What causes ear cramps and pain in cold weather. How can you prevent ear discomfort during winter. What are the symptoms of ear-related issues in cold temperatures. When should you seek medical attention for ear pain.

Understanding Ear Cramps and Pain: An Overview

Ear cramps and pain can be uncomfortable and sometimes alarming experiences, especially when they occur in cold weather. These sensations can range from mild discomfort to severe pain, affecting the outer ear, middle ear, or even deeper structures. Understanding the causes and symptoms of ear-related issues is crucial for proper management and prevention.

Ear pain in cold weather is a common phenomenon that many people experience. But why does it happen? The primary reason is the effect of cold temperatures on the sensitive structures of the ear. When exposed to cold air, blood vessels in the ear constrict, potentially leading to reduced blood flow and nerve irritation. This physiological response can result in the characteristic aching or cramping sensation many associate with cold-weather ear pain.

Common Causes of Outer Ear Pain

Outer ear pain can stem from various conditions, some of which are exacerbated by cold weather. Here are some common causes:

Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa)

Swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the ear canal that runs from the eardrum to the outer ear opening. Despite its name, it’s not exclusively related to swimming. Cold weather can contribute to its development by causing micro-cracks in the skin of the ear canal, allowing bacteria to enter.

• Symptoms: Redness, itching, discomfort, and possible clear fluid drainage
• Causes: Bacteria, fungus, or viruses introduced into the ear canal
• Risk factors: Narrow ear canals (common in children), frequent ear cleaning with cotton swabs

Is swimmer’s ear serious? While initially mild, swimmer’s ear can quickly worsen if left untreated. The infection can spread, leading to intense pain, increased drainage, swelling, fever, and potential hearing loss. Early treatment is crucial to prevent complications.

Frostbite and Frostnip of the Ears

In extremely cold conditions, the ears are susceptible to frostbite and its milder form, frostnip. These conditions occur when the skin and underlying tissues freeze due to exposure to freezing temperatures.

• Mild frostbite symptoms: Swelling, numbness, pain, and redness of the ear
• Frostnip symptoms: Ear numbness, pain, redness, and possible color changes (turning blue or purple)

How can you differentiate between frostbite and frostnip? Frostnip is a milder condition that doesn’t cause permanent damage. The skin may feel cold and numb but will warm up and regain normal sensation relatively quickly. Frostbite, on the other hand, involves freezing of the skin and underlying tissues, potentially causing long-term damage if not treated promptly.

Ear-Related Conditions Aggravated by Cold Weather

Some ear conditions can be exacerbated by cold temperatures, leading to increased discomfort or pain:

Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare disorder affecting cartilage and other tissues throughout the body, including the ears. Cold weather can potentially trigger or worsen symptoms in some individuals.

• Characteristics: Defects in cartilage and connective tissues
• Affected areas: Ears, nose, eyes, joints, and respiratory tract
• Symptom variability: Wide range of symptoms depending on the case

How does relapsing polychondritis affect the ears? In cases involving the ears, individuals may experience pain, redness, and swelling of the ear cartilage. These symptoms can be more pronounced or noticeable in cold weather due to the effect of temperature on inflammation and blood flow.

Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)

Eczema is a chronic skin condition that can affect various parts of the body, including the ears. Cold weather often exacerbates eczema symptoms due to the drying effect on the skin.

• Nature: Non-contagious, chronic skin condition
• Cause: Genetic factors affecting the skin’s protective barrier
• Symptoms: Itchy rash, dry skin, potential cracking or bleeding

Can eczema occur on the ears? Yes, eczema can affect the skin of the outer ear and ear canal. In cold weather, the skin may become drier and more prone to irritation, leading to increased itching, redness, and potential ear pain or discomfort.

The Impact of Cold Weather on Ear Health

Cold weather can have various effects on ear health, beyond just causing discomfort or pain. Understanding these impacts can help in taking appropriate preventive measures:

1. Reduced blood flow: Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, potentially reducing blood flow to the ears
2. Nerve sensitivity: Cold can increase nerve sensitivity, leading to heightened pain perception
3. Dry skin: Cold air often has low humidity, which can dry out the skin in and around the ears
4. Increased risk of infection: Dry, cracked skin can provide entry points for bacteria, increasing infection risk

Does cold weather directly cause ear infections? While cold weather itself doesn’t cause ear infections, it can create conditions that make infections more likely. The drying effect on the skin and mucous membranes can reduce the body’s natural defenses against pathogens.

Preventing Ear Discomfort in Cold Weather

Taking proactive steps to protect your ears during cold weather can help prevent discomfort and potential health issues:

• Wear appropriate ear protection: Use earmuffs, hats, or headbands that cover the ears
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help maintain skin hydration
• Use a humidifier: Combat dry indoor air with a humidifier in your home or office
• Avoid prolonged exposure: Limit time spent outdoors in extremely cold conditions
• Keep ears dry: If ears get wet, dry them thoroughly to prevent moisture-related issues

Are there specific ear drops for cold weather protection? While there aren’t ear drops specifically designed for cold weather protection, using a few drops of mineral oil or glycerin in the ears before exposure to cold can help create a protective barrier. However, consult with a healthcare professional before using any substances in your ears.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Ear Pain

While some ear discomfort in cold weather is normal, certain symptoms warrant medical attention:

• Severe or persistent pain
• Signs of infection (fever, discharge, severe swelling)
• Sudden hearing loss or significant changes in hearing
• Dizziness or balance problems
• Symptoms of frostbite (skin discoloration, numbness, blistering)

Should you see a doctor for every instance of ear pain in cold weather? Not necessarily. Mild discomfort that resolves quickly after warming up is usually not a cause for concern. However, if you experience recurrent or severe pain, or if the pain is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s best to consult a healthcare provider for proper evaluation and treatment.

Treatment Options for Cold-Related Ear Issues

Treatment for cold-related ear problems depends on the specific condition and severity. Here are some general approaches:

Home Remedies

• Warm compresses: Apply to the affected ear to improve blood circulation
• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help manage pain
• Gentle massage: Carefully massage the area around the ear to promote blood flow

Medical Treatments

For more severe or persistent issues, medical treatments may include:

• Antibiotics: Prescribed for bacterial infections like severe cases of swimmer’s ear
• Ear drops: Medicated drops to address inflammation or infection
• Corticosteroids: In some cases, to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain
• Specialized treatments: For conditions like frostbite or relapsing polychondritis

How long does it take for cold-related ear pain to resolve? The duration can vary depending on the cause and severity. Mild discomfort often resolves within hours of warming up. However, if pain persists for more than a day or worsens, it’s important to seek medical advice.

Long-Term Ear Health in Cold Climates

For individuals living in or frequently visiting cold climates, maintaining long-term ear health is crucial. Consider these strategies:

1. Regular check-ups: Schedule annual ear examinations with a healthcare provider
2. Proper ear hygiene: Avoid excessive cleaning and protect ears from moisture
3. Climate adaptation: Gradually acclimate to temperature changes when possible
4. Invest in quality cold-weather gear: Choose ear protection designed for extreme conditions
5. Be aware of occupational risks: Take extra precautions if your job involves prolonged cold exposure

Can repeated exposure to cold weather cause permanent ear damage? While occasional exposure to cold is unlikely to cause lasting harm, repeated or prolonged exposure without proper protection can potentially lead to chronic issues or increased sensitivity. It’s important to take preventive measures and listen to your body’s signals.

Understanding the causes and effects of ear cramps and pain in cold weather empowers individuals to take appropriate preventive measures and seek timely medical attention when needed. By following proper ear care practices and protecting the ears from extreme cold, most people can enjoy winter activities without significant ear-related discomfort or health concerns.

6 Outer Ear Pain Causes

Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa)

Swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the canal which runs from the eardrum to the opening of the ear.

It is caused by anything that introduces bacteria, fungus, or a virus into the canal. Water that stays inside the ear after swimming is a common cause, as are cotton swabs used for cleaning or earpieces that create irritation.

Most susceptible are children, because they have narrower ear canals that do not drain well.

Early symptoms include redness, itching, and discomfort inside the ear canal, sometimes with drainage of clear fluid.

Even mild symptoms should be treated because they can quickly get worse. The infection can spread and intensify, becoming very painful with increased drainage, swelling, fever, and loss of hearing.

Diagnosis is made through patient history and physical examination of the ear canal. Lab tests may be done on a sample of the discharge from the ear.

Treatment includes having a medical provider clean the ear canal of debris and discharge, and a prescription for antibiotic and/or steroid eardrops.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: fever, ear canal pain, ear fullness/pressure, jaw pain, ear pain that gets worse when moving

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Relapsing polychondritis

Relapsing polychondritis is a disorder in which defects develop in cartilage and other tissues throughout the body, including the ears, nose, eyes, joints, and respiratory tract. It is considered a rare condition.

Symptoms vary widely by case, but you may experie…

Mild frostbite of the ears

Frostbite is tissue damage caused by exposure to the cold (at or below 32F or 0C). It is most commonly found in people doing leisurely activities like camping, hunting, or snow sports. It is also more likely in those who are intoxicated or have a mental disorder.

Rarity: Rare

Top Symptoms: swollen ear, ear numbness, outer ear pain, ear redness, turning blue or purple from coldness

Symptoms that always occur with mild frostbite of the ears: cold ears

Urgency: Hospital emergency room

Mild frostnip of the ears

Frostnip is damage of the outermost layers of the skin caused by exposure to the cold (at or below 32F or 0C). It is most commonly found in people doing leisurely activities like camping, hunting, or snow sports.

Rarity: Rare

Top Symptoms: ear numbness, outer ear pain, ear redness, turning blue or purple from coldness, cold ears

Symptoms that always occur with mild frostnip of the ears: cold ears

Urgency: In-person visit

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the deep layers of the skin. It can appear anywhere on the body but is most common on the feet, lower legs, and face.

The condition can develop if Staphylococcus bacteria enter broken skin through a cut, scrape, or existing skin infection such as impetigo or eczema.

Most susceptible are those with a weakened immune system, as from corticosteroids or chemotherapy, or with impaired circulation from diabetes or any vascular disease.

Symptoms arise somewhat gradually and include sore, reddened skin.

If not treated, the infection can become severe, form pus, and destroy the tissue around it. In rare cases, the infection can cause blood poisoning or meningitis.

Symptom of severe pain, fever, cold sweats, and fast heartbeat should be seen immediately by a medical provider.

Diagnosis is made through physical examination.

Treatment consists of antibiotics, keeping the wound clean, and sometimes surgery to remove any dead tissue. Cellulitis often recurs, so it is important to treat any underlying conditions and improve the immune system with rest and good nutrition.

Rarity: Uncommon

Top Symptoms: fever, chills, facial redness, swollen face, face pain

Symptoms that always occur with cellulitis: facial redness, area of skin redness

Urgency: Primary care doctor

Eczema (atopic dermatitis)

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a non-contagious chronic skin condition that produces an itchy rash. It is caused by a genetic condition that affects the skin’s ability to protect itself from bacteria and allergens. The most susceptible are those with a family hi…

What To Know About Ear Pain In Cold Weather

It’s winter, which means it’s time to break out the heavy coats, scarves, mittens, boots, and earmuffs! We know from experience that going without these crucial items on days when the temperature drops below freezing can result in a variety of aches, pains, and illnesses, from the common cold to an intense earache. But the question we ask is: why do I get extreme ear pain in cold weather? 

If you’ve ever been outside without something covering your ears on a particularly chilly day with freezing winds, you’re probably familiar with that sharp, deep, aching pain in your ears that comes with the territory. But you might not know what it is about cold weather that causes this extreme ear pain.

Can the Weather Really Affect Your Ears?

Absolutely. Cold, dry weather is abrasive to any part of your body, but especially to a part as sensitive and defenseless as your ears. The nerves within your ears run deeply beneath your skin, so any pain that gets in is going to travel just as deep, which is part of what makes this pain so emergent and unbearable in some cases. It also doesn’t help that you don’t want your ears to be too dry or too wet since fluid can cause ear infections while being too dried out will make them more sensitive to pain; be cautious of extreme ear pain in cold weather.

Why Do My Ears Hurt When It’s Cold Outside?

There are a few reasons why freezing weather can cause deep pain in our ears:

1. There’s virtually no fat on our ears, so there’s no protection against the elements if we don’t cover them with earmuffs, a hat, or a scarf.
2. This lack of protection makes it easy for abrasive winds to cause intense sensory nerve pain, which is what causes that deep ache and sharp pain we’re familiar with.
3. If you spend too much time outside in cold weather, it can dry out your throat, which can lead to coughing and congestion. This can then cause an upper respiratory infection, which could travel to your ears and become a painful ear infection. This is a much more indirect way the cold can affect your ears, but it’s still a common occurrence.

Additionally, water within the ear canal can lead to inflammation and irritation, only adding to their sensitivity and risk for infection when subjected to cold weather for any length of time.

What Do You Do When Your Ear Hurts From Cold Weather?

Preventative Measures

First and foremost, you want to try to prevent this pain and lower your infection risk. You can do so by limiting the amount of time you spend outside in the cold, but we all know that isn’t always avoidable this time of year. Kids want to play in the snow, adults have to go to work, shovel, or shop, and everyone still has to go about their daily lives.

Instead, you can prevent ear pain by protecting those sensitive appendages with a hat, a scarf, or earmuffs. The more you barricade your ears against cold winds and frigid air, the less likely you are to experience that deep, sharp pain that drives people crazy! Not to mention, doing so will also help you avoid getting sick in other ways, which will simultaneously help reduce the chances for an infection to get to your ears.

After the Fact

If you either didn’t use the preventative measures or have found yourself in a situation where the pain was unavoidable, the best thing you can try to do is warm up quickly. If you’re able to get inside a heated space, do so. Your ears will be tender, but try to cover them with anything you can, including your hands, an article of clothing, etc. If you’re in a position to do so, take a hot bath or shower to rapidly warm them. It might feel like they’re burning a bit on the outside as they readjust to warmer temperatures, but the ache will relieve itself fairly quickly.

Protect Your Ears and Limit Time Outside!

The best thing you can do during the coldest months of the year is to stay inside as much as you’re able to and fortify yourself when you have to brave the elements. Don’t skimp on warm accessories for yourself or your loved ones, and pay attention to any signs your body gives you that it’s reaching its limit!

Do you or someone in your family need a family practitioner in the Beaumont area? Give us a call at 409-419-6884 or visit Beaumont Dermatology & Family Practice and take a look at some of the services we provide.

Ear Pain in Children: What You Should Know

Ear infections and ear fluid are the most common illnesses in childhood other than colds. If your child has ever had an ear infection, you know how painful it can be.

Most ear problems in children can be divided into two types. The first is known as acute otitis media (AOM), which means there is acutely infected fluid behind the eardrum. The second is otitis media with effusion (OME), which is when there is fluid in the middle ear that is not infected.

The facts about ear infections

• Both AOM and OME are often associated with viral upper respiratory infections and therefore typically occur in fall, winter and spring.
• Over 80 percent of children in the United States will have at least one episode of AOM by their second birthday, and 90 percent will have had OME by age 5.
• OME can be seen during the resolution of AOM or can occur on its own.
• Some children have recurrent AOM and chronic OME between infections.

Causes of ear pain

When a child is experiencing ear pain, it does not necessarily mean there is an infection. There are other common causes of ear pain in children, such as teething, nasal congestion and throat inflammation. A complete physical exam is necessary to make the diagnosis.

Acute otitis media  

Symptoms of acute otitis media

When a child has AOM, the most common symptoms include:

• ear pain
• fever
• irritability
• poor sleep
• decrease in hearing
• ear drainage (occasionally)

Treating acute otitis media

AOM is typically treated with oral antibiotics. Watchful waiting is appropriate in some milder cases, with antibiotics given if symptoms or physical findings worsen at additional doctor’s exams.

Complications of acute otitis media

There are some complications that can occur because of AOM but are relatively uncommon. Those include perforation of the eardrum, spread of infection to the surrounding skull bone (mastoiditis), spread of infection to the brain, and facial palsy. These complications were more common in the days before antibiotics. If these conditions do occur, though, they require more aggressive treatments, such as intravenous antibiotic therapy and urgent surgery.

Risk factors of acute otitis media

Some children may have risk factors that make it more likely they will experience recurrent ear infections. Those include:

• first ear infection before six months of age
• family history of ear infections
• immune deficiencies
• going to bed with a bottle
• tobacco smoke exposure
• large group daycare attendance.

Reducing the risk of AOM

There are ways that you can reduce the chances of your child developing AOM. Breastfeeding during infancy may reduce the risk of AOM in some children. Pneumococcal and flu vaccines can reduce infections related to those organisms. Also, frequent washing of hands and toys may reduce chances of getting a cold which may lead to an ear infection.

Otitis media with effusion

The most common symptom of OME is hearing loss, with or without ear pain; however, it can be present with no significant symptoms. It may be diagnosed unexpectedly by a failed screening hearing test at school or at the pediatrician’s office.

OME can resolve on its own spontaneously and can be monitored without intervention in many children if not associated with ear pain or hearing loss that interferes with daily functioning. Medical treatment can be tried in children older than two years of age, and is aimed at reducing nasal congestion, therefore helping the ears to “pop” and clear fluid more easily.

Because good hearing is an important factor in speech and language development, OME is treated more aggressively in children with speech delay. Children with cleft palate or Down syndrome are at higher risk of persistent OME and speech delay and are more likely to require placement of ear tubes than the general population.

Ear Tubes

Because ear infections and ear fluid are the most common illnesses in childhood other than colds, the insertion of ear tubes (also called pressure equalizing or ventilating tubes), is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States.

To insert ear tubes, a child is placed under general anesthesia and the ear surgeon uses a microscope for the procedure. The procedure itself typically takes less than 15 minutes. The vast majority of children are back to their usual activities by the next day.

The tubes prevent the accumulation of middle ear fluid. This helps to reduce the number of infections and improve hearing. They typically stay in place for about a year, and most come out on their own.

When should a child have ear tubes inserted?

The recommendation for ear tube insertion may vary depending on each child’s history and physical condition. Ear tubes are recommended when a child has:

1. recurrent AOM with OME between infections: four episodes in 6 months, or 6 episodes in 1 year, or fewer if complicated by eardrum perforation, speech delay, febrile seizures, allergies to or side effects from antibiotic treatment
2. an ongoing episode of AOM that does not respond to treatment
3. chronic OME with hearing loss lasting three months or more
4. chronic OME of shorter duration if associated with speech delay, Down syndrome, cleft palate, concern for underlying nerve hearing loss, balance problems, behavioral problems, poor school performance or chronic ear pain

We know how painful these conditions can be. If your child is experiencing ear pain, please contact your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible.

Local treatment for ear infections and ear pain in children

If your child is having pain with ear drainage, hearing loss, or recurrent infections, please contact the ear, nose and throat specialists at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

Leg Pain | Advocare Aroesty Ear, Nose & Throat Associates

Is this your symptom?

Causes

There are many possible causes of leg pain. Some common minor causes are:

• Muscle overuse
• Muscle strain
• Muscle aches that occur with the common cold, the flu, and other viral illnesses.

Often leg pain can be from arthritis in one of the joints of the leg. Arthritis means joint (“arthr”) inflammation (“itis”). It can occur in the hip, knee, ankle, foot, and toe joints. Pain is worse with walking or moving the inflamed joint. The most common forms of arthritis are:

• Gout: This type of arthritis happens to some people because of a build-up of uric acid crystals in the joints. Pain from gout or gouty arthritis comes on suddenly. A person will notice rapid onset of severe pain, redness, and swelling in one joint.
• Osteoarthritis: This is also called “wear and tear” arthritis. It is the most common type of arthritis. As people get older the cartilage in the joints wears down. This type of arthritis often affects both sides of the body equally. The joints hurt and feel stiff. Osteoarthritis is seen more often after age 50. Nearly everyone will get some degree of wear and tear arthritis as they get older.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is a rare type of arthritis. It usually affects both sides of the body. In addition to pain, there can be joint redness, swelling, stiffness, and warmth. Special blood tests are needed to diagnose this type of arthritis.

Other causes of leg pain include:

• Bursitis
• Cellulitis (skin infection)
• Claudication (pain that occurs with walking from poor blood flow)
• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in leg)
• Herpes zoster (shingles)
• Phantom limb pain (pain in missing part of leg after amputation)
• Sciatica (buttock and leg pain from a pinched sciatic nerve)
• Tendinitis

When Should You Seek Medical Help Right Away?

Here are some signs that the leg pain might be serious. You should seek medical help right away if:

• Signs of infection occur (such as spreading redness, red streak, warmth)
• Joint swelling with fever
• One calf is swollen or painful

Pain Scale

• None: No pain. Pain score is 0 on a scale of 0 to 10.
• Mild: The pain does not keep you from work, school, or other normal activities. Pain score is 1-3 on a scale of 0 to 10.
• Moderate: The pain keeps you from working or going to school. It wakes you up from sleep. Pain score is 4-7 on a scale of 0 to 10.
• Severe: The pain is very bad. It may be worse than any pain you have had before. It keeps you from doing any normal activities. Pain score is 8-10 on a scale of 0 to 10.

When to Call for Leg Pain

Care Advice

Mild Leg Pain

1. What You Should Know:
   • Leg pain can be caused by many things. Muscle aches can occur with the common cold, the flu, and other viral illnesses. Muscle strain and overuse can cause leg pain. Muscle cramps can cause brief leg pains. Leg pain can also be caused by arthritis, varicose veins, or a pinched nerve in the back (sciatica).
   • The best way to treat leg pain will depend on the exact cause.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. What to Expect:
   • Muscle aches from the common cold, the flu, and other viral illness most often last just 2 to 3 days.
   • Minor muscle strain and overuse should start to get better in a couple days. The pain should go away within one week.
   • Pain and stiffness from osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) can be chronic. That is, it can last weeks, months or years. Sometimes the pain can flare up and then get better after a couple days.
   • What to expect in other cases will depend on the cause of pain.
3. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Severe pain
   • Pain keeps you from doing normal activities (such as school, work)
   • Pain lasts more than 7 days
   • Signs of infection occur (such as spreading redness, red streak, warmth)
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

Muscle Strain or Overuse

1. What You Should Know – Muscle Strain:
   • A muscle strain occurs from over-stretching or tearing a muscle. People often call this a “pulled muscle”. This muscle injury can occur while playing a sport or lifting something. Sometimes it can also occur while doing normal activities.
   • People often describe a sharp pain or popping when the muscle strain occurs. The muscle pain worsens when moving the leg.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. What You Should Know – Overuse:
   • Sore muscles are common following vigorous activity (such as running, sports, weight lifting, moving furniture). This can happen when your body is not used to this amount of activity.
   • The muscles often feel achy and sore all over.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
3. Apply a Cold Pack:
   • Apply a cold pack or an ice bag (wrapped in a moist towel) to the area for 20 minutes. Repeat this in 1 hour and then every 4 hours while awake.
   • Do this for the first 48 hours after an injury.
   • This will help decrease pain and swelling.
4. Apply Heat to the Area:
   • Beginning 48 hours after an injury, apply a warm washcloth or heating pad for 10 minutes, three times a day.
   • This will help increase blood flow and improve healing.
   • Caution: avoid burns. Make sure it is warm, not hot. Never sleep on, or with, a heating pad.
5. Hot Shower:
   • If stiffness lasts over 48 hours, relax in a hot shower twice a day.
   • Gently move the leg under the falling water.
6. Rest vs. Movement:
   • Rest the leg as much as possible for the first day or two.
   • Staying active helps muscle healing more than resting does.
   • Continue normal activities as much as your pain permits.
   • Avoid heavy lifting and active sports for 1 to 2 weeks or until the pain and swelling are gone.
7. What to Expect:
   • Minor muscle strain and overuse should start to get better in a couple days.
   • The pain should go away within one week.
8. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Severe pain
   • Pain keeps you from doing normal activities (such as school, work)
   • Pain lasts more than 7 days
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

Muscle Cramps

1. What You Should Know:
   • Muscle cramps can occur in the calves and thighs.
   • Heat cramps are a type of muscle cramp that happens during exercise on a hot day.
   • You can stop a muscle cramp by stretching the muscle. If you have a heat muscle cramp, you should drink extra fluids and eat something salty.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Stretch the Muscle During an Attack:
   • During attacks, you can break the muscle spasm by stretching the muscle. Stretch the muscle in the opposite direction of how it is being pulled by the spasm.
   • For example, for a calf cramp, pull the foot and toes upwards as far as they will go.
3. Drink Fluids for Heat Cramps:
   • Drink 1 cup (8 oz; 240 mL) of cold water every 15 minutes for the next 2 hours. Also eat some salty foods (such as potato chips or pretzels).
   • Or, drink a sports – rehydration drink (such as Gatorade or Powerade).
4. Prevention:
   • Daily exercises that stretch the heel cords may prevent future attacks.
   • Stand with the knees straight. Then, stretch the ankles by leaning forward against a wall.
5. What to Expect:
   • Muscle cramps usually last 5 to 30 minutes. Once the muscle cramp stops, the muscle returns to normal quickly. The pain should go away completely.
   • If you have frequent muscle cramps, talk with your doctor. Sometimes the doctor can give medicines to help stop the muscle cramps.
6. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Calf swelling or constant leg pain occur
   • Signs of infection occur (such as spreading redness, red streak, warmth)
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

Varicose Veins

1. What You Should Know:
   • Varicose veins look like bulging (“worm-like”) blue blood vessels in the thigh and lower leg.
   • People with varicose veins sometimes have mild achy pain in their legs after a long day of standing or walking. The pain should go away with rest and leg elevation.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Varicose Veins – Treatment:
   • Try to rest and elevate your legs above your heart a couple times each day for 15 minutes.
   • Walking is good for your blood flow. It helps pump the blood out of the veins.
   • Avoid standing in one place for a long time.
   • Wear support hose or stockings.
   • If you are overweight, talk with your doctor about a weight loss program.
3. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Severe pain occurs
   • Calf swelling or constant calf pain occur
   • Signs of infection occur (such as spreading redness, red streak, warmth)
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

Over-the-Counter Pain Medicines

1. Pain Medicine:
   • You can take one of the following drugs if you have pain: acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve).
   • They are over-the-counter (OTC) pain drugs. You can buy them at the drugstore.
   • Use the lowest amount of a drug that makes your pain feel better.
   • Acetaminophen is safer than ibuprofen or naproxen in people over 65 years old.
   • Read the instructions and warnings on the package insert for all medicines you take.
2. Call Your Doctor If:
   • You have more questions
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

And remember, contact your doctor if you develop any of the ‘Call Your Doctor’ symptoms.

​Three ways to ease your ear pain

You wake up one morning with a sharp pain in your ear. You make a doctor’s appointment for that afternoon, but your ear still hurts. You go on the Internet and read about a lot of different ear treatments. But are any of them safe?

Why does my ear hurt?

Before you do anything to help your ear pain, it’s important to go to a doctor and find out the cause first rather than self-diagnose.

Ear infections are the most common cause of ear pain among children and young adults, and are usually caused by bacteria moving into the ear. However, it’s important to note that there are many causes for earaches – particularly in adults – such as referred pain from allergies, sinuses, toothaches, or even cancer.

If you don’t go to the doctor for a correct diagnosis and medical care you run the risk of making yourself sicker. Untreated ear infections, for example, can spread to other parts of the body, and can cause ear damage or dangerously high fevers.

If you have pain and significant hearing loss or dizziness, that’s an indication you should go straight to an ENT instead of a primary care doctor, CEENTA Otolaryngologist Timothy Kelly, MD, said.

While there is a variety of ear pain remedies online, Dr. Kelly said you should avoid ones that involve putting anything in your ear because you could cause yourself further harm.

“For example, if you have an ear infection and your eardrum bursts, you could potentially be putting dirty material into your middle ear,” Dr. Kelly said.

One thing you should definitely not do is use ear candles, Dr. Kelly said. The American Academy of Otolaryngology has come out against them because not only are they ineffective, but they can worsen your condition and cause serious injury.

How can I ease my ear pain?

If you are looking to safely ease your pain or discomfort, there are three remedies you can try at home:

Take over-the-counter medicine: pain medicine like ibuprofen or aspirin can help relieve the pain of an earache. However, it’s not safe to give aspirin to babies and young children, so consult a doctor before giving painkillers to your children.

Use a heating pad: Heat can reduce pain if you have a muscle spasm. Make sure it is not unbearably hot, you don’t leave on it for more than 20 minutes, and you never fall asleep with it on. If your child uses a heating pad, make sure they have adult supervision.

Use a cold pack: Conversely, some find that a cold pack offers more relief if the pain is from inflammation. Make sure to never apply ice or a cold pack directly to the skin, and make sure it’s not so cold it hurts.

Heat or cold will work best if you determine which type of pain you have. Some people find alternating heat and cold also relieves pain.

While care from one of CEENTA’s ENT doctors is the premier way to treat ear issues, these remedies are a good way to ease some of your discomfort while that care kicks in.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your physician. To make an appointment for an ear exam, call 704-295-3000.

Eye, Ear, Oral, Dental, and Throat Pain

US Pharm. 2013;38(3):8-11.

The typical community pharmacist answers questions from
hundreds of patients with conditions causing pain every year. These
include headache, muscle and joint pain, stomach pain, and a host of
other issues. Some of these patients experience pain in the eyes, ears,
mouth, teeth, and throat. It is critical to know which of these may be
self-treated and which should be referred for a more thorough
examination by a physician or dentist.

Eye Pain

Eye pain is never amenable to self-treatment.¹
Every nonprescription eye care product, whether for dry eye, allergic
conjunctivitis, or red eye, carries a label warning against use in the
presence of ophthalmic pain.¹ The reason for this strict
prohibition against self-treatment becomes clear when considering the
potential causes of eye pain. Some are infectious, such as an ophthalmic
or sinus infection, a stye, inflammation/infection of the upper and/or
lower eyelids, viral conjunctivitis, or other viral infections (e. g.,
influenza).² The patient may have eye burns, which can result
from working with an arc welder without protective eyewear. Eye pain
may also be caused by migraine, glaucoma, use of contact lenses, or a
recent ophthalmic surgical procedure. A look at this list reveals that
appropriate treatment consists of an immediate appointment with a
physician, as many of the potential causes are progressive conditions
and could lead to irreversible destruction of the visual field (e.g.,
untreated glaucoma).

Ear Pain

As in the case of eye pain, pharmacists should always
refer patients with ear pain to a physician. The only safe and effective
non-prescription otic products are for impacted earwax and
water-clogged ears.¹ These conditions are not common causes
of overt otic pain, and all products sold for them carry a warning
against use if ear pain is present.¹ Ear pain may be due to
an acute or chronic infection of the ear, or may be referred pain from
an infection of the throat, sinus, or a tooth. ³ Arthritis of
the jaw or temporo-mandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) can be causal. The
patient may have an ear injury caused by high altitudes, a ruptured or
perforated tympanic membrane, or an object stuck in the ear canal.

Oral Pain

Oral pain differs from ophthalmic and otic pain in that
judicious questioning by the pharmacist can allow recognition of several
self-treatable conditions. The pharmacist should ask about the source
of the pain. Intraoral pain can arise from the tongue, gingiva, hard or
soft palate, or inner lip area. The duration of the pain is also
critical to explore.

Canker Sores: Canker sores, or recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), are extremely painful oral lesions of uncertain etiology.^1,4
Their usual location is the tongue or inside surfaces of the cheeks or
lips. RAS can be recognized by the following characteristics: roundish
and about a half inch in diameter with a shallow crater, a regular
border surrounded by a red halo, and a whitish-yellow interior.

Oral Injury: The
mouth is susceptible to many types of minor injuries. They include
burns from eating hot food; accidental bites of the cheek or lip; an
abrasion from hard food, a toothpick, or a toothbrush; lip lesions from
braces; and gum lesions from poorly fitted dentures.⁵ In
virtually all of these cases, the patient can clearly pinpoint the cause
of the injury and the approximate date that it occurred.

Sore Mouth: A
number of lozenges, sprays, and strips for sore throat also include the
vague indication “for sore mouth.” If a patient complains of sore mouth
in the absence of canker sores, burns, or injuries of any type, it may
be caused by a number of morbid conditions that are best referred to a
physician, including burning mouth syndrome (BMS).⁶
BMS is most often seen in middle-aged women, producing a painful
scalding sensation in the tongue, lips, palate, or entire intraoral
mucosa. Pain may be constant or intermittent. Potential etiologies
include perimenopausal and postmenopausal hormonal changes, damage to
nerves, xerostomia (due to various causes, e.g., Sjögren’s syndrome),
diabetes, gastric reflux, oral candidiasis, poorly fitted dentures, or
an allergic reaction to dental materials. These problems require a
physician to diagnose them and suggest a possible course of therapy.

Oral Ulcers of Unknown Cause: Patients
may ask the pharmacist for assistance with one or more painful
intraoral ulcers. In some cases, the patient has no history of canker
sores and cannot recall any specific injury that caused the lesion(s).
The patient should be asked if he or she uses dip or chewing tobacco.
Some users develop an intraoral tumor at the exact location where they
place their plug (“quid”) of tobacco. The pharmacist should also explore
the patient’s medical record for use of drugs that can induce oral
ulcers, such as aspirin, penicillin, sulfas, phenytoin, and
chemotherapy. ⁵ Oral ulcers may be caused by autoimmune
disorders (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus), blood dyscrasias,
infections, or compromised immune status. All of these situations are
potentially serious and must be referred without exception for physician
diagnosis.

Safely Treating Oral Pain: There
are several product categories to explore when confronted with oral
pain due to canker sores or minor injury. Products for canker sores
include Orabase, Benzodent, Orajel For All Mouth Sores, and Kank-A, all
containing 20% benzocaine.¹ They may be applied up to four
times daily. They also carry labeling for treating pain arising from
minor dental procedures, and irritation or pain from dentures or
orthodontic appliances. This particular group of products should not be
used by those under the age of 2 years. The patient should cease use and
see a physician or dentist in the following situations: if the symptoms
fail to improve in one week; if irritation, pain or redness persist or
worsen; and if inflammation, rash, or fever develops.

Teething: Teething pain is caused by the pressure of teeth erupting through the gingiva in babies, toddlers, and adults (third molars).^1,7
Baby teething products typically contain benzocaine 5% to 20%, which is
safe and effective for this use, applied up to four times daily. If the
child also has fever, diarrhea, or nasal congestion, he or she should
be taken to a physician. Products with 7.5% benzocaine include Baby
Orajel Gel and Teething Swabs and Baby Anbesol. Baby Orajel Nighttime
contains 10% benzocaine.¹

Topical use of benzocaine carries a risk of
methemoglobinemia (a rare blood disorder characterized by pale or
blue-colored lips and skin, shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, and
tachycardia), especially in those under 2 years of age. For this
reason, the FDA recommends against use of benzo-caine in children under 2
years unless directed by a physician.⁸

Dental Pain

Dental pain may be caused by dentinal hypersensitivity,
which may be self-treated under certain circumstances, or by toothache,
which is not self-treatable.

Dentinal Hypersensitivity: This
is a condition in which patients experience pain when the teeth are
exposed to certain triggers, such as cold, hot, or sweet drinks; air
blasted on the tooth during a dental procedure; or the pressures of
dental cleaning.¹ A common cause is gingival recession
induced by abuse of tobacco products or by overzealous cleaning of the
teeth, especially with firm-bristle brushes. Toothpastes containing
potassium nitrate are safe and effective for hypersensitivity when used
twice daily in patients 12 years and older. However, patients should not
use the products longer than 4 weeks without making a dental
appointment to ensure that there is not a more serious condition causing
tooth pain. Products include Sensodyne, Crest Sensitivity, and Colgate
Sensitive.

Toothache: Patients seeking assistance with a toothache (unrelated to teething) require referral.^1,9
Possible causes for tooth pain include caries, a cracked tooth,
abscess, sinus infection, TMJ, or bruxism. A dentist can pinpoint the
underlying cause of pain. If the situation is resolved early, judicious
intervention may preserve the tooth. However, if caries proceeds without
correction, the situation may become irreversible, so that the tooth
will require a root canal or extraction. Although some Orajel and
Anbesol products claim efficacy for toothache, they only contain
benzocaine, some with added menthol. Benzocaine and menthol are not
proven to be safe or effective for this type of pain. Red Cross
Toothache contains eugenol, and eugenol can be dangerous to an exposed
nerve in a carious or cracked tooth. Thus, patients with toothaches
should be referred.

Throat Pain

Throat pain is another condition that requires pharmacist
exploration to determine whether the patient should be referred or may
self-treat. Potential infectious causes of sore throat are laryngitis,
mononucleosis, mumps, influenza, streptococcus, tonsillitis,
epiglottitis, uvulitis, sexually transmitted diseases (e. g., gonorrhea,
chlamydia), or the common cold.^1,10 Sore throat may be caused
by aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, or acute leukemia. If the pain has
lasted more than 7 days, it is often due to low humidity, smoking, air
pollution, sustained yelling, postnasal drip, mouth breathing, acid
reflux, a throat injury, or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Given the various and potentially serious possible
etiologies, the pharmacist should ensure that the cause of the sore
throat is related to the common cold, as this is the only etiology
innocuous enough to allow self-treatment. The facts can be determined by
asking patients about the presence of additional common cold symptoms,
such as nasal congestion and cough. If there are no other indications
that the patient has a cold, referral is the best course. Once the
pharmacist has determined that the sore throat is associated with other
symptoms of the common cold, self-treatment may be appropriate. However,
patients should be referred if the sore throat is severe, has persisted
for more than 2 days, or is accompanied or followed by difficulty in
breathing, headache, fever, rash, swelling, nausea, or vomiting.
Patients under the age of 2 years should also be referred. Safe and
effective ingredients in lozenges and/or sprays include menthol (e.g.,
Halls, N’ICE,), benzocaine (e.g., Cepacol Ultra), and dyclonine (e.g.,
Sucrets Classic).¹

PATIENT INFORMATION

Most people experience pain many times each year.
Sometimes these pains go away after a few days or less because they were
not due to a serious cause. An example is a tension headache, which can
be safely treated with Tylenol, Advil, or Aleve. In other cases, pain
is a warning that something dangerous is happening, such as an infection
or injury. If this is so, treating the pain without addressing its
cause is not a good move.

Treating Eye Pain

Pain in the eyes have many causes, from minor irritations
to conditions that can lead to blindness (e.g., untreated glaucoma). For
this reason, no nonprescription product is labeled for eye pain.
Further, all OTC eye drops carry a warning against their use if the
patient has eye pain. This pain is of such gravity that you would be
well advised to make an immediate appointment with your eye doctor if
dry eye, allergic conjunctivitis, or red eye is accompanied by pain.

Treating Ear Pain

Pain in the ear is similar to eye pain. You may have a
less serious condition, like swimmer’s ear (water-clogged ears), which
is self-treatable with ear drops containing alcohol (e.g., Swim-Ear).
However, the pain might arise from a more serious condition such as
otitis media, an infection of the middle ear, which should be treated
with an oral antibiotic, available only by prescription. You may also
require an antibiotic ear drop if the problem is outside the eardrum.
Never use old home remedies such as olive oil (sweet oil) to treat ear
infections. This oil is not effective and could be dangerous, as it is
not sterile.

Treating Oral Pain

Pain in the mouth, throat, and teeth is possibly
self-treatable. Canker sores on the tongue or inside the mouth can be
treated with topical anesthetics (e.g., Orajel), which contain
benzocaine. Teeth sensitive to hot or cold triggers, a condition known
as dentinal hypersensitivity, can be treated with special
toothpastes such as Sensodyne. A sore throat due to the common cold can
be treated with menthol lozenges (e.g., Halls Cough Drops) or benzocaine
sprays (e.g., Cepacol Ultra) that numb the linings of the mouth and
throat.

Pain from a toothache can be temporarily relieved with
products containing benzocaine (e.g., Anbesol). However, these products
only mask your pain and do not treat the underlying cause, such as a
cavity, so you must see a dentist as soon as possible to avoid
complications.

Read the Label of Nonprescription Products

When you have questions about pain, be sure to Consult Your Pharmacist.
Your pharmacist is specially trained to know which types of pain can be
safely self-treated and which types should be seen by a doctor or
dentist. Your pharmacist can also assist you in choosing a suitable
nonprescription product that is best for your situation. Some OTC pain
relievers should not be used if you are taking certain prescription
drugs, if you have specific medical conditions, or if your age is too
low or too high.

Remember, if you have questions, Consult Your Pharmacist.

REFERENCES

1. Pray WS. Nonprescription Product Therapeutics. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.

2. Eye pain. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003032.htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

3. Earache. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003046.htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

4. Canker sore. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000998.htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

5. Mouth sores. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003059. htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

6. Burning mouth syndrome. National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research.
www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/Burning/BurningMouthSyndrome.htm.
Accessed January 30, 2013.

7. Teething. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002045.htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

8. Benzocaine and babies: not a good mix. FDA Consumer
Updates. May 31, 2012.
www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm306062.htm. Accessed
February 25, 2013.

9. Toothaches. MedlinePlus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003067.htm. Accessed January 30, 2013.

10. Sore throat. WebMD. www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/tc/sore-throat-topic-overview. Accessed January 30, 2013.

11. How to take BC Powder. Prestige Brands, Inc. www.bcpowder.com/products/how-to-take-bc-powder. Accessed February 11, 2013.

To comment on this article, contact [email protected].

Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

Overview

What is airplane ear?

Airplane ear happens when your ears are affected by air pressure inside an airplane. Normally, air pressure inside and outside the ears is the same. However, when a plane takes off or starts its descent to land, the rapid change in altitude changes the air pressure inside the cabin.

When this happens, you may notice an uncomfortable pressure or blockage in the ears. Others may hear a pop within the ears or feel temporary pain. Once the ears adjust upon landing, airplane ear goes away. In a small number of cases, the pain or blocked feeling may remain. If this happens, you should talk to a healthcare provider.

How common is airplane ear?

Airplane ear is quite common, but it affects everyone differently. Some may feel pain, while others complain of only slight discomfort (or have no pain at all). If you have a cold or an ear infection, the symptoms may be even more uncomfortable.

Most people recover quickly from airplane ear once the plane has landed and air pressure has been equalized.

Symptoms and Causes

How does a person get airplane ear?

The Eustachian tubes are slim tubes that connect the ear with the nose and throat. They open and shut every time you swallow or yawn to keep the air pressure even between the ears and the nose/throat. If air pressure changes too quickly for the Eustachian tube to react, then there may be too little or too much air behind the ear drum. You can feel this pressure difference. It can also interfere with sounds vibrating through the ear drum and the hearing bones.

Every time a plane takes off (ascends) and lands (descends), the air pressure changes and the ears need to adapt. Until the Eustachian tubes equalize the pressure, the difference between the inside and outside pushes on the eardrum. This pressure difference causes it to hurt and not work properly. Sounds may also become muffled.

The discomfort of airplane ear worsens when flying with a cold, nasal congestion or allergies.

What are the symptoms of airplane ear?

When an airplane is ascending or descending, the following symptoms can occur:

• Blocked ears.
• Discomfort or pain deep inside the ears.
• Muffled hearing.

Symptoms are more common with descent (landing), but usually clear after the plane lands.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is airplane ear diagnosed?

Airplane ear usually goes away once the plane lands. A formal medical diagnosis is usually unnecessary. However, call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Ongoing pain.
• Persistent blocked hearing.
• Vertigo
• Ear drainage or bleeding.

Your doctor will examine the ears, may order a hearing test (audiometry) or measurement of ear drum pressure (tympanometry). The doctor may then suggest options to alleviate the symptoms of blockage and pain.

Management and Treatment

What can be done to relieve symptoms of airplane ear?

Suggestions to help ease the discomfort of airplane ear include:

• Stay awake during takeoff and landing. This will help the passenger be more aware of changes in the ears, and so better able to react.
• Swallow and yawn when ear discomfort begins. This helps the Eustachian tubes open. The more they open, the more the Eustachian tubes can even out the air pressure. With babies, it is helpful to feed them or give them a drink or a pacifier at the time of the airplane’s descent so that they will swallow.
• Chew gum during the flight, especially during takeoff and before the plane begins its descent, to help equalize the pressure.
• Blow your nose gently into a tissue to alleviate pressure.
• Blow air through your nose while closing your mouth and pinching your nose. This simple exercise allows more air to get into the Eustachian tubes.
• Take a decongestant if you suffer from a cold or allergies. It may help clear up your ears before the plane lands.
• Wear ear plugs to help regulate pressure within the ears.

What are the complications associated with airplane ear?

Complications from airplane ear are rare. Rarely, severe pressure in the ears may result in a perforated (ruptured) eardrum, which happens with sudden pain that goes away quickly. Usually a perforated eardrum will heal without medical attention after a few weeks. Call your doctor right away if you experience these symptoms that may occur with perforated eardrum:

• Hearing loss.
• Ringing in your ears.
• Discharge from your ears.
• Nausea from a spinning sensation (vertigo).

Prevention

Can airplane ear be prevented?

During the flight, it is best to stay awake during the plane’s takeoff and landing, the time when a person’s ears are more susceptible to airplane ear. Chewing gum, eating or drinking during these times will keep the Eustachian tubes more open. Decongestants taken before the flight may help the Eustachian tubes open better when the pressure changes.

Who is at risk of developing airplane ear?

Anyone who flies on an airplane can get airplane ear. Those with very narrow or small Eustachian tubes (such as young children) are especially prone to it and may experience worse symptoms. Anyone who’s had recurring ear infections or ruptured ear drums in the past are also more prone to ear problems with air travel.

Living With

When should I call my doctor about airplane ear?

If your ears remain blocked, hearing does not return to normal or if pain persists several hours after landing, contact your doctor. Bleeding, dizziness or drainage from the ears are signs of ear damage and should be checked by your doctor. The doctor will examine your ears and may order a hearing test (audiometry) or ear pressure test (tympanometry) to make sure there is not a more serious issue.

90,000 Where does tinnitus come from and what to do with it

Where does tinnitus come from

According to statistics, ^{at least 10% of the world’s inhabitants regularly suffer from tinnitus. Some doctors believe that the problem is even wider, and call it victims of every fifth .}

At the same time, all researchers emphasize that tinnitus (the so-called phantom sounds in all their various manifestations) is not an independent diagnosis, but a symptom. It can be caused by several reasons.

Inflammation or a foreign body

Fluid, a foreign object, a bug or a banal sulfur plug in the ear can cause tinnitus. It can also be caused by enlarged adenoids, all kinds of inflammation, including developing otitis media (which, however, is difficult to miss due to another symptom – shooting pain). All this causes constant irritation of the eardrum ^{. Most often, such problems are accompanied by noticeable pressure, low-frequency buzzing in the ears.}

If the noise is accompanied by dizziness, you have a direct path to ENT: an inflammatory process in the inner ear is possible.

Spasm of the pharynx or middle ear muscles

When a spasm occurs, the muscle attached to the auditory tube contracts sharply – and you hear a click. And perhaps not one, but several rhythmic ones. Spasms like these are a kind of nervous tic that occurs inside the body. As a rule, it manifests itself during conversation, chewing, swallowing and does not make itself felt at other times.This situation is not a serious problem. But if the clicks are unpleasant to you, you can fight them.

Cardiovascular problems

High blood pressure or atherosclerosis (plaque in the blood vessels) is often “heard” as pulsating sounds that mimic the heartbeat ^{. Pulsation should be taken seriously: circulatory disorders can cause a stroke.}

Osteochondrosis and other changes in the cervical spine

Such problems often lead to impaired blood flow.The auditory nerve and the back of the brain react to a lack of blood supply, and you begin to hear something like a clank.

Age-related changes in hearing

Tinnitus in all its forms – clicking, throbbing, buzzing, noisy – is often the first symptom of ^{impending hearing loss in older people.}

Stress

Although researchers admit ^{that little is known about the effect of stress on the development of tinnitus, nevertheless, this factor is considered one of the possible provocateurs of tinnitus.}

Other causes

Here are a number of less common, but no less harmful causes of ^{buzz in the ears:}

1. Endocrine disorders.
2. Hormonal changes in women.
3. Iron deficiency anemia. Lack of iron impairs the supply of oxygen to the brain, with all the ensuing noisy problems.
4. Excessively strict diets or unbalanced diets ^{, such as high salt or sugar content.}
5. Otosclerosis is the growth of bone tissue in the middle ear, accompanied by hearing loss and often audio effects.
6. Abuse of certain drugs that are toxic to the auditory nerve. Among them are some antibiotics, diuretics, salicylates.
7. Tumors and other brain disorders.

How to treat tinnitus

The good news: most cases of tinnitus go away on their own and do not require special treatment ^{. If phantom sounds haunt you regularly, do not act at random, but contact a therapist: he will help or direct you to a narrower specialist.}

At the appointment, the doctor will ask you questions that need to be answered as fully and truthfully as possible. In particular, questions may relate to medications and dietary supplements that you are taking, lifestyle and nutrition, the health of your older relatives (the same otosclerosis is often a hereditary disease), and so on. You will most likely also need to take a series of tests for hearing and jaw and neck mobility. Sometimes a doctor may order a CT or MRI.

Most likely, at the end of the visit, you will be recommended:

1. Anti-cold drugs and manipulations designed to relieve you of inflammation and swelling in the nasopharynx.
2. Rinsing the ear to remove the wax plug, excess water, foreign objects.
3. Relaxants – preparations that relax the muscles. They will help get rid of clicks caused by muscle spasms. In some cases, surgical intervention may also be required.
4. Drugs that improve blood circulation in the inner ear and brain. These “noise medications” will restore the necessary tone to the vessels, relieving you of pulsating problems.
5. Physical and psychotherapy.For example, ^{compact devices help a lot – sources of white noise, which blocks clicks, hum and pulsation.}
6. Change of diet.
7. Massages. These manipulations, firstly, help relieve stress, and secondly, improve blood circulation, including in the cervical spine.

It doesn’t matter which ear is buzzing. If the noise is repeated, be sure to see a doctor. Because an untreated primary disease can result in the most unpleasant consequences, including hearing loss and stroke.

Read also

1. How to test hearing at home →
2. How to instill drops →
3. What do red eyes say and what to do with them →

Objective ear noise caused by myoclonus of the auricle muscles

D. m. D., prof. N.V. BOYKO

Tinnitus, or tinnitus, is a phantom sound perception in the absence of a sound stimulus coming from outside. Tinnitus is divided into two categories: subjective and objectively listened to.Most patients suffer from subjective tinnitus, according to statistics, it accompanies 5-15% of the population, while objective tinnitus is much less common.

Objectively heard murmur can be of vascular and muscle origin. Vascular pulsating murmur is observed in arteriovenous aneurysms, arteriosinus fistulas, as well as in middle ear paragangliomas. Transient vascular tinnitus may be due to medication, hypertension, anemia, or intercurrent illness such as migraine.

Objective muscle ear noise is based on involuntary, irregular muscle contraction (myoclonus), which is perceived by the patient as clicks in the ear. In the PubMed database from 1955 to 2016, we found 104 publications describing cases of objective ear noise caused by myoclonus of various muscle groups.

The source of muscle ear noise is most often tremor (myoclonus) of the soft palate or myoclonus of the middle ear. However, in the literature, there are isolated descriptions of ear noise associated with the movement of the eyelids, with myoclonus of the external muscles of the ear (m.auricularis anterior, superior, posterior) and head muscles – m. temporalis and m. occipitalis.

The myoclonus of the soft palate is manifested by its rhythmic, uncontrolled contractions. In the literature, 2 forms of myoclonus are distinguished – symptomatic, caused by a lesion in the area of ​​the pons of the brain or cerebellum, and essential, which occurs in patients without intracranial pathology.

The clinical manifestation of tremor of the soft palate is a sensation of involuntary movements of the soft palate with or without rhinolalia (20% of patients), clicks in the ear (46.7% of patients), or the presence of both symptoms (33.3% of patients).In 53.3% of patients, the examination revealed movements of the pharyngeal muscles synchronous with the soft palate. The tremor of the soft palate persists in sleep, but disappears when swallowing and in the position of the patient on his back. It is believed that objective ear noise in the form of clicks in the ear with tremor of the soft palate is caused by secondary movements of the walls of the auditory tube.

Attempts to treat this group of patients by prescribing anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, as well as surgical interventions and the use of masking white noise, turned out to be ineffective.A number of researchers have shared the positive experience of using botulinum toxin injections for myoclonus of the soft palate. Botulinum toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from the presynaptic nerve terminals, causing “chemical denervation” of the muscle for several weeks. With the introduction of botulinum toxin into the soft palate, side effects are possible in the form of the appearance of open nasalism, palatopharyngeal insufficiency, leading to ingestion of ingested food into the nasal cavity, dysphagia, as well as a subjective increase in noise in the opposite ear as a result of the unmasking effect. Typically, these adverse events subside within 10-14 days. The severity of side effects can be minimized by targeted injection of botulinum toxin into the zone of maximum myoclonic activity under the control of electromyography. The dose of the drug should be individually selected for each patient by titration.

The scheme of botulinum toxin administration depends on the patient’s predominant complaint: in case of ear noise, the drug is administered transorally into m. tensor veli palatini in the lateral part of the soft palate medial to the projection of the hook of the pterygoid process, with a predominance of sensation of involuntary movements of the soft palate, injection is made on both sides of the uvula.The dose and points of subsequent injections depend on the effect of the first injection and the zone of predominance of muscle contractions.

Middle ear myoclonus (MEM) is another possible cause of objective ear noise. This term has been proposed to denote tinnitus resulting from dysfunction of one or both of the intra-aural muscles: m. tensor tympani and m. stapedius. Tinnitus in middle ear myoclonus is described as rhythmic, regular or irregular, prolonged or episodic, unilateral or bilateral.This type of pathology can be suspected by the characteristic clinical characteristics (the feeling of clicks in the ear), as well as on the basis of impedance and otomicroscopy data (with myoclonus m. Tensor tympani).

The pathophysiological and acoustic mechanisms of middle ear myoclonus are not known. Researchers of this phenomenon have to answer a number of questions: are myoclonus of the soft palate and myoclonus of the middle ear a manifestation of the same pathological process or are they different pathological conditions.Are the clicks in the ear derived from myoclonus of the soft palate (i.e., are they reproduced as a result of blows to the walls of the auditory tube) or is it the result of muscle contraction that strains the eardrum. Can the contractions of the stapes muscle reproduce clicks in the ear?

A. Ellenstein et al. it is believed that the myoclonus of the middle ear can be explained by the myoclonus of the peritubar muscles, similar to the essential tremor of the soft palate. At the same time, there is a clinical observation when the tinnitus caused by the myoclonus of the middle ear was successfully stopped by the application of a sponge with botulinum toxin applied to the tendon m.stapedius through the patient’s perforation of the tympanic membrane, which makes it possible to associate the appearance of a typical muscle noise with the myoclonus of the stapes muscle.

Difficulties in studying the myoclonus of the middle ear are due to the fact that in the literature there are only a few descriptions of a few observations of this type of ear noise (usually 1-2 cases), where the phenomenology is not always clearly described and the affected muscle is not identified.

Objective ear noise caused by myoclonus of the auricle muscles download PDF, 160 KB

90,000 Tinnitus

Tinnitus is common. It affects up to 30% of the adult population.

Most common causes of tinnitus:

1) Changes in the outer, middle or inner ear, most often associated with inflammatory diseases

diseases (otitis media) or Meniere’s disease

2) Pathology of the autonomic nervous system (autonomic dysfunction)

3) Mental illnesses

4) Frequent nervous experiences, stress (psychogenic causes)

5) Spinal osteochondrosis (vertebral artery syndrome)

6) High blood pressure (vascular spasms)

7) Migraine (vascular headaches)

8) Atherosclerosis (narrowing or blockage of a vessel by plaque, which disrupts blood flow in the arteries of the brain).

In case of cerebral circulation disorders, acute stroke, along with tinnitus, speech, sensitivity, balance are rapidly impaired. There is weakness in the arm or half of the body, asymmetry of the face.

Noise or ringing in the ears is a symptom of the formation of a neuroma – a tumor of the auditory nerve. Dizziness, movement disorders appear. A neuroma can lead to complete deafness. A brain tumor is manifested by vomiting in the morning, impaired vision and hearing.

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine is also a common cause of tinnitus. There are age-related degenerative disorders in the spine. In this case, a person is worried about dizziness, headache and heaviness in the back of the head.

With arterial hypertension, high blood pressure may be accompanied by ringing in the ears. If the flashing of flies joins, a headache, this indicates the formation of a hypertensive crisis. Also, pathology can be caused by vascular pathology (constrictions, aneurysms, arteriovenous connections).

The causes of tinnitus can be pathological movements in the joints of the cervical vertebrae, dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint. In this case, a person hears a click or crunch in the joint when opening the mouth, chewing, turning the head. Sounds can form moving fluids with exudative inflammation of the middle and inner ear.

Tinnitus is often associated with a migraine attack. A characteristic symptom of this disease is severe throbbing pain in half of the head.Young women are more likely to suffer from migraines.

Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the head causes disturbances in blood flow through them. There is a ringing or pulsating noise that matches the frequency of the heartbeat. Problems associated with the development of atherosclerosis are typical for older people.

The cause of tinnitus can be otosclerosis – the growth of bone tissue at the junction of the middle and inner ear. The cause of this chronic condition is unknown. Women are more often susceptible to this pathology.Otosclerosis leads to hearing loss and can only be treated with surgery.

Pathology is also detected in multiple sclerosis with a measured course. Its main symptoms are blurred vision, poor speech, impaired swallowing, hum and ringing in the ears, stiffness in the limbs. Coordination is impaired, there is a feeling of creeping on the skin. Urinary incontinence may develop.

Ringing, hum or tinnitus may not only be a sign of a medical condition. Auditory hallucinations can be caused by taking medications such as gentamicin, furosemide, streptomycin.

The cause of tinnitus can be stress, poisoning, foreign body. The ingress of water or a small insect into the external auditory canal is the reason for the rustling and hum.

Tinnitus may occur due to changes in weather or atmospheric pressure during flight in an airplane, diving. An increase in temperature and intense physical activity can cause ringing and discomfort in the head.

Symptoms and types of ringing in the ear

Often ringing, hissing, whistling, hum, clicks in the ears are accompanied by dizziness, hearing loss, or vice versa, intolerance to sounds, increased sensitivity to them.These symptoms can be accompanied by headaches, intolerance to bright light.

Pathology can be of varying intensity. Sometimes it is tolerated calmly, does not affect the general well-being of a person, and in some cases it is accompanied by an unbearable headache and sleep disturbance.

It happens that the sounds in the ears become constant, significantly disturb the night’s rest, worsen the mood. Rarely, there is a strong ear noise, which reduces a person’s performance.

With inflammation of the outer or middle ear (otitis media), noise and ringing are combined with itching, redness of the ear canal, soreness when touched.Purulent discharge, hearing loss may be observed. To avoid injury and infection, do not clean your ear canals with sharp objects.

Diagnosis and treatment of pathological sounds in the ear canal

Tinnitus usually does not exist on its own, but is a symptom of various diseases, so it is better to seek examination and help from a medical institution. A person should be especially alerted if he has sound effects in the ear accompanied by vomiting, nausea, dizziness, severe headache, unsteady gait, hearing loss.

Necessary consultations and examinations for tinnitus:

• ENT doctor consultation
• neurologist consultation (including vascular neurologist, vegetologist)
• cerebral vascular examination

potentials (used in the early diagnosis of brain tumors, acoustic neuroma and multiple sclerosis)

• others – according to indications.

Treatment of tinnitus consists in correcting the underlying disease. In addition to the main methods of treating the disease, physiotherapy, including intra-ear electrophoresis, and massage are excellent.

Make an appointment with a neurologist by phone. 8-9655-99-75-07.

Treatment of tinnitus in osteochondrosis and arterial hypertension

What to do if tinnitus and pain in the ears

Tinnitus (tinnitus) is a symptom, not a disease.Tinnitus occurs in the absence of external sound stimuli and can be unilateral and bilateral. Why does pulsating tinnitus appear? It can be caused by the perception of the movement of blood in the vessels of the inner ear and felt in conditions of complete silence. The condition is considered physiological. Pathological tinnitus is a symptom of a medical condition. Tinnitus is constantly felt by about 8% of the adult population.

Causes of severe tinnitus

Tinnitus varies in nature and intensity, may be constant or occur intermittently.Patients describe tinnitus as a high-pitched continuous sound, turbine noise, ringing, hum, hiss, hiss, clicks, and so on.

Causes of severe tinnitus:

• diseases of the middle and inner ear;
• Damage to the vestibulocochlear nerve, which is responsible for the transmission of sound from the ear to the brain;
• multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases causing muscle spasms;
• Meniere’s disease;
• otosclerosis;
• acoustic trauma, barotrauma;

90,048 Noise and ringing in the ears in the elderly is associated with the natural aging process and hearing loss;

• osteochondrosis;
• arterial hypertension;
• diseases of the thyroid gland;
• neurocirculatory dystonia;
• cerebral atherosclerosis;
• brain tumors;
• intoxication;
• stress.

Nervous strain caused by tinnitus causes insomnia, irritability, depression. Several studies support a link between anxiety and impaired concentration with tinnitus. Tinnitus, even in balanced people, can cause nervous system disorders. Emotionally labile patients constantly focus on the problem, which increases the discomfort. Therefore, the treatment of tinnitus is an important medical and social task. How to get rid of congestion and tinnitus depends on the underlying cause.

Treatment of tinnitus

Alas, there is still no medicine that can eliminate tinnitus once and for all. When choosing a treatment regimen, the cause of the disease (if established), the degree of hearing impairment, previous therapy, and concomitant pathologies are taken into account.

Treatment of tinnitus is reduced to the treatment of the underlying disease. Unfortunately, the cause of tinnitus is often not found. What if there is noise and pain in the ears, and the diagnosis has not been established? With an unclear etiology of tinnitus, the following are indicated: drug therapy (betaserc, tanakan), reflexology, hearing aids, psychotherapeutic sessions, audiomaskers. There is evidence of the effectiveness of the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of tinnitus. The result of this treatment is a noticeable reduction in discomfort and an improvement in the patients’ mood.

It is important to know that when a diagnosis of cochlear neuritis is made, the success of treatment depends on the timing of its initiation. Therefore, if you experience tinnitus, you should immediately consult a doctor. Timely therapy is a guarantee of restoration of hearing and the disappearance of intrusive tinnitus.

How to treat persistent tinnitus in cervical osteochondrosis? Of course, the underlying disease must be treated. Taking medications prescribed by a doctor, a course of physiotherapy, massage, therapeutic exercises will help improve the condition and get rid of tinnitus.

Arterial hypertension and tinnitus

Dizziness and subjective tinnitus are often early symptoms of arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis. Patients are more likely to experience noise at night when the surroundings are quiet.It has been noted that hearing loss develops simultaneously or shortly after the onset of tinnitus.

Pressure medications for tinnitus and dizziness should be taken continuously. In general, the treatment of high blood pressure is not a one-time pill intake on the principle of “when the pressure has jumped.” If a diagnosis of “arterial hypertension” is made, then drugs “for pressure” must be taken daily until the end of life. Read more about the treatment of arterial hypertension on our website Dobrobut.com.

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Noise in the ears. South Ural panorama.

According to the World Health Organization, to one degree or another every seventh inhabitant of the planet has hearing problems …

According to the World Health Organization, every seventh inhabitant of the planet has hearing problems to one degree or another. Traditionally, hearing loss, or so-called hearing loss, is considered to be an age-related change.However, this disease is increasingly common in children and adolescents. The reason for this is the habit of listening to music on headphones for a long time, smoking and aspirin.

Music, stop!

According to the chief pediatric audiologist, head of the hearing rehabilitation department of the children’s city polyclinic No. 10, Irina Dubinets, children very often find themselves in an amplified sound environment. The most common situation is when adolescents ride public transport to class, listening to the player with earbuds.

– Earbuds are inserted into the ear canal. The auricle gives an increase in hearing by five decibels. When teenagers insert the earpiece into the ear itself, then, accordingly, the volume increases by five decibels, – says Irina Dubinets.

If at the same time the guys go in transport – this is a double harm. Trying to drown out traffic noise, vibration and noise, they add volume. When teenagers go outside, they themselves will notice that the music is playing louder than usual, but they do not feel it in transport.The constant increase in volume leads to loss of receptors in the inner ear and hearing loss from a young age.

Teenagers sometimes listen to MP3-players without interruption for five to six hours a day, if they are exposed to noise on a regular basis, then fatigue occurs, and the auditory system, as it were, wears out. It is no coincidence that hearing loss often occurs in people who have worked in conditions of strong industrial noise. According to Irina Dubinets, if you really listen to music, then in headphones that completely cover the ear, that is, with rollers that cover the auricle.

It must be remembered that ear receptors are not restored. The more the hair cells themselves, which perceive sound, are lost, the greater the likelihood of hearing impairment and an increase in the degree of hearing loss. To avoid such problems, you need to determine the comfortable sound of the music. To do this, you need to find the optimal volume in a quiet environment at home. At the same time, people who are nearby should not hear music from the headphones.

– If a teenager is tired, busy or waiting for a test, this already creates psychological tension.Do not listen to music at this time in order to relax, – advises Irina Dubinets. – On the contrary, it will interfere with concentration and tune in to work, as there is noise interference in the form of a constant flow of information. As a result, when the guys come to the test, they just want to relax. They are already tired of the noise information.

Smoking is the enemy of hearing

American scientists recently discovered that smoking can lead to hearing loss. How can a bad habit be related to hearing? It turns out that smoking leads to poor blood circulation in the small vessels of the ear.Ultimately, this impairs the functioning of the organ, which in the future can even lead to hearing loss. Secondhand smoke has the same consequences. Inhalation of tobacco smoke from other people’s cigarettes can impair hearing by about a third.

– Hearing impairment can result from intoxication – nicotine or alcoholic. Any of them can cause spasm of the cerebral vessels, which causes malnutrition of the cochlea (the organ of hearing where the receptors of the auditory analyzer are located). Even passive smokers, especially children who are in the same room as a smoker, are at risk of hearing loss at a young age, – comments Irina Dubinets.

Aspirin both heals and cripples

Misuse of certain medications can also cause unexpected hearing loss. According to Irina Dubinets, these are aminoglycoside antibiotics ending in “mycin”: gentomycin, neomycin, etc. In addition, these are loop diuretics (diuretics), antimalarial drugs. They are toxic. They should be used as directed by a doctor and only in serious cases. Of the drugs available in the public domain, hearing loss can be caused by the “favorite” of all aspirin. It must be used strictly according to indications. In children’s practice, aspirin is generally prohibited.

The consequences of diseases such as influenza, meningitis and recurrent otitis media or head injuries can also lead to hearing loss.

According to Irina Dubinets, hearing loss is very difficult psychologically. If a person is blind, then he does not contact with objects, and if a person is deaf, then he does not contact people. Therefore, it is important to preserve your hearing in youth.

YULIA KRYMTSOVA

It won’t work by itself.Why tinnitus and how to treat it

Tinnitus is familiar to many. According to statistics, at least 10% of the world’s inhabitants suffer from it, although some doctors believe that even one in five hears tinnitus. And if it does not pass, then it causes a very serious inconvenience. Tinnitus – the so-called phantom sounds that we hear – is not a disease, but a symptom that can speak of completely different diseases.

Today in the project “It won’t work by itself” we will figure out what could be the cause of tinnitus.Blood pressure knocks, otitis media crushes with low frequencies, and spasm clicks mysteriously. The project comes out in partnership with experts from the Republican Diagnostic Center (RDM).

When it’s not a disease

Tinnitus or ringing has the medical name tinnitus. The complaint is usually described as a noise, ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like roaring, clicking, hissing or buzzing. The sound can be soft or loud, high or low. A person may hear noise in one or both ears.

Tinnitus can be not only a symptom of some disease. Liquid trapped in the ear , a foreign object, a bug or banal sulfur plug can all cause tinnitus. Often it is caused by taking medications (for example, such as gentamicin, streptomycin, furosemide, cisplatin). More than 200 drugs are known to cause tinnitus. It occurs when a person starts or stops taking them. Tinnitus can cause a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure (after flying in an airplane, skydiving or diving), weather change .Sometimes noise appears even at stress.

Tinnitus is rarely a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. For some people, tinnitus can come and go and only cause minor irritation. However, it can sometimes be continuous and has a significant impact on daily life. Severe cases can be very unpleasant, affect concentration, and cause problems such as insomnia and depression. In many cases, tinnitus goes away gradually over time.But it is important to seek medical attention to see if the root cause can be found and treated, and to find ways to deal with the problem.

When to see a doctor

1. Increased blood pressure. This is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. We hear high blood pressure or atherosclerosis as pulsating sounds that mimic the heartbeat. If you know that there are issues with the cardiovascular system, this symptom should be taken especially carefully. Circulatory disorders can cause stroke.

What to do? Measure the pressure at the moment when the ringing appeared and when it disappears. If the difference in indicators is large, then the cause of the tinnitus is obvious. Do not delay your visit to the cardiologist. If it gets worse, a headache is added to the tinnitus, flashes of flies in front of the eyes, pain in the heart area, call an ambulance immediately.

2. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels .With this disease, the vessels lose their elasticity and cannot pulsate in time with the movement of blood. This leads to the fact that the blood flow in the vessels becomes turbulent, so there is a sensation of noise with each pulsation.

3. Spasm of the pharynx or middle ear muscles. When a spasm occurs, the muscle attached to the auditory tube contracts sharply, so you hear a click. These spasms are a kind of nervous tic that occurs inside the body. It can appear during talking, chewing, swallowing, and physical exertion.This problem is not serious, but if it gives you inconvenience, it is worth contacting a neurologist.

4. Otitis . It can be recognized by other symptoms that appear with inflammation. This is itching and redness of the external auditory canal, soreness when touched, decreased hearing acuity, purulent discharge from the ear. Otitis media often occurs after water enters the ear, damage to the ear canal, or as a complication of respiratory infections.

5. Osteochondrosis and other changes in the cervical spine. These problems often lead to impaired blood flow. The auditory nerve and the back of the brain react to a lack of blood supply, and you begin to hear something like a clank.

6. Migraine . Its main symptom is a throbbing, intense pain that usually captures one half of the head. It is usually accompanied by ringing in the ears.

7. Age-related changes in hearing. Tinnitus in all its forms — clicking, throbbing, buzzing, noisy — is often the first symptom of impending hearing loss in older adults.

8. Meniere’s disease . This is a disease of the inner ear, which is accompanied by other symptoms: dizziness, hearing loss at low frequencies, a feeling of ear congestion. Meniere’s syndrome usually affects only one ear and is more common in adults between the ages of 40 and 60. The symptoms of Meniere’s disease are caused by a buildup of fluid in the inner ear called a labyrinth.

9. Multiple sclerosis . If tinnitus is combined with dizziness, impaired movement in the limbs, a feeling of “creeping” on the skin, urinary incontinence, then one can suspect the development of this serious disease of the nervous system.Its manifestations can be extremely diverse, so that an accurate diagnosis can only be made by a specialist after a thorough examination.

10. Neurinoma (tumor) of the auditory nerve . It is characterized by a combination of noise or ringing in the ear with a gradual decrease in hearing acuity (up to deafness) and dizziness. A neuroma can be asymptomatic for a long time until it begins to squeeze the structures surrounding the ear, leading to hearing loss, impaired coordination of movements, a tingling sensation or running creeps down the face.When the described symptoms appear, you should consult an ENT doctor as soon as possible to examine and clarify the diagnosis.

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How to treat tinnitus

Do not rush to look for the cause in serious diseases – in most cases, tinnitus goes away on its own without treatment.If you feel that tinnitus is causing fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory and concentration problems, and becomes a source of real mental and emotional distress, see a therapist. He, in turn, can send you to the necessary specialist.

Your doctor may ask you to undergo a series of tests for hearing and jaw and neck mobility, CT or MRI scans. Here’s what else they might recommend to you:

1. Anti-cold drugs and manipulations to relieve you of inflammation and swelling in the nasopharynx.
2. Ear rinsing. The procedure will help remove sulfur plug, excess water, and foreign objects.
3. Relaxants. These drugs relax the muscles. They will help get rid of clicks caused by muscle spasms.
4. Preparations that improve blood circulation in the inner ear and brain. These “noise medications” will restore the necessary tone to the vessels, relieving you of pulsating problems.
5. Physical and psychotherapy. Devices-sources of white noise, which block clicks, hum and pulsation, help.
6. Massage. It relieves stress and improves blood circulation, including in the cervical spine.

Good to know

Music in headphones should be listened to in a measure of . It is safe for hearing to listen to music on headphones for no more than 20 hours a week at a low volume. If the maximum volume is 97-103 decibels, then no more than 4 hours. Otherwise, the manifestation of deafness will begin in 1-2 years.

When playing sports, it is better to do without headphones .When playing sports, the risk of acoustic injury doubles. With intense physical exertion, the blood drains from the head, and the ears become much more vulnerable to sound. Loud sound from headphones can damage your hearing.

Do not change the volume dramatically . A sudden change in scene, when a person enters absolute silence from a noisy room, can be even more dangerous for the ears than just a loud sound.

Ringing, buzzing, buzzing, and tinnitus appear suddenly, in a quiet environment, and often before bedtime.Usually, these symptoms are not a sign of a serious health problem. But if the noise is loud or lasts a long time, it could be cause for concern. Do not pull and consult an otolaryngologist.

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90,000 “Shots” in the ear. What are the symptoms of the onset of otitis media? | Healthy life | Health

Otitis media is one of the most dangerous and extremely painful pathological conditions.This disease usually occurs unexpectedly: both adults and children suffer. However, the diagnosis is not always straightforward. At the same time, doctors say that in fact otitis media gives certain “signals”. And it is important to learn to recognize them in order to start treatment as early as possible. In such a situation, it will be possible to avoid problems with the ears and minimize the risks of complications. About what symptoms should indicate otitis media, otolaryngologist, Ph.D. Vladimir Zaitsev .

Anatomy of the ear

The organ of hearing consists of three parts: the outer, middle and inner ear.And each of them can become inflamed. There are 2 sections in the external auditory canal: cartilaginous, where sulfur accumulates, and bone. If there is a lot of sulfur, then it begins to close the ear canal, which leads to the blocking of oxygen access to the membrane. This situation is called contact inflammation. At the beginning of such a situation, a person develops ear congestion. Further – more, the next signal is pain.

The pain centers themselves are located near the tympanic membrane, in the bone region, in the depths of the ear canal.If sharp lumbago begins, we can say that only otitis externa is developing so far. Here is the time to visit a doctor and start treatment, until everything goes deeper into the middle ear cavity.

Inflammation of the middle ear is already a situation when the membrane is affected. In such a situation, the lumbago in the ear intensifies and becomes even more painful. Or the ear may hurt by itself and quite badly. The middle ear includes the tympanic cavity behind the membrane.

This cavity is covered with mucous membranes, which can also become inflamed.And here special care is required, because the brain is nearby. The infection can move quite easily enough. And here it is important to remember that there are many tiny pain receptors in the mucous membrane. It is here that acute catarrhal otitis media develops.

This also includes inflammation of the auditory tube. It occurs according to the following scheme: first, the nose becomes inflamed, then the nasopharynx, in which there is a passage connecting it to the middle ear and balancing the pressure on the eardrum.If the eustachian tube becomes inflamed, it begins to clog this passage from the inside. This condition is called tubotitis.

Flags for attention

The first flag to indicate a problem is ear congestion. In any case, this condition is abnormal: you should see a doctor. The second important signal is ear pain. But here it is easier: few people can endure such pain. Special attention should be paid to lumbago in the ear: they may indicate accumulating pus.If you feel strong lumbago and pressure from the inside, it means that a lot of purulent discharge has accumulated and they have nowhere to go. A spontaneous rupture of the membrane is dangerous here. The pus can go outside, or it can go inside. If it cannot break through, it is necessary to consult a doctor for a procedure such as paracentesis, that is, an incision of the eardrum and the release of the cavity from pus.

Do not be afraid of such interference, because it is not dangerous, and without it it will only get worse. After all, pus under pressure will begin to penetrate into the structure of the inner ear, and then it can already spread to the brain.This will lead to complications such as otogenic meningitis, i.e. inflammation of the lining of the brain.

Another dangerous symptom is the appearance of dizziness. It develops against the background of internal otitis media. If a person is constantly dizzy, it is necessary to be examined by two specialists at once: a doctor specializing in blood vessels and an ENT. Otherwise, the situation may turn into a chronic form, which cannot be eliminated.

What to do

Without fail, if you have problems with your ears, you should contact a specialist.In this case, it is worth checking everything carefully. Inaction with inflammation of any part of the ear will lead to the development of a chronic course of the disease.

It is important to remember that if the eardrum has ruptured by itself under the pressure of pus, you should still see a doctor. Although relief usually comes after this, the pain goes away, the temperature drops if it rises against the background of the accumulation of pus in the cavity. The doctor should monitor how the cut or ruptured membrane heals. There are situations when it closes ahead of time, and the pus has not yet come out, and then the situation will repeat itself again.

In addition, it should be understood that proper care should be taken behind the ear in case of an arbitrary rupture or paracentesis. An open wound in the membrane is the gateway for bacterial infection: it easily gets into the injured area from dirty hands, with which a person decides to clean his ears, or when swimming in a pond.

Protection rules

In order not to feel pain and not to listen to the signals that the body sends, it is better to take preventive measures in advance.It is not difficult. You should wear a hat during the cold season, do not avoid gloves and scarves, keep your feet warm. In addition, it is worth increasing the body’s defenses, drying hair after a pool, taking vitamins and protecting the nasopharynx from viruses.

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