Often they have unpleasant consequences that arise due to a decrease in immunity, the effect of antibiotics on the body, pressure drops, weakened organs after previous treatment. One of these consequences can be blocked ears - one or both.
Self-medication in this case is undesirable, since complications can be quite severe, but at the initial stage they manifest themselves as minor inconveniences. A timely visit to a doctor will help to avoid an unpleasant new disease and, in most cases, will cost a simple treatment.
Ear structure
To understand why lays ear, it is necessary to remember its structure, as well as the relationship between the ears, throat and nose. The auditory organ consists of the outer and middle ear, which are separated by the eardrum. Next comes the connection through the Eustachian tube with the respiratory system, namely the pharynx. The pressure should be the same everywhere, but during the disease there is a violation of air circulation, as the throat swells, drops occur in the middle ear, and the correct position of the eardrum is disturbed.
Effective treatments
With a minor violation, actions and exercises of this kind will help:
- holding your nose, make deep swallowing movements several times;
- blow out the air with some effort. This can be done by inflating balloons by blowing into a straw;
- make mimic chewing movements with the jaw, for example, you can use chewing gum or candy;
- gently insert a small cotton swab into the ear, you can put on a bandage, so walk not only during the day, but also leave it overnight, after a while everything will return to normal.
In the first three cases, the result should come within a short period of time; in the fourth, it may take 1-2 days.
Ear drops or suppositories will help remove discomfort, but this is strictly according to the doctor's prescription. how folk method Geranium oil, which can be purchased at the pharmacy, is suitable. Pour 3-4 drops into a pipette, warm it up in your hand or on a steam bath - it should be warm, drip into your ear and cover with a small piece of cotton wool. This should be done before going to bed for 4-5 days.
If a ear blocked due to the presence, then it is necessary to rinse the nose with warm saline (1 teaspoon of table salt in a glass of warm water) and instill in drops, narrowing. Do a shallow lavage so that the liquid does not enter the throat. Do this infrequently - several times a day, so that there is no heavy load on the ears, but always before bed.
Why should you consult a doctor?
Blocked ears can indicate not only inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs, but also the presence of problems with the ears themselves. Improper and untimely treatment can lead to more complex diseases, such as otitis media. Therefore, any action must be coordinated with specialists who will help to correctly determine the cause of the problem and prescribe the necessary treatment, the main thing to remember is that being late in this case can be fraught with consequences, including hearing loss.
A feeling of ear congestion, as after a flight in an airplane, shooting pains - this is how otitis media begins. The temperature is usually elevated, but may be normal. The disease usually does not occur on its own, it is preceded by a prolonged runny nose, SARS or flu.
Mild forms of otitis media pass quickly, sometimes even without treatment. What can be recommended as first aid?
● Put any alcohol-based ear drops into the affected ear twice a day. Alcohol penetrates well into the eardrum, providing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
● At night, you can make a warming compress of vodka or alcohol mixed with water.
● Treat runny nose in parallel. Without the restoration of normal nasal breathing, it is impossible to cope with otitis media, because the ear and nose are like communicating vessels, the trouble in one immediately affects the other. With a runny nose, the auditory tube becomes clogged with nasal discharge, and as a result, efforts to treat otitis media do not work.
If within a few days you do not feel better, seek the advice of an otorhinolaryngologist. The doctor will clarify the diagnosis, with otitis media this is usually not difficult.
As a result of inflammation, a desquamated epidermis accumulates in the ear canal, which contains a mass of bacteria. It is difficult to remove it on your own, you can damage the walls of the ear canal, but the doctor will do it easily and quickly.
You can not do without a visit to the doctor and with otitis media caused by the influenza virus. With it, herpes-type bubbles form in the ear canal and on the eardrum, this process is accompanied by severe pain... After the otorhinolaryngologist surgeon has opened the bubbles, there is relief.
Sometimes chronic otitis media is discovered by chance, during a routine examination. Since childhood, a person hears with one ear a little worse than the other, but has long been accustomed to it, and upon examination, the doctor sees a small gap in the eardrum.
Caution: antibiotics!
With prolonged otitis media, the doctor may take the discharge from the ear for culture to pick up antibacterial drug taking into account the sensitivity of microflora. If otitis media is mild, antibiotics are not needed to treat it. I want to warn you: under no circumstances use drops containing antibiotics to treat otitis media on your own! These drugs usually contain aminoglycosides, which have toxic effects on the endings of the auditory nerves, resulting in possible hearing loss. Such drops can only be used as directed by a doctor.
Revenge for carelessness
Treatment of otitis media is quite simple and, if all recommendations are followed correctly, the disease quickly passes. But otitis media, left unattended, can take cruel revenge.
One of the complications arises when the eardrum breaks out under the pressure of purulent contents. The pain in the ear stops, the temperature decreases, and the patient may think that the recovery has begun, although the discharge from the ear does not stop. If he consults a doctor at this stage, the integrity of the tympanic membrane will be restored after treatment, if not, a persistent rupture will occur and otitis media will develop at the slightest ingress of water into the ear.
If the fluid accumulated in the ear does not break through, it becomes thicker, more viscous, exudative or secretory otitis media develops. This often leads to mucosal hypersecretion. Due to the fact that the tympanic cavity is constantly filled with liquid, there is a strong hearing loss.
With advanced otitis media, scars may form in the ear canal, which limit the mobility of the tympanic membrane, the auditory ossicles, which leads to persistent hearing loss.
In such cases, complex surgery, which does not always end with success.
Brain complications are not so rare in otitis media. Infection from the middle ear cavity can enter the meninges, which causes meningitis, abscesses, and vascular thrombosis. These meningitis are more severe than common infectious meningitis and are more difficult to treat.
Short
How to guess that it is otitis media, and not inflammation of the facial nerve or toothache? If the pain increases when you press the tragus or near the earlobe, you can assume the development of otitis media. Otitis externa - boils in the external passage - make themselves felt when chewing, biting: it is difficult for the patient to open his mouth.
Important
A hot egg in the ear, potatoes, compresses with camphor alcohol - this treatment is effective at the very beginning of the disease. But if the pain persists for 2-3 days, no compresses can be done without consulting a doctor. Perhaps purulent inflammation of the middle ear has already begun, then the compresses will lead to intracranial complications. And with otitis externa, perichondritis (inflammation of the cartilage tissue) may develop - massive edema will make the patient lop-eared.
Doctors do not approve of the hobby for phyto candles that are sold in pharmacies. You need to know how to use them. Most people do not know the structure of the ear, so the candles are inserted incorrectly, and then they come to the doctors with burns.
By the way
Children aged 2 to 4 years get otitis media much more often than adults. This is due to anatomical features. The auditory tube in a child is wider and shorter and does not perform as well as in an adult as a separating function between the ear cavity and the nasopharynx. Because of this, water or liquid food often gets into the ear area in babies. In more than half of young children, an effusion is found in the ear - a secret that is produced by the mucous membrane lining the walls of the tympanic cavity. The secret serves for its self-cleaning and must be transported through the auditory tube into the nasopharynx. If it is not removed, it can cause otitis media.
Untreated otitis media causes a complication - mastoiditis, in which the inflammatory process covers many of the ear cavities. In the area behind the ear, swelling occurs, soreness - a picture similar to mumps.
Children with otitis media usually sleep restlessly, often wake up at night, cry, clutch at the sore ear. But this disease can occur in them and in hidden formwhen there is no pain. That is why it is so important to regularly show babies to otorhinolaryngologists.
Who is most often sick with otitis media?
Air-conditioned office clerks all day.
Allergy sufferers with rhinitis.
Diabetics who constantly take insulin. In case of inflammation in the ear, the dose of this drug should be increased.
Owners of carious teeth.
People with diseases caused by metabolic disorders - diabetes mellitus, urolithiasis, diseases of the pancreas.
Those who go to the pool. Otitis externa is often called swimmers otitis media. It often occurs after swimming. If you come out of the water, and your ear is stuffed up, hears poorly, itches, and you distinguish an unpleasant gurgle in it, tilt your head to the right side and pull a little on the auricle. The ear canal will straighten and water will pour out. Or jump on one leg with your "wet" ear tilted down.
- General information about influenza
- What everyone should know about otitis media
- Symptoms of this disease
- Treatment of this ailment
Sometimes it happens that a person can get a complication after the flu on the ears. This happens for a variety of reasons. It is better not to start the process, but immediately contact an otolaryngologist who will diagnose and prescribe the necessary medicine. After all, if you do not visit a doctor in a timely manner, then the disease will reach the stage when a person can completely lose hearing. This complication can damage the human body with lightning speed and entail a bunch of consequences. Therefore, you should know not only how to treat the disease, but also how to limit yourself from it.
General information about influenza
Influenza is an acute infection of the respiratory tract. Often, almost every cold is called the flu, but this is incorrect, since diseases such as rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc. have similar symptoms.
Influenza is transmitted by airborne droplets, that is, this virus can only enter through the nose, mouth and go further into the bronchi. When a sick person sneezes or coughs near healthy people, the smallest particles of phlegm fly out, and the person standing next to him inhales this contaminated air. He soon becomes ill too. But there is another way of infection - contact. It is not for nothing that they strongly recommend washing your hands after the street and not touching your face with dirty hands. The patient can sneeze, cover himself with his hands while sneezing and transmit the virus when shaking hands. And then the scheme is simple. The second person could scratch his nose and during this inhale the virus that was on his hands.
A huge concentration of this virus remains in places with a large crowd of people: kindergartens, schools, cafes, shopping centers, etc.
As for the symptoms of flu, they have long been known to everyone:
- heat;
- chills;
- a sore throat;
- stuffy nose;
- cough;
- nausea;
- joint pain.
Flu is often not a serious or serious illness. It can only pose a threat if a person has diabetes, tuberculosis, heart problems, kidney failure.
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What everyone should know about otitis media
Sometimes it happens that after the flu, a person has a feeling as if his ears are blocked. This is a complication called otitis media. Many people believe that if an ear hurts, it is simply “blown by the cold wind”. But otitis media can also get sick in summer. There are a lot of reasons why this complication occurs:
- SARS and flu;
- angina;
- weak immunity;
- runny nose.
Most often, this complication affects children at an early age. They still have rather weak immunity, and the chance of getting otitis media is very high. In infants, this is observed most often, the transferred infection gives a complication to the ears.
Otitis media is divided into the following types:
- catarrhal;
- serous;
- purulent.
After the flu, catarrhal is the most common. Infection through the respiratory tubes enters the mucous membrane auditory tube and does not let her go further. The tympanic cavity is broken, and air is gradually sucked into the mucous membrane, the pressure decreases. This disease has another name - tubo-otitis.
It turns out that this disease is very insidious and can be asymptomatic, independently go from acute to chronic. If he is not noticed in time, then the person may experience complications and he will lose his hearing forever.
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Symptoms of this disease
Every disease has its own symptoms and treatment. The main goal of the patient is to pay attention to this in time and visit the doctor. Since otitis media can lead to hearing loss, you need to know the main symptoms of this complication, such as:
- earache;
- temperature;
- insomnia;
- edematous, red ear.
Let's analyze all the symptoms in order and find out how it goes.
At the initial stage of the disease, a person may complain that his ear hurts. It feels like it's shooting in the ear. The pain is felt deep in the ear. Sometimes it can be boring, stabbing. It hurts a person to swallow, sneeze, cough, pain can be given to the jaw or throat. At night, the pain is often worse and interferes with the patient's sleep. It also feels like the ear is blocked and the person may become slightly deaf.
The general condition of a person is disturbed. He may feel weak headache, the temperature rises, the patient refuses to eat. Then, when examining the patient, you will notice that the eardrum is reddened and swollen. When touched, there is a sharp pain. A child under one year old cannot explain that he is in pain, so you should pay attention to the fact that the baby will have increased attention to his ears.
In the second stage of the disease, the tympanic membrane ruptures and pus may be released. This can be noticed on the 2-3 day of illness. The pain gradually subsides, and the patient feels much better than a few days ago. The temperature drops to normal. Sometimes this rupture can happen on its own and sometimes it doesn't. A thick eardrum may keep pus from flowing out faster. For this, a procedure such as paracentesis is done. The doctor makes a small puncture. If this procedure is done on time, then recovery comes faster and hearing returns 100%. This rather simple and quick procedure will allow a person to avoid further complications after otitis media.
And there comes the third stage, which is called restorative. The patient can observe an improvement in his general condition. Redness and swelling subside, suppuration stops and the defect of the tympanic membrane closes. After 2, sometimes 3 weeks, the patient already feels great and his hearing fully returns.
Ear congestion is a typical sign of the development of inflammatory processes in the mucous membranes of the ENT organs. A decrease in hearing acuity associated with an increased perception of one's own voice most often signals the development of catarrhal processes in the main parts of the middle ear. Ineffective and untimely therapy of ENT diseases can cause the spread of foci of inflammation into the inner ear cavity, which is fraught with the development of labyrinthitis.
What to do if the ear is blocked with a cold? Post-infectious complications in the ears occur due to the connection of the respiratory system with the hearing aid. The development of pathogenic flora in the nasopharynx leads to infection of the auditory canal, which communicates the middle ear cavity with the pharynx. Thus, foci of inflammation appear in the auditory analyzer, as a result of which the affected tissues swell. If you experience discomfort in the ear, it is advisable to be examined by a specialist.
A little about anatomy
In most cases, congestion is evidence of dysfunction in the Eustachian tube that connects the hearing aid (middle ear) to the pharynx. It provides constant air access to the tympanic cavity, thereby balancing the pressure in the middle and outer ear cavity. Maintaining homeostasis is necessary for the normal conduction of the sound signal into the ear labyrinth, where it is converted into an electrical impulse.
The cartilaginous part of the Eustachian (auditory) tube ends in a small opening on the lateral wall of the nasopharynx. Its inner surface is covered with mucous (ciliated) epithelium, which contains lymphatic follicles and glands that secrete clear liquid... Inflammatory processes in the mucosa lead to tissue edema, as a result of which the diameter of the tube is greatly narrowed.
Pathological changes in the state of the ENT organs lead to a violation of the drainage and aeration function of the auditory tube. As a result, the air pressure in the tympanic cavity decreases, which leads to the retraction of the ear membrane into the ear. Deformation of the membrane is one of the main causes of the feeling of congestion.
with a cold? The principles of therapy depend on the etiological factors that provoked the development of an infectious disease. The occurrence of pathology in the organ of hearing with ARVI is most often due to the following reasons: - rhinitis;
- sore throat;
- otitis media;
- myringitis;
- swelling of lymphoid tissue;
- inflammation of the auditory nerve.
Colds lead to a decrease in general and local immunity, as a result of which colonies 
opportunistic microorganisms are growing steadily. The development of pathogenic flora in the auditory analyzer becomes the cause of the occurrence of foci of inflammation, which leads to swelling of the mucous membrane in the auditory tube.
Important! An untreated cold often leads to the development of acute otitis media, which is fraught with perforation of the ear membrane and hearing loss.
Experts warn that intensive blowing out of mucus leads to its penetration into the Eustachian tube, which greatly increases the risk of developing a pathogenic flora inside the auditory analyzer. That is why the treatment of ear congestion always begins with the elimination of the main cause of its occurrence - ARVI.
Principles of therapy
Due to the close relationship between the hearing aid and the upper airway, ear congestion requires a comprehensive approach to therapy. If after ARVI ears are blocked, what to do? Among the variety of therapeutic methods for solving the problem, pharmacotherapy is considered the most common. To eliminate inflammatory processes in the tissues of the auditory analyzer,
- warming compresses;
- systemic antibiotics;
- antiviral agents;
- vasoconstrictor drops;
- immunostimulants;
- ear drops;
- local anesthetics;
- anti-inflammatory drugs.
Before using the above funds, you need to consult with an otolaryngologist. Some medications have an ototoxic effect, so they can only be used if the dosage recommended by the doctor is strictly observed.
Ear congestion is a symptom, not a separate ENT disease, so treatment always starts with antiviral agentseliminating pathogenic flora in the upper respiratory tract... If an ear is blocked after a cold, how to treat it? To relieve the symptoms of post-infectious complications, the following groups of pharmaceutical preparations can be used:
In case of damage to the auditory nerve, the pharmacotherapy regimen includes neurometabolic drugs that promote the regeneration of the protective sheath of the nerves.
Antibacterial drugs are used only if a bacterial infection is attached to ARVI. The appearance of bacterial flora in the foci of inflammation is signaled by hyperthermia, suppuration from the ear, and enlargement of the parotid lymph nodes.
Alternative medicine
Plugged ear for a cold, what to do? Folk remedies of anti-inflammatory and analgesic action contribute to the relief of unpleasant symptoms of ENT disease. However, experts warn that they can only be used as an adjunct to the main treatment regimen.
To eliminate inflammation in the auditory analyzer, you can use the following tools:
- anti-inflammatory turundas: bake a clove of garlic in the oven, then wrap it in gauze and insert it into the sore ear for 2-3 hours;
- warming compress: apply a gauze bandage soaked in camphor oil to the area behind the ear; insulate the compress with polyethylene and cotton wool;
- ear drops: dissolve 3 g of the mummy in 100 ml of boiled water, adding 1 tsp to the solution. boric alcohol and sodium sulfate; instill in each ear 2 drops of the drug three times a day.
Colds have many complications if they are "carried on their feet" or improperly treated. Sometimes there is a complication in the ears after a cold, which requires special treatment and supervision of an otolaryngologist. This consequence of a cold leads to congestion, noise and painful manifestations in the ears.
Causes and symptoms of ear disease
Ear congestion usually goes away on its own after a cold, but sometimes special treatment is required.
If you suspect that a child has otitis media, you should not make warming compresses, use drops or other medications until a doctor arrives.
Treatment must be prescribed by a doctor during examination and diagnosis. You can normalize the pressure in the Eustachian tube to relieve congestion in the ear if you do the following exercise: close your nose and mouth with your hand and take a deep breath. Often, simply inflating balloons helps with congestion. The congestion in the ear is relieved with a warming alcohol compress used at night.
How to do it? Alcohol and water are taken in equal proportions, a gauze bandage is moistened with this solution and applied to the ear. It is important to avoid getting alcohol inside your ear. The bandage should be wrapped in polyethylene, put cotton on top and tied with a scarf or towel. In case of complications on the ears caused by a runny nose, vasoconstrictor drops are required to drip into the nose. They will help eliminate edema from the Eustachian tube and open its lumen. If the ear hurts, then ear drops are prescribed. But before using them, be sure to consult a doctor who will examine the eardrum. It should be remembered that some drops are contraindicated when it breaks. A salt bag in the ear will help relieve pain. The salt is heated and poured into a cotton bag or simply into a piece of cloth. It is applied to the affected ear every two hours until the pain subsides.
Drugs that relieve ear pain
Otipax does an excellent job with inflammatory process inside the ear, destroys pathogens in the eardrum. It also relieves pain in otitis media caused by the common cold. 5 drops are buried twice a day. It has no contraindications. Otinum is a medicine used for acute otitis media, as well as for complications during a cold. It relieves inflammation and pain well. 3 drops are instilled into the ear with an interval of six hours. The medicine should not be taken without consulting a doctor. If the pain persists within a week, the drug must be changed. Sofradex is a drug containing antibiotics. It has a wide spectrum of action, it is used to relieve pain and inflammation. It is produced both in the form of drops in the ear and in the form of an ointment. It has a number of contraindications, including a prohibition on treatment for a perforated eardrum.
When pus appears from the ear, you must immediately stop warming up and instillation. Usually at this stage, the pain subsides, purulent discharge from the ear appears. The doctor prescribes antibiotics.
Prevention of complications with a cold
With a cold, the following rules must be observed:
- Regularly empty the nose of accumulating mucus. Before using vasoconstrictor drugs, it is necessary to rinse the sinuses. This can be done with saline (for a glass of warm boiled water - 1 teaspoon of salt). After the procedure for cleansing the nasal cavity, a runny nose is treated with drops: Glazolin, Nazol and others;
- Do not blow your nose hard, as bacteria can enter the middle ear cavity and cause inflammation;
- Use medications to block the spread of infection;
- does not allow ear cleaning with cotton swabs. Pus is removed with cotton swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide;
- After a cold is cured, it is imperative to undergo a preventive examination with an otolaryngologist in order to exclude the transition of complications into a chronic form.
Thus, one must always remember that even a common cold in the form of a runny nose and cough can cause complications such as otitis media, in which the ear becomes inflamed and sore. The first thing to do if you suspect otitis media is to see a doctor. You do not need to self-medicate, it can lead to chronic complications or even. Treatment folk remedies after the occurrence of a complication (warming compresses or herbal tinctures), it is also recommended to coordinate with the attending physician.