What Are the Most Common Causes of Stuffy Ears?

Aural fullness is the sense of congestion in the ear. Many people in daily life often feel the stuffiness, just like a piece of cotton stuffed in the ear. It seems that the voice is in the ear when speaking. In addition, the stuffiness is often With hearing loss, tinnitus, etc., it is very uncomfortable. After the occurrence of ear tightness, it should be treated and treated in a timely manner. For example, those with eustachian tube function abnormalities may develop secretory otitis media for a long time. For some of the primary causes of ear tightness, such as external auditory canal papilloma, nasal polyps, etc., surgery should be promptly treated.

Basic Information

English name

aural fullness

Visiting department

ENT

Common causes

blockage, edema of external auditory canal, foreign body of external auditory canal, tumor of external auditory canal; rhinitis, nasal polyp, hypertrophy of the eustachian tube; Meniere

Common symptoms

Ear tightness

Etiology and common diseases

External ear disease

The lesions that can cause obstruction of the external auditory canal can produce a sense of ear tightness, such as blockage, especially when the external auditory canal is completely blocked; the external auditory canal can be blocked when the edema is large; foreign objects in the external auditory canal Mung beans, plastic beads, etc. are stuffed into the external auditory canal, and adults often fly into the external auditory canal in the summer;

2. Middle ear disease

Ear muffs are mainly caused by eustachian tube lesions. If there is a cold, rhinitis, nasal polyp, etc., the mucous membrane on the nasal side of the Eustachian tube swells, and the Eustachian tube cannot be opened. If it becomes negative pressure, it will cause earplugs. The common pathological changes that cause eustachian tube dysfunction are : acute rhinitis : common cold, at this time the nasal mucosa is congested and swollen, causing the eustachian tube throat to be narrow; chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, and nasal septum are severe Deviations can also cause eustachian tube and pharyngeal stenosis and blockage; Adenoids Hypertrophy Adenoids are lymphoid tissues located in the nasopharynx. Adenoids are often larger in childhood, and adenoids increase with age. Gradually shrinking, sometimes excessive adenoid hypertrophy can block the eustachian tube mouth; Congenital cleft palate deformity cleft palate due to abnormal function of the levator brevis muscles and bream tensors muscles, causing eustachian tube pharyngeal opening to be blocked; Benign pharyngeal tumors are mainly nasopharyngeal fibrous hemangiomas, and malignant tumors are mainly nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

3. Inner ear disease

It is mainly caused by labyrinth of the membrane, and the most important inner ear disease that causes ear feeling is Meniere's disease. Patients have ear swelling, tinnitus, accompanied by paroxysmal vertigo and fluctuating hearing loss.

Differential diagnosis of ear tightness

Ear plug

Ear blockage is a symptom of sudden deafness. Ear blockiness usually precedes deafness. Sudden Deafness (hereinafter referred to as Sudden Deafness) is a sensorineural hearing loss of unknown cause, also called sudden deafness. Its acute onset and rapid progress, the treatment effect is directly related to the time of consultation, should be considered an ear emergency department.

2. In-ear occlusion

A sense of occlusion in the ear means that the ear seems to be blocked by a ball of cotton, and hearing is reduced. Tinnitus, hearing loss, and in-ear occlusion are common symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer. Nasopharyngeal cancer occurs in the nasopharyngeal wall. Unilateral tinnitus or hearing loss can occur when the tumor compresses the eustachian tube, and secretory otitis media can occur.

Ear muff test

The hearing test of individual patients with single-ear ear stuffing is the same as that of normal people, but the sense of direction of the sound in the single-ear hearing is weak, and only the volume can be felt, and the direction of pronunciation is not clear. There is a certain blind zone in front of the ears.

Earplugs treatment principles

After the occurrence of ear tightness, it should be promptly treated, the etiology should be promptly identified, and the treatment should be targeted. Some of the primary causes of ear tightness such as external auditory canal papilloma, nasal polyps, and secretory otitis media should be surgically treated in a timely manner. Should be treated in time to prevent the condition from worsening.