Do you often feel fullness in your ear? This could be the reason....
Do you feel blockage in your ears? Are you tired of hearing popping sounds or crackling noises in your ears? Ear fullness is common, and most people feel it once. But if you feel ear fullness and dizziness often, an underlying ear condition may require medical attention.
Ringing, dizziness, or roaring noises indicate that your middle ear is affected, and you should consult an ENT specialist. Elevate your ear wellness with the best ENT surgeon in Dubai. Dr. Peter Baptista diagnoses your ear problems accurately and offers the appropriate treatment.
Why does my ear feel full? Why has my ear been clogged for days? Continue reading the blog to know more,
What is ear fullness?
Ear fullness is a sensation that arises when fluid accumulates in the middle ear and increases pressure in the ears. It’s also known as aural fullness and happens due to conditions called cochlear hydrops. The early stage of cochlear hydrops leads to Meniere’s disease.
Apart from the cochlear hydrops, anything that irritates or inflames the eustachian tube also results in clogged ears. The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat and nose. It opens when you yawn, swallow, or sneeze and stops pressure buildup in the middle ear. But if the tube is narrow or inflamed, it causes clogged ears.
Ear fullness can also occur due to hearing loss, fever, ear infection, cold, or accumulation of earwax. A medical diagnosis is essential to identify ear-related problems, so you must consult an ENT specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
Why does my ear feel full? - Explaining the ear pressure causes
Fluid from the sinuses or throat travels to the eustachian tubes and gets stuck. This results in a middle ear infection, which is common among young children. Any swelling, allergies, or fluid buildup also results in clogged ears. Ear infections are mostly non-symptomatic and resolve on their own. However, in a few cases, they require medical attention.
Eustachian tube dysfunction, or ETD, occurs when the eustachian tube doesn’t open and close normally. It also happens when the eustachian tube is floppy or narrow. The dysfunction leads to pressure in ears and head, popping noises in the ears, ear pain, ear fullness and dizziness, and hearing loss. ETD affects most children but also happens in adults. The condition often occurs due to upper respiratory infections or allergies.
Cholesteatoma is a non-cancerous growth in the middle section of the ear behind the eardrum. It happens when the eardrum ruptures due to repeated eustachian tube dysfunction. Repeated ear pressure causes a feeling of fullness and requires immediate medical attention. If cholesteatoma is untreated, it leads to potential complications such as hearing loss, meningitis, brain abscess, and facial nerve damage.
Meniere’s disease causes ear fullness and dizziness. The exact reason for Meniere’s disease is unknown, but it occurs due to fluid buildup in the inner ear. The fluid can disturb the balance of ear pressure, leading to Meniere’s disease. The symptoms are vertigo, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the ears.
Earwax is normal, but if it’s too much, it can impact your ears. Earwax buildup in the outer ears causes a feeling of fullness and disturbs your hearing. There are safe ways to remove earwax with ear drops or irrigation. Using Q tips can adversely affect your ears, damaging the ear canal and eardrum. Additionally, Q tips push the wax further into the ears, making it more difficult to treat earwax buildup.
As the name indicates, Swimmer’s ear occurs when water stuck in ear, for example after swimming, playing water sports, or showering. Water stuck in ear irritates the skin and allows bacteria to build up in the outer ear canal. Swimmer’s ear is painful and causes swelling in the ear canal. It also gives you a feeling of ear fullness.
SSHL, or Sudden sensorineural hearing loss, is an emergency in which you hear a pop sound and dizziness followed by hearing loss. Hearing loss occurs when the inner parts of the ear are damaged. It usually occurs in adults as they age but also happens in young people due to head injuries, strokes, exposure to sudden loud noises, etc.
Different upper respiratory tract infections cause sinus and nasal inflammation. Inflammation in the lining of the upper respiratory tract results in the narrowing of the eustachian tubes, which in turn causes pressure in ears and head. People with this infection experience ear fullness, muffled sounds, ear pain, and heavy ear pressure.
How do you overcome clogged ears?
The treatment depends on the underlying condition. However, if you try to retrieve the foreign object, excess earwax, or other such causes, it may push the object into the ear further instead of getting it out. So, it’s advised to consult an ENT specialist for the ideal treatment.
Non-surgical treatments
- Nasal steroid sprays reduce the inflammation in the lining of the nose.
- Antihistamines reduce congestion caused by allergies.
- Oral steroid pills reduce persistent swelling.
- Antibiotics or OTC medicines reduce the ear infection and pain associated with it.
- Carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide ear drops to remove earwax safely.
Surgical procedures
- Myringotomy is a surgery to drain fluid from the middle ear through a small incision.
- Tympanostomy allows drainage and equalizes pressure in the eardrum.
- Endolymphatic sac decompression creates a shunt to remove excess fluid from the inner ear.
- Cholesteatoma removal surgery removes cholesteatoma and repairs the damage.
- The vestibular nerve section is a procedure to reduce vertigo symptoms.
Get rid of ear fullness with Dr. Peter Baptista – the best ENT surgeon in Dubai.
Why has my ear been clogged for days? It may be due to earwax or ear infection that subsides over time. Still, if clogged ears continue for a few days, it’s essential to consult an ENT specialist.
Dr. Peter Baptista is a renowned ENT surgeon in Dubai. His decades of expertise and innovative treatments address the underlying reasons for ear fullness. For any discomfort with the ears, nose, and throat, Dr. Peter specializes in identifying, diagnosing, and treating the disorder with effective solutions.
Don’t hesitate to consult Dr. Peter Baptista if your symptoms persist! Schedule a consultation today!
Dr Peter Baptista Jardin
European Board Certified ENT Doctor In Dubai
Dr. Peter Baptista Jardin is an ENT specialist with a special interest in treating sleep apnea. He is a revered expert in Spain for performing the first ever robotic transoral surgery in 2011, and the only series of hypoglossal nerve stimulation proved revolutionary for obstructive sleep apnea treatment worldwide. He currently serves as an ENT doctor in Dubai’s Al Zahra Hospital.
