While everyone has experienced a runny nose, we don’t commonly talk about other kinds of cold symptoms because they are less frequent. One type of cold you don’t frequently hear about is the one that moves into one or both ears. While you might generally think of colds as harmless, here’s why this ear-related cold symptom should never be dismissed.
What does a cold in your ear feel like?
Your sinuses are directly interconnected to your ears, so it’s normal to feel some blockage in your ears when you have a cold. Usually, when you take a decongestant for sinus relief, this blockage will also be alleviated.
But you shouldn’t ever dismiss pain in your ear, even when you have a cold. If the cold goes into the ear, the eardrum can be infected. When it does, inflammation takes place. The immune system reacts to the cold by creating fluid that can collect on the eardrum. So someone with an inflamed eardrum might also experience a slow leaking of fluid from the ear. Because it’s a slow leak, it’s most pronounced when you sleep on your side.
This affects how well you hear over the short term, which is known as conductive hearing loss. Regrettably, it can also cause the eardrum to burst, which leads to long-term hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss, which is injury to the nerves of the ear, can then take place.
Waiting could be costly
Come in and see us if you have any pain in your ears. Oftentimes, a primary physician assumes that the ear symptoms will clear themselves up when the initial cold does. A patient may not even remember to mention that they are feeling actual ear pain. But the infection has probably gotten to the point where it’s causing harm to the ear if you’re feeling pain. It’s paramount that the ear infection be addressed immediately to prevent more harm.
In many instances, ear pain will remain even after the cold clears up. This is usually when an individual finally decides to visit a hearing specialist. But, a lot of damage is usually done by this time. Irreversible hearing loss is often the consequence and that’s even more true with individuals who get ear infections regularly.
Each time you have an infection, eardrum perforations and scar tissue can happen which, over time, can impact hearing acuity. In a normal, healthy individual, the eardrum serves as a buffer between the middle ear and inner ear. If the eardrum gets perforated even once, then the infection that was previously confined to the middle ear can now enter the inner ear, where it can damage the irreplaceable tiny nerve cells that you need to hear.
If you waited to get that ear infection treated, what should you do?
Don’t beat yourself up. A cold with pain in the ear can actually be a more significant cold than most people may think. You should make an appointment for a hearing assessment as soon as you can if you are experiencing hearing loss after a cold.
We can assess whether the hearing loss is temporary (conductive). If this is the case, you might have an obstruction in your ear that needs to be removed by a professional. If you’re dealing with sensorineural, or irreversible hearing loss, there are treatment options, including new hearing technology, that we can help you with.
Make an appointment as soon as possible if you’re having difficulty hearing after a cold.