What to do if your ears are blocked

Many people feel that there is always a blockage in their ears, and their ears feel stuffy. Most of these symptoms are caused by lesions due to the blockage of the ear canal contour, including foreign body infection in the external auditory canal, water in the ears, inflammation and tumors in the ears. It is necessary to check the ear canal regularly and do before and after inspections.

Causes and common diseases 1. External ear lesions

Any pathological changes that can cause blockage of the external auditory canal can produce a feeling of stuffiness in the ears, such as ① earwax blockage, especially when earwax completely blocks the external auditory canal; ② furuncle in the external auditory canal. Large furuncle can block the external auditory canal; ③ foreign body in the external auditory canal. Children like to stuff erasers, mung beans, plastic beads, etc. into the external auditory canal when playing, while adults often have insects flying into the external auditory canal in summer; ④ common external auditory canal tumors, such as external auditory canal papilloma.

2. Middle ear lesions

The main cause of ear congestion is Eustachian tube disease. If you have a cold, rhinitis, nasal polyps or other diseases, the mucous membrane of the opening of the Eustachian tube on the nasal side will swell and the Eustachian tube will not be able to open. The tympanic cavity will become an airtight cavity. Over time, the air inside will be absorbed by the mucous membrane, and the tympanic cavity will become a negative pressure, which will cause ear stuffiness. Common lesions that cause Eustachian tube dysfunction include: ① Acute rhinitis: that is, the common cold, when the nasal mucosa becomes congested and swollen, causing the Eustachian tube pharyngeal opening to be narrowed; ② Chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps, severe nasal septum deviation, etc. can also cause the Eustachian tube pharyngeal opening to be narrowed and blocked; ③ Adenoids hypertrophy. Adenoids are lymphoid tissue located in the nasopharynx. They are often larger in children and gradually shrink with age. Sometimes excessive adenoids hypertrophy can block the Eustachian tube opening; ④ Congenital cleft palate. Patients with cleft palate have difficulty opening the Eustachian tube pharyngeal opening due to abnormal function of the levator veli palatini and tensor veli palatini muscles; ⑤ Nasopharyngeal tumors. Benign nasopharyngeal tumors are mainly nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, and malignant tumors are mainly nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

3. Inner ear diseases

It is mainly caused by membranous labyrinth lesions. The most important inner ear lesion that causes ear stuffiness is Meniere's disease. The main symptoms of the disease are ear stuffiness, tinnitus, paroxysmal vertigo and fluctuating hearing loss.

Differential diagnosis 1. Ear obstruction

Ear blockage is a symptom of sudden deafness, and the feeling of ear blockage usually occurs before deafness. Sudden deafness (hereinafter referred to as sudden deafness) is a sudden sensorineural deafness of unknown cause, also known as sudden deafness. The disease develops rapidly, progresses rapidly, and the effectiveness of treatment is directly related to the time of consultation, so it should be regarded as an otolaryngological emergency.

2. A feeling of blockage in the ear

The feeling of occlusion in the ear means that the ear is blocked by a ball of cotton, resulting in hearing loss. Tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of blockage in the ear are common symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma occurs in the lateral wall of the nasopharynx. The tumor compresses the Eustachian tube, which can cause unilateral tinnitus or hearing loss, and secretory otitis media.