Blocked Ear, Blocked Nose: Six Ways to Get Better
Have you been suffering from a blocked nose and blocked ear at the same time in Singapore? There is nothing more annoying than having a persistently blocked ear and blocked nose. These tend to affect your hearing by giving you this muffled hearing sensation. In addition, it becomes difficult for you to breathe through your nose. At ENTcare Specialist Clinic in Singapore, we see many patients with blocked nose and blocked ear problems.
What Are the Risk Factors for Blocked Ear and Blocked Nose?
Sometimes, blocked ear and nose symptoms may be the result of a recent flu or bad cold. The increased mucus production during inflammation blocks the openings of the Eustachian pressure tubes. This can lead to the blocked ear sensation.
Other risk factors are frequent flying and suffering from nasal allergies (allergic rhinitis). Flying can irritate the pressure tubes, especially during flight landing. You should NEVER fly if you feel like you're coming down with a cold, the flu or sinus infection! This often leads to difficulties equalising the ear pressures, which may lead to severe ear pain and even a ruptured eardrum. Nasal allergies (allergic rhinitis) should be treated properly with medication first before you decide to fly.
Age is another risk factor to consider. Babies and young children tend to have immature and less developed Eustachian tubes. So during more challenging situations like flight landing, many young children suffer ear pain. They find it difficult to equalise eardrum pressures in this phase as they don't yet understand how to perform simple manoeuvres to open their Eustachian tubes. That's why they tend to suffer from blocked nose and blocked ears easily!
Will Scuba-Diving and Mountain-Climbing Affect My Eustachian Tubes?
Sport activities such as scuba-diving and mountain-climbing also require you to have good Eustachian pressure tube function. During such activities, there may be rather extreme changes in altitude or underwater pressures. Your Eustachian pressure tubes need to be able to react to these sudden pressure changes. Otherwise, complications of perforated eardrums, bleeding from your ears, hearing loss and severe ear pain may occur. Some people even experience problems with their ear pressures just by going up or down many floors in a high speed lift! Remember, if you suffer from a blocked ear or blocked nose, then it's going to be challenging for you to pop open your Eustachian tubes easily.
Dr Annabelle's 6 Ways to Clear Your Blocked Ear and Blocked Nose:
1. Steam Inhalation
Yes, steam helps! Put a few drops of your favourite essential oils, such as eucalyptus oil, into a tub of hot water. Then position your head over the tub and breathe in the steam! Place a towel around your head. Doing this may help open up your blocked nasal passages, sinuses and Eustachian pressure tubes. So this hopefully can relieve the congestion you feel inside your blocked ears.
2. Gentle Physical Exercises to Open Eustachian Tubes
You can try some gentle manoeuvres to help your throat muscles "pop" open your Eustachian tubes. For example, you can pinch your nose closed and gently blow out with both nose and mouth closed. Swallowing repeatedly or yawning widely can also help open up your Eustachian pressure tubes.
3. Antihistamines
What about taking antihistamines? These medications may help to reduce any swollen soft tissue and backdrip of mucus inside your nose. Telfast, Clarityn and Zyrtec can alleviate this problem. This in turn can help to open up your Eustachian pressure tubes to relieve the blocked ear sensation.
4. Decongestant Tablets
Taking oral decongestants such as phenylephedrine found in Telfast-D and Aerius-D can quickly dry up the secretions inside your nose. This in turn may help your congested Eustachian pressure tubes to open up.
5. Nasal Decongestant Spray
Decongestant medications also come in the form of nasal sprays. For example, Afrin, Iliadin and Otrivine decongestant sprays enter your nose to shrink the swollen tissue inside to help you breathe better. One thing to remember about using nasal decongestants is that you should not rely on them for too long. Definitely avoid using them for longer than a week! Long-term use of nasal decongestants will lead to RHINITIS MEDICAMENTOSA, where rebound nasal congestion and swelling, with persistent nasal discharge, occur.
It is difficult to wean such patients off their Otrivine as they just cannot breathe without it. We try our best to replace them with other safer medications but it never seems as good to the patient. So in the end, surgery may be the only option left for such patients.
6. Nasal Steroid Spray
Nasal steroid sprays such as Avamys or Nasonex may help to control any allergic reaction inside your nose. By doing so, it may help to relieve your Eustachian tube irritation. In this way, hopefully your blocked ear and blocked nose problems feel better.
Many people worry about long-term use of nasal steroids but they are quite safe. I do have to tell you though that they can sometimes cause nosebleeds and a dry nose. But once you stop using them for a while, this usually gets better. Nasal steroids do work.
If the above measures still don't help to relieve your blocked ear, blocked nose problem, then it's time to see your friendly ENT specialist in Singapore for a proper check-up!
About Dr Annabelle Leong
Dr Annabelle Leong 梁翠娟
Senior Consultant ENT Surgeon
MBBS (Hons) (London), BSc (Hons);
DOHNS, MRCS (England), FRCS ORL-HNS (England)
Dr Annabelle Leong is a senior consultant ENT surgeon with more than 25 years of experience across the United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore. From childhood ENT concerns to hearing, balance and sleep problems in adults, she provides care across a broad range of ear, nose and throat conditions.
Known for being a patient and attentive listener, Dr Annabelle takes a sensible, holistic approach to care, considering the wider picture before recommending treatment. She favours conservative options where appropriate, with surgery considered when clinically indicated and appropriate for the patient’s overall care.