Tinnitus and ear congestion
Causes of tinnitus and congestion
The feeling of stuffiness in the ears is a rather uncomfortable phenomenon that is often found in medical practice. This phenomenon is expressed in the altered sound of one's own voice, muffling of sounds of the environment and the feeling that the head is heavy. Ear congestion can be accompanied by noise and sound effects in the ears. A healthy body should not give such reactions. The role of the equalizer of atmospheric pressure in the middle ear is performed by the auditory tube. At the moment of a strong pressure surge, the pipe closes and there is a feeling of ear congestion.
Ear congestion caused by mild changes in atmospheric pressure should alert the person, as it may be due to several reasons that require medical attention. For example, complications after otitis media, when adhesions or scars remain in the area of the tympanic membrane, which reduce its mobility, and the equalization of pressure in the middle ear is difficult. Continuous congestion occurs when a foreign body enters the ear cavity and when sulfur plugs form.
Any diseases associated with inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx and their consequences can affect the normal functioning of the auditory tube. Inflammation in the middle ear or a common runny nose can cause the opening of the auditory tube to close and the ear will be blocked. The same process develops with a curved nasal septum, sinusitis, the presence of adenoids and polyps in children. Hearing impairment with a damaged auditory nerve also causes ear congestion. In this case, the cause may come from diseases such as hypertension, cerebral ischemia, or from a head injury.
The appearance of tinnitus and congestion is a condition that can affect one or two ears.
This ailment was called Meniere's syndrome and began to be recorded more than two hundred years ago. However, to date, it is not fully understood. The disease appears when there are already existing malfunctions in the body: allergies, pressure above or below normal, disturbed hormonal balance due to menopause, poisoning, vascular dystonia. What is the development of Meniere's syndrome is unknown, but it is assumed that the impetus is an altered metabolism that has occurred in the tissue of the inner ear.
Modern research indicates that half of people with complaints of congestion in the ears have impairments in the functionality and mobility of the temporomandibular joint. In this case, you cannot do without an osteopathic doctor. In any of the above cases, the correct decision and safe action would be to contact a doctor who is competent in diagnosing and prescribing treatment, and not self-medication, which aggravates the disease.
Diagnosis of tinnitus and congestion
Correct diagnosis is the key to successful treatment. Therefore, if you begin to feel symptoms such as noise and stuffiness in the ears, you should analyze the environment in which they appear, remember how long ago they appeared and whether there are other symptoms. The presence of noise and congestion in the ears for a long time, as well as the presence of dizziness, pain, nausea, indicates the need to contact an ENT doctor. Typically, the diagnosis has several stages.
The doctor conducts the initial examination using special instruments. This stage will give an idea of the state of the outer part of the ear canals and immediately reveal the presence of foreign bodies, plugs, otitis externa. If necessary, audiometry is performed - diagnostics of hearing acuity and other indicators affecting the auditory analyzer, which will show the presence of a decrease in hearing acuity. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to see such masses as a tumor on the brain and auditory nerve.
In case of hearing impairment and the presence of other symptoms characteristic of multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and other formations, a consultation with a neurologist is prescribed. The above diagnostic methods will help in determining the lesion focus, will enable the doctor to understand which part of the ear affects the noise and congestion in it. A comprehensive examination reveals a serious illness at an early stage. Therefore, your personal conviction in the presence of earwax plugs should not force you to self-medicate.
Treating tinnitus and congestion
Treatment of tinnitus and congestion is prescribed by a specialist based on the results of diagnosis and identifying the cause of its occurrence. Otitis media (external, middle), depending on the degree of inflammation, requires the use of ear drops, possibly taking antibiotics, pain medications and nasal drops to narrow the blood vessels. With the resulting barotrauma, treatment in the form of antibiotics and other drugs is prescribed only in case of a large rupture of the tympanic membrane. In the absence of tears or their insignificance, there is no need for special treatment.
Treatment of Meniere's syndrome has several directions. First of all, a diet aimed at reducing salt intake is prescribed, which helps to increase the time between attacks and reduce their frequency. Then medications are selected that eliminate the occurrence of nausea, vomiting and increased excitability. Surgical intervention is recommended for regular dizziness that cannot be relieved by medication.
A neuroma formed on the auditory nerve is treated based on the size and progress of its growth. With a small size, a waiting tactic is permissible (treatment is not carried out, the patient is regularly observed by a doctor, examined). Tumor growth requires the appointment of radiation therapy or surgery. Otosclerosis is also treated depending on the stage of the disease. Either a hearing aid or ossicular replacement surgery is recommended to allow hearing recovery. There are a great variety of treatment methods, the main thing is not to waste time.
The author of the article: Lazarev Oleg Vladimirovich | ENT
Education: In 2009, he received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" at the Petrozavodsk State University. After completing an internship at the Murmansk Regional Clinical Hospital, he received a diploma in Otorhinolaryngology (2010)
