FOUR REASONS WHY EARS CAN BE BLOCKED
It can be a truly annoying feeling. You wake up in the morning and feel off balance somehow and cannot hear as well anymore.
It takes a little while to figure out that one or even both ears suddenly feel blocked.
There are four main reasons why this can be the case. Some of which are rather minor issues and others may be more serious. The trouble is – at first all of them feel exactly the same. So, it could be any of those reasons. It’s good to find out why this is the case and what to do about it.
#1 REASON: Ear Wax
The most common reason for a feeling of blocked ears is that they are actually blocked with ear wax. It is absolutely normal that the ear produces wax – however – normally it should come out by itself but when the natural ear cleaning system does not work wax builds up. In most cases a blockage of ear wax can be easily removed – but please do not attempt do to it yourself. Remember: Don’t stick anything in your ear which is smaller than your elbow.
#2 REASON: Middle Ear Issues
It can feel exactly like a wax blockage, but the reason may be a fluid build-up behind the ear drum in the middle ear or because the middle ear is not ventilated the way it should. This may happen when you’ve got a cold, flu, allergies or post-nasal drip. If the ear canal is clear, but the ear feels blocked we can measure the pressure in the middle ear and assess what is happening. Dependent on the test results we can write a report to the GP or ENT who may treat this medically.
#3 REASON: Sudden Loss of Hearing
This is a more serious issue as we often don’t know why it occurs. A sudden loss of hearing may be the cause of the sensation of a blocked ear. In most cases a sudden hearing loss is only a partial loss of hearing capacity – sometimes accompanied by a slight ringing noise. This can feel exactly like a blocked ear due to ear wax or fluid build-up, but the cause is entirely different and may require urgent treatment by a medical professional.
#4 REASON: Foreign Objects
It may sound funny, but we see it reasonably often. Something that shouldn’t be in the ear gets stuck there. This can be part of a cottonbud, ear-tips of earphones, ointments, creams or even jewellery.
Whatever the reason is – a blocked ear can be really annoying. The balance may be upset, you can’t localise sounds anymore and things just don’t feel right.
But help is near – next time you feel the ear is blocked just give us a call or just pop into the clinic. We can assess all those aspects of your ears and find out the reason for the blockage. If it is ear wax, we mostly remove it on the spot. If there are other reasons, we will write a report and send it to your GP right away so everything can be dealt with quickly and professionally.
So please do not take blocked ears lightly. Get it checked as soon as you
Ear Studio
Call 02 9159 6122 to arrange your appointment!
Suite 9 / 60 Cecil Avenue, Lawton House, Castle Hill, NSW, 2154
www.earstudio.com.au
