Antony ENT clinic

There is a strong connection between the ears, nose and throat, as any ENT or Ear Nose Throat specialist will be able to tell you. When there is any kind of congestion or obstruction in the nasal passages, one can also feel some effect in the ears with the symptoms going from mild to severe. So how can nasal obstruction cause clogged ears? Here is our explanation!

1. The Connection - To begin with, let us understand the connection between the ears and the nose. There is an opening that can be found in the back of the nose, which leads into a tunnel called the Eustachian Tube. This tube goes into the ears and creates some amount of pressure when the nasal passages get blocked. This pressure can be felt as clogging of the ears and can usually be eradicated with the help of a pop in the ears. This pop can be brought about by pinching your nose and trying to breathe, or even yawning hard or indulging in some gulping or swallowing motion as well. 

2. Mucosal Swelling - The swelling within the patient's nose usually points at the build up of mucus which can make the nasal lining thicker, thus making the act of breathing that much more laboured and difficult. This obstructs the nasal tract, in plain and simple terms. This swelling usually spreads to the tunnel or the Eustachian Tube, which can become swollen and even shut, consequently leading to a feeling of having clogged ears. 

3. Negative Nasal Pressure - When the pressure inside the nose is built up in a negative way due to the obstruction that makes the patient breathe even harder, then the ears end up taking the pressure. This makes them clogged. This negative pressure usually manifests in the back of the nose where the Eustachian Tube is located, which creates a build up in the ears as well. This can also lead to a ringing pain when a patient tries to suck in air too hard due to the obstruction. 

4. Bernoulli's Principle - If we are to incorporate air in place of fluid and liken the action of breathing with an obstructed nose, with the action of sucking fluid in through an obstructed straw, then the fluid dynamics would apply to this case. As per these fluid dynamics, more rapid flow of fluid can lead to decreased pressure on the surrounding areas. This can be applied to the blocked nose where air must pass through faster and with more fluidity so as to ensure that there is less pressure on the ears, which will keep them from getting clogged. 

Persistent clogged ears and nasal congestion can also point towards an infection and should be checked by a doctor immediately.
 

Vertigo is marked by a feeling of dizziness and disorientation. This feeling could be so bad that even standing up makes a person feel lightheaded. Vertigo can even make a person feel nauseous.

The five most common causes of vertigo are:

1. Meniere’s disease: Meniere’s disease is a condition that affects the inner ear. It is marked by a buildup of fluid in the inner ear as a result of a viral infection, allergies or an injury to the ear. Along with dizziness, it can also cause a ringing noise in the ears, the feeling of having plugged ears and hearing loss. Vertigo caused by Meniere’s disease can last for months.
2. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): This is one of the most common triggers of vertigo. This condition is caused by small crystals that break free and float in the inner ear canals. These canals are known as semicircular canals. Vertigo caused by BPPV is usually short-lived and relieves itself is a few minutes. Moving the head in a certain way or jerky movements can trigger vertigo in such cases. The exact cause of this condition is not clear but it has been often associated with severe head trauma.
3. Labyrinthitis: This condition is also known as vestibular neuritis. It is marked by swelling and irritation of the two vestibular nerves in the inner ear canal. Labyrinthitis may be caused by a viral infection or an inner ear infection. In such cases, vertigo may be accompanied by hearing loss. Older adults are at the highest risk of this condition.
4. Vitamin B12 Deficiency: A simple vitamin deficiency can also cause vertigo and dizziness. Vitamin B12 helps prevent anaemia and keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Low levels of this vitamin can cause neurological problems that in turn cause vertigo. This is because vitamin deficiencies reduce blood pressure and blood flow to the brain. A simple blood test can help check Vitamin B1 levels and identify a deficiency. Some of the best sources of vitamin B12 are dairy products, meats and fortified cereals.
5. Dehydration: 60% of the human body mass is water. Water plays a number of roles in the human body. One of the most important functions of water is the circulation of nutrients in the body and blood flow. Thus, even mild dehydration can make a person feel dizzy and nauseous. This type of vertigo may be relieved by drinking copious amounts of fluids.

Our ears are small in size, but ‘big’ in the work they do. Not only do they help us hear, but also help us maintain our body’s balance. They thus help us stand, walk, drive…you just name it.

Ears are also much bigger in size than they actually are. The part of the ear that we see on our head is only the external ear, there is a middle ear and an inner ear too, silently carrying out complex functions related to hearing and balance. The middle ear that lies behind your ear drum is the seat of balance. And this part is hit hard at the time of an ear infection.

Ear infections cause the Eustachian tubes – small tubes that connect the middle ear to the back of your throat – to become swollen and blocked due to excess mucus. As a result of this, fluid builds up and inflammation takes root in the middle ear, thereby causing pain.

Ear infections can be acute or chronic. Acute infections clear up in a few days, but chronic ones reoccur frequently. If not managed, chronic ear infections can cause permanent damage to the middle and inner ear.

Causes of Eustachian tube blockage are as follows:

1. Allergies
2. Sinus infection
3. Cold
4. Extreme production of mucus
5. Smoking
6. Infected adenoid, which is a tissue near your tonsils that traps harmful bacteria and viruses

There are a few risk factors associated with ear infections. It can be said that young children are more susceptible to these infections. This is because their Eustachian tubes are short and narrow. It has also been seen that infants who are bottle-fed have a higher incidence of ear infections than breastfed babies.

Other risk factors are:

1. Changes in altitude
2. Changes in climate
3. Exposure to tobacco smoke
4. Use of pacifiers

Symptoms of ear infections:

1. Pain or discomfort inside the ear
2. A prolonged feeling of pressure inside the ear
3. Pus-like ear drainage
4. Hearing loss

What is also important to know is that the symptoms of an ear infection come and go.

Symptoms can also occur in one or both ears. Chronic ear infection symptoms can be less noticeable than those of acute ear infections.

Hence, fever and ear ache should spur you to see a doctor. You should be extremely careful with babies younger than six months who have fever or ear infection symptoms.

Your doctor will diagnose an ear infection by checking if there is a draining of fluid from the middle ear, perforation in the eardrum or a collapsed eardrum.

Sometimes, ear infections can lead to the following serious complications:

1. Hearing loss
2. Speech or language delay in children
3. An infection in a skull bone called mastoiditis
4. Meningitis
5. Ruptured ear drum

You should consider undertaking a cochlear implant in case you are experiencing hearing loss or are turning deaf. This is a small device that gets planted in your ear through a surgical procedure. It sends impulses to your auditory nerves directly, as a result of which sound signals get carried to your brain. Cochlear implants may not make you hear normally again, but help you with different sounds, and in the recognition of the different sounds around you like alarms, telephones, and door bells.

How it works?

1. A cochlear implant is fit for children and adults who suffer from the sensorineural hearing loss. This condition damages the tiny hair cells in your inner ear, which is called the cochlea. Hearing becomes impaired when these get damaged.
2. The device consists of two specific parts. The first part or the receiver-stimulator is placed under your skin via a surgical procedure. The other part of the device is the speech processor. It has to be worn around your neck in the form of a hearing aid.
3. The external device is, however, larger in size than a usual hearing aid. The receiver gets placed under your skin, behind the ear via a small incision. It is connected to electrodes.
4. This is inserted into the cochlea of your inner ear. The surgery requires a few hours to be undertaken successfully.
5. The speech processor has to be placed two weeks after the surgery is undertaken. The processor can be connected to the microphone, and this can be worn around the ear.
6. You can wear it on any other part of your body, based on your lifestyle and age.

Benefits of cochlear implant
The major benefits of a cochlear implant are as follows:

1. You might be able to hear speech almost normally.
2. You will be able to understand speech better, and will not have to depend on lip reading.
3. It will be much easier and simpler for you to listen to the television and talk over the phone.
4. You will be able to listen to music better.
5. You may also be able to pick up various sounds around you that include soft, medium, and loud sounds.
6. You will be able to control your own voice better. This makes other people understand you better.

If you are suffering from severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be able to change your life for the better. However, the results are not the same for all, and vary among people. It is possible for some people to benefit more from such an implant than others.