the eventual accumulation of earwax and other debris (like dead skin, dust etc.) of the external auditory canal, can cause total closure of the canal, thereby determining a sensation of pressure in the ear and a reduction in hearing capacity. Hearing loss is transient because, by removing the earwax, the hearing returns as it was previously. 

If your ears are blocked with wax, specific ear rinses are available in chemists and pharmacies to loosen it. Likewise, your ENT doctor can remove particularly firm blockages. A less innocuous cause of ear blockage is stress which may, in fact, be a sign of impending hearing loss or tinnitus. If you think you have ear pressure from stress, act now: slow down and relax! Use relaxation techniques (e.g. autogenous training) and treat yourself to rest.

The cabins aboard airplanes and high-speed trains are built in such a way that they almost completely exclude external pressure. Despite this, though, many people still experience pressure in their ears. Earplugs can be helpful for particularly sensitive ears (e.g. those of children). Due to their elasticity, they reduce pressure on the eardrum without pressing into the ear themselves. You can also prevent/eliminate ear pain after the flight. 

Chewing gum is a good tip to help equalize ear pressure when flying. If pressure in the ears persists after your flight has landed and ear equalization techniques are ineffective, decongestant nasal spray may be an effective solution. If pressure equalization in the ear is still not possible and the problem persists for more than two days, you should ask your ear, nose and throat doctor for advice.

The pressure on the ears is particularly sensitive after a flight if there was still water in the ear (e.g. that entered during swimming shortly before departure). It is then easier to get a middle ear infection. Here, too, children are more frequently affected. The best solution may be earplugs for swimming.

Human divers, without a natural protective shell as is found in nature, have to learn to cope with pressure. The pressure on the ears increases with every meter in diving depth. In order to prevent permanent damage to the ear, known as barotrauma, the resulting pressure on the eardrum must be relieved. To this end, when learning to dive, every diving student also learns how to equalize pressure.

A less harmless cause of ear pressure is the pressure on the ears caused by stress. It can be a harbinger of imminent hearing loss or tinnitus. If you think your ears are getting squeezed from stress, pull the emergency brake. Apply relaxation techniques (e.g. autogenous training) and allow yourself to rest.

Of course, a “real” loss of hearing is also possible. To check your hearing performance. you can carry out an initial hearing test online here (manca hyperlink). Your Amplifon hearing care professional will be happy to carry out a non-binding, precise hearing test at your nearest branch. However, when in doubt, always contact an ear, nose and throat specialist to ascertain the causes of a reduced hearing performance.

Indeed, the feeling of a full ear is often interpreted as the subjective symptom of endolymphatic hydrops. This symptom both affects and is a key phenomenon of Meniere’s disease. It is caused by an increase in a liquid (endolymph), contained in very small quantities within the organ responsible for controlling balance (the labyrinth). When the endolymph increases in volume, it causes tinnitus, a reduction in hearing ability and also dizziness. This symptomatic triad, together with the feeling of a full ear, characterizes Meniere’s syndrome.

Working differently from person to person, there are various methods of equalizing ear pressure, amongst them the Valsalva manoeuvre. The following techniques are useful if the ear is blocked following a flight, or when going up in the elevator or after passage through a tunnel aboard fast trains:

• Open your mouth wide; then move your jaw up and down and from side to side until you hear a very faint popping noise or crackle in your ear
• Yawn on purpose
• With your mouth closed, pinch your nose and push air out of your lungs into your mouth and nasal cavity
• Swallow and chew
• When flying, chewing gum is a good way to maintain ear pressure equalization. If techniques for pressure equalization in the ear remain ineffective, and the problem persists for more than two days, you should ask your ear, nose and throat doctor for advice.