Hi! What does it mean when you blow your nose, or something similar to that, and it hurts your ear? Sometimes, I have this problem. I'll blow my nose, press on my ear to rub an itch away, or something, and then it feels like it pressed against my ear, and it hurts. I feel it weather I blow my nose or press on my ear. What is this, and how can I make it go away? Thank you!
-Trinity
Posts: 324 | Location: Texas USA | Registered: 06-28-02
It means you are blowing your nose too hard. There is a little tube, called the eustachian, which passes between your middle ear and the back of your throat. There is no outlet from the middle ear to the outer ear - between them is the eardrum.
You will notice when you are in an airplane, after the plane takes off, your ears become a little uncomfortable. That is because the air in the middle ear chamber is at ground pressure when you are on the ground, but as you rise in the plane, the air pressure around you gets lower. So the pressure differential between your middle ear and the air in your mouth, throat and surrounding air causes the eardrum to bellow out and stretch. If you yawn, this allows the excess air in your ear to escape through the eustachian tube.
You should blow your nose very softly. Germs in your moth and throat can be 'blasted' into your middle ear and cause earache if you blow hard.
Posts: 6779 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
Sounds like you have the beginnings of an infection in the middle ear (otitis media). There are alternative remedies to temporarily relieve the pain associated with middle ear discomfort. Antibiotics, prescribed by a M.D., are the best cure.
If your middle ear is infected and it is left untreated the bacteria causing the infection can work it's way into mastiod area and can be extremely difficult to cure.
Be furtunate that you have realized this problem early and see your Family Doctor.
If your ear doesn't hurt all the time it probably a infection in the outer ear. Like swimmers get. You really need to go to a doctor and have them check because if it is your outer ear they can clean up your ear- it doesn't hurt my 9 year old said it just tickled and they gave him drops to put in. If it would be the inner ear then you need a antiobotic. Either way you need to go and get it checked out. A ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor is who I would recomend because they get right to it no goofing around trying other things that don't help and then you end up going to one anyway. This happened to us but it might not happen to you. You do what your insurance says to do. Good Luck!
Hi! Thank you, Nursey. I appreciate your reply. I hope it's not an infection, because, I'm not on any insurance. If you see my question in (I think) the Health Resources section, you'll see why I don't have insurance. But, thank you for warning me about this! I'll have a look at the links you gave.
-Trinity
Posts: 324 | Location: Texas USA | Registered: 06-28-02
What does it mean when you blow your nose, or something similar to that, and it hurts your ear? Sometimes, I have this problem. I'll blow my nose, press on my ear to rub an itch away, or something, and then it feels like it pressed against my ear, and it hurts. I feel it weather I blow my nose or press on my ear. What is this, and how can I make it go away?
