While everyone has encountered a runny nose, we don’t often talk about other kinds of cold symptoms because they are less frequent. Once in a while, a cold can go into one or both ears, but you rarely hear about those. While you might generally consider colds as harmless, here’s why this ear-related cold symptom should never be ignored.
What does it feel like when you get a cold in your ear?
It’s not abnormal to feel some blockage in your ears when you’re experiencing a common cold. After all, your ears and sinuses are connected. This blockage is often alleviated when you take a decongestant to relieve sinus symptoms.
But you shouldn’t ever dismiss pain inside of your ear, even during a cold. If the cold moves into the ear, the eardrum can be infected. When it does, swelling happens. Inflammation is an immune reaction that causes fluid to collect on the exterior of the eardrum. So someone who is coping with an inflamed eardrum may also experience a slow leaking of fluid from the ear. This leak is most obvious 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. But long term hearing loss can also take place if this inflammation forces the eardrum to burst. In turn, more permanent damage happens to the hearing nerves from the inflammation, which is known as sensorineural hearing loss.
Waiting could be costly
Come in and see us if you’re experiencing any pain in your ears. It’s not uncommon for a primary care doctor to wait until the cold is cleared up because they assume the ear pain will clear up with it. Occasionally, a patient won’t even remember to mention any pain they may be feeling in their ear. But the infection has probably gotten to the point where it’s doing damage to the ear if you’re experiencing pain. It’s critical that the ear infection be treated promptly to prevent further damage.
Many people who experience pain in their ear during a cold, get over their cold only to discover that the ear pain remains. This is usually when a person finally decides to visit a hearing specialist. But, a lot of damage is usually done by this time. Irreversible hearing loss is often the result and that’s even more true with people who experience ear infections frequently.
Every time you have an infection, eardrum perforations and scar tissue can occur which, over time, can impact hearing acuity. The eardrum is a barrier between your inner and middle ear when it’s healthy and working in a normal capacity. Ear infections that were once confined to the middle ear can go into the inner ear if the eardrum is lacerated even once. When the infection goes into the inner ear, it can permanently damage the nerve cells needed to hear.
If you waited to get that ear infection treated, what should you do?
Don’t be so hard on yourself. A cold with pain in the ear can actually be a more significant cold than most people may think. If you are dealing with continued hearing loss after a cold, it’s best to make an appointment with us sooner rather than later.
We can determine whether the hearing loss is temporary (conductive). If this is the situation, you may have an obstruction in your ear that needs to be extracted by a professional. If the hearing loss is irreversible (sensorineural), we can discuss options that will help you hear better, including new hearing technology.
If you’re struggling to hear after a cold, make an appointment asap.
