While everybody has dealt with a runny nose, we don’t commonly talk about other types of cold symptoms because they are less common. Occasionally, a cold can move into one or more ears, but you rarely hear about those. This kind of cold can be more harmful than a common cold and shouldn’t ever be disregarded.
What does it feel like when you have a cold in your ear?
Your sinuses are directly interconnected to your ears, so it’s common to feel some blockage in your ears when you have a cold. Normally, when you take a decongestant for sinus relief, this blockage will also be relieved.
But you shouldn’t ever disregard pain in your ear, even during a cold. If the cold moves into the ear, the eardrum can become infected. And that will result in inflammation. The immune system reacts to the cold by generating fluid that can accumulate on the eardrum. So somebody who is coping with an inflamed eardrum might also experience a slow leaking of fluid from the ear. This leak is most apparent when you sleep on your side because the leak is so slow.
This is known as conductive hearing loss and impacts how well you hear over the short term. Regrettably, it can also cause the eardrum to burst, which results in long-term hearing loss. In turn, more permanent damage happens to the hearing nerves from the inflammation, which is known as sensorineural hearing loss.
It could be costly if you wait
Come in and see us if you’re experiencing any pain in your ears. In many cases, a primary physician assumes that the ear symptoms will go away when the initial cold does. Occasionally, a patient will even forget to mention any pain they might be experiencing in their ear. But the infection has probably reached the point where it’s doing harm to the ear if you’re feeling pain. It’s paramount that the ear infection be treated quickly to avoid more damage.
Many individuals who develop ear pain during a cold, get over their cold only to find that the ear pain remains. This is usually when an individual finally decides to visit a hearing specialist. But by this time, a considerable amount of damage has already been done. Permanent hearing loss is often the consequence and that’s even more relevant with individuals who experience ear infections regularly.
Over time, hearing clarity is affected by the small-scale scars and perforations of the eardrum which are the consequence of ear infections. In a normal, healthy individual, the eardrum acts as a buffer between the middle ear and inner ear. If the eardrum becomes perforated even once, then the infection that was previously confined to the middle ear can now enter the inner ear, where it can harm the irreplaceable tiny nerve cells that you need to hear.
What should you do if you waited to treat that ear infection?
Don’t beat yourself up. Most individuals simply assume ear pain with a cold is normal when it really signals a much more significant cold infection. If you’re experiencing persistent hearing loss after a cold, it’s best to make an appointment with us sooner rather than later.
We can assess whether the hearing loss is temporary (conductive). You may need to have a blockage professionally removed if this is the situation. If you have sensorineural, or irreversible hearing loss, there are treatment options, including new hearing technology, that we can help you with.
If you’re having trouble hearing after a cold, make an appointment asap.
