Ear feels clogged and muffled
If you are one of those people who suffer from heaviness and cramping and clogging of the ears and this issue has caused you concern, if you want to know what factors cause clogging of the ears and muffled ambient sounds, If you want to know what are the solutions to get rid of this condition, we recommend you read this article.
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clogged ear and muffled sound
There are a number of conditions that can cause ringing in the ears and clogged and muffled sounds in ears at the same time.
Sometimes there are reasons that, if not diagnosed and treated in time, can lead to permanent hearing problems in the affected person, So if you are a person who has been noticing your ear clogged for a long time and you notice that you hear muffled ambient sounds, you should take this issue seriously and see a doctor.
In the following, we want to talk about the possible causes that cause you to experience ear ringing and muffled ambient sound. In each section, we try to provide you with solutions to get rid of the existing conditions, so stay tuned.
What causes ear clogged and muffled ambient sound?
In this section, we want to introduce you to some of the most common and main factors that are associated with ear clogging and decreased hearing clarity.
Cerumen is a substance produced and secreted by the external ear canal, thus protecting our ears from the penetration of water, insects and infections. It is important to note that cerumen or ear wax plays a very important role in the mechanism of ear cleaning or self-cleaning, but sometimes this mechanism may be disrupted and the ear wax may not work well and the person will have an accumulation of ear wax.
A person with earwax buildup may experience one or more of the following symptoms in addition to feeling full and stuffy in the ear:
External duct itching
hearing impairment and decreased clarity of ambient sounds
Feeling uncomfortable in the ear
Ringing in the ear and pain and confusion
Among the causes of ear wax accumulation the following can be mentioned:
Older people and children are at greater risk for earwax accumulation.
People who have a previous history of intensive ear wax.
In people with cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
People who use in-ear devices such as hearing aids or in-ear audio molds.
The important point is that the hearing aid inside the ear or the anti-noise ear molds and covers that are placed in the ear, disrupt the natural mechanism of cleaning the ear, and these factors can even stimulate the overproduction of earwax and cause the accumulation of earwax.
treatment:
Usually, three methods are used to remove and release the ear wax accumulation. Factors that dilute the ear cerumen and help it to come out and are called cerumenolytic agents. These factors cause the compressed ear wax to soften and therefore come out spontaneously, so that it does not need to be washed and removed with tools.
Methods of extracting compressed ear wax
Ear washing will involve the rapid introduction of hot water into the external ear canal.
This operation must be performed by a trained and experienced doctor and person, And the third method is manual removal, in which the physician uses forceps of a microsuction hook to remove the compressed wax.
Eustachian tube is a narrow tube that is the connection between the back of the nose, throat and ear. Each side of each ear has an Eustachian tube, which is actually a thin tube connecting the middle ear on each side to the back of the nose and throat.
Among the functions of this pipe, the following can be mentioned:
Establish middle ear ventilation, drain middle ear secretions, and protect the middle ear from infections and infectious agents, and any factors that prevent the tube from performing its functions.
with Eustachian tube dysfunction A person suffers from clogged ears, heaviness and ear fullness.
Symptoms include heaviness and fullness of the ear, hearing impairment, and muffled ambient sound, ringing sound in ear and balance problems.
The main cause of Eustachian tube dysfunction is not yet known, but inflammation and swelling of the inner wall of the Eustachian tube due to allergies and infections can cause it to malfunction. Deviation of the nasal septum is also associated with Eustachian tube dysfunction.
If the symptoms of Eustachian dysfunction are mild, it will go away after a few days without treatment.
Swallowing the saliva and laughing can balance the two sides of the tympanic membrane.
Surgery is needed in people with permanent, severe and chronic symptoms.
Inflammation of the sinuses or increased pressure inside the facial sinuses
Increased sinus pressure occurs due to inflammation and swelling of the mucosa lining the sinus wall at the junction of the sinus and the nose.
Symptoms in these cases, in addition to the clogged nose include:
Clogged and ringing in ears, feeling of pain and tenderness and pressure in case of runny nose, runny nose sputum, decreased sense of smell and toothache and usually toothache in the upper jaw.
It can be said that allergies, smokers, uncontrolled diabetes, non-allergic inflammations of the nasal passages due to viral colds or bacterial infections, smoking, swimming, diving, mountaineering, infections and dental and gum surgeries are also included.
Most sinus infections are usually viral and do not require antibiotics and they go away on their own without antibiotics. If there are severe and frequent symptoms, you should see a doctor.
The discomfort and pain that some people experience when boarding a plane or landing due to sudden changes in air pressure and atmosphere is called an airplane ear.
Some people also experience severe pain because the air pressure on both sides of the eardrum interferes with the ascent and descent of the plane.
What are the symptoms of airplane ear Syndrome?
Symptoms may occur in one or both ears. Ear pain can be very severe in one person and the severity of ear pain varies from person to person.
Hearing impairment has also been reported.
Other symptoms include dizziness, blood clots in the middle ear, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the ear. Rapid changes in air pressure when changing altitude can make a person more susceptible to airplane ears.
To treat this condition, doctors recommend preventative measures for talented people who have had a airplane ears.
Avoid sleeping when the plane is taking off and landing. Use anti-acoustic molds in the ear. Use of anti-acoustic molds in the ear, use of anti-congestion drugs and prevent air travel when you have sinus infections, nasal congestion, colds and ear surgery, as well as chewing gum and swallowing saliva and yawning.
Doctors call middle ear infections otitis media.
Of course, this disease is more common in infants from 6 months to 2 years. Symptoms of middle ear infection include headache, insomnia, restlessness, vomiting, low-grade fever, diarrhea, anorexia, and earache, and bacteria as well as allergies can cause Acute middle ear inflammation. also, children have a Thinner Eustachian tube and the tube is short in infants and they are much more prone to otitis media, but middle ear infections can occur at any age.
Treatment for otitis media must be started by a doctor in a timely manner.
Doctors call this disease Endolymphatic hydrops. The criteria for diagnosis include the following:
Dizziness attack that lasts from 20 minutes to 12 hours each attack. Feeling of fullness and heaviness in the ear and hearing ringing sound in ear, hearing impairment during and after dizziness. The important point is that hearing loss in Munir is at low and medium frequencies.
There is no definitive cure for Meniere's disease, but treatments such as lifestyle changes, such as recommending low-salt foods, medications used in motion sickness, and eventually surgery, are some of the things recommended by your doctor.
An acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
Acoustic neurinoma is a tumor of the eighth pair of nerves in the brain or the nerve related to the ear. The ear nerve has two components: auditory and balance and It is called the vestibulo cochear nerve and is responsible for transmitting auditory and balance data from our ear to the brain. This nerve connects our ear to the brain. Symptoms include:
Unilateral hearing loss, Ringing sensation in the ear, confusion and numbness, balance problems and paralysis of the part of the face on the side of the involved ear. Unilateral and bilateral tumors probably occur following the loss of function of some of the genes present on chromosome 22 in humans.
Small tumors without symptoms of compression may not require surgery and are followed up and re-examined over time.
But in some people who have tumors in the area where the pressure symptoms have developed surgery and radiation therapy is needed.
Diagnosis of clogged ear
Physicians in addition to hearing a detailed history and symptoms and clinical manifestations
In addition to hearing a detailed history, signs, and clinical manifestations, physicians need direct otoscopic examination to list differential diagnoses. There are different types of otoscopes. There are also tests that doctors can diagnose and examine for fluid accumulation behind the tympanic membrane and its inflammation. Hearing tests are also needed to assess the type and extent of hearing loss.
All of these areas are connected at the junction of the throat. Medical imaging may be needed to rule out or confirm the presence of tumors.
If you have ear congestion, when should you check with your doctor?
If you feel that you have an ear infection, your sinuses are infected and You should see a doctor. If you have bleeding, severe pain, hearing loss or numbness in your face, in these cases, seeing a doctor immediately is urgent.
Concluding remarks
Many diseases can present with clogged and ringing in the ears. Some diseases can cause temporary clogged, such as air travel or diving, as well as infections, but chronic sinusitis and tumors can cause permanent ear clogged, and permanent hearing problems. So, if You have clogged ears or if you have a chronic ringing sensation in your ears, we recommend that you see a doctor and also do not try to remove the ear wax by manipulating it at home.
You should not wipe your ear with an ear swab or any other device. Scaling should only be done by a doctor and a trained person.