Causes
Clicking in the ears, not associated with swallowing, occurs when the muscles of the hearing aid contract. This occurs with muscle spasm, as well as due to swelling of the auditory tube. Swelling accompanies infectious diseases of the ENT organs (otitis of a bacterial or fungal nature, sinusitis, pharyngitis), Meniere's disease (fluid accumulation in the inner ear), habitual dislocation of the jaw. With arthritis and arthrosis of the jaw joints, patients are bothered by crunching and clicking noises due to damage to the cartilage tissue. Ear plugs lead to pronounced clicking sounds when swallowing, as the patency of the auditory tube is impaired.
Monotonous tinnitus occurs with high blood pressure. The cause may be not only chronic hypertension, but also stress, heat stroke and intoxication. Complex noises that are auditory hallucinations are often a sign of mental illness. In any case, no matter what reason the patient suspects, self-medication is not worth it. A timely visit to an otolaryngologist for diagnosis and treatment is the best solution if noise or clicking occurs.
Classification
According to the course of the disease in otorhinolaryngology, acute (up to 1 month), subacute (from 1 to 3 months), chronic (lasting more than 3 months), and recurrent (3 episodes or more acute external otitis within a year) forms of external otitis are distinguished.
The type of disease is determined by the location and nature of the inflammatory process. Among the nosological forms there are diffuse (eczema, dermatitis, erysipelas, herpes, perichondritis, chondroperichondritis, malignant external otitis and a number of other types and limited external otitis (furuncle, abscess).
According to the degree of severity, there is a mild degree (minor discomfort and itching in the ear, minimal swelling of the skin of the external auditory canal), moderate (pain and itching in the ear, narrowing of the external auditory canal due to severe swelling of the skin), severe (severe pain in the ear, external auditory meatus completely closed, periauricular erythema, regional lymphadenopathy and fever)
Symptoms
If clicks in the ears are associated with swelling of the inner ear, then the ENT doctor will be able to objectively record them during the initial examination. Patients with inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs are also concerned about fever, congestion and pain in the ears (usually “shooting”), and possible ear discharge. With lesions of the jaw joints, patients complain of pain when chewing and a feeling of dislocation, often accompanied by an increase in temperature.
With tinnitus, against the background of high blood pressure, patients complain of weakness, headache, nausea, spots before the eyes. The skin of these patients is hyperemic, and convulsions may occur. With heatstroke, your body temperature rises, your pulse becomes rapid and weak, and your breathing becomes faster. These conditions require emergency medical attention.
Prevention
All preventive measures are aimed at preventing vascular diseases, diseases of the brain and hearing organs. To prevent hypertension, hypoxia, atherosclerosis and other diseases, it is important to give up bad habits, eat right, and maintain normal physical activity, since a sedentary lifestyle negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
If work involves high noise levels, earplugs should be used to protect your hearing.
It is also necessary to avoid falls, stress, and exposure to high-level noise, which can cause damage to the eardrum or auditory neuritis. If you have any health problems, you should immediately go to the hospital.
Diagnostics
It is necessary to conduct a general and biochemical blood test to determine the presence of infection, a microbiological analysis of a smear from the ear and nasopharynx. An ENT doctor examines the level of hearing and the patency of the auditory tube. X-rays and MRIs can determine the presence of inflammatory diseases, lesions of joint tissue or neoplasms; An ultrasound is performed to determine the condition of the hearing organs. In case of hypertension, blood pressure and ECG measurements are required. In the absence of physiological changes leading to tinnitus, consultation with a psychotherapist is necessary.
What to do if there is noise in the ears and head?
Noise can be caused by various diseases and external factors. Some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants and drugs that have a sedative effect provoke hearing impairment and ear ringing. You cannot self-medicate; you must seek medical help.
A neurologist will help with noise in the head. For consultation with an experienced specialist, you can make an appointment at the SmartMed clinic. The neurologist has extensive clinical experience and access to modern computer equipment. He will conduct a comprehensive diagnosis aimed at identifying the cause and prescribe treatment, after which all unpleasant manifestations will disappear.
Treatment can only be effective when the cause of the noise is known.
You cannot tolerate noise in your head, engage in activities that provoke its intensification, for example, parachute jumping, diving, etc. You need to give up bad habits, normalize your rest and sleep patterns, and do everything to alleviate your condition.
Treatment
It is clear that due to various reasons for the appearance of noise, treatment methods can vary significantly in each case. If the clicking in the ears is caused by the presence of wax plug, it is removed in a hospital setting. In the presence of infection, complex antimicrobial therapy is carried out - antibacterial or antifungal drugs, antihistamines (Diazolin, Suprastin, Loratadine) and vasoconstrictors (Otrivin, Naphthyzin, Polydexa), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nurofen, Ibuprofen). In case of severe muscle spasm, muscle relaxants (Drotaverine, No-Shpa) are prescribed. For lesions of the jaw joints, it is recommended to take chondroprotectors (Glucosamine, Chondroitin).
The accumulation of fluid in the inner ear requires the prescription of antipsychotics (Aminazin, Triftazin) to normalize the functioning of the vestibular apparatus and diuretics (Diacarb, Veroshpiron) to reduce the level of edema. Pneumomassage of the eardrum, performed by an otolaryngologist, is also indicated. Tinnitus with hypertension requires treatment of the underlying disease. To normalize blood pressure, beta-blockers (Anaprilin, Metoprolol), sedatives (Persen, Novo-Passit), ACE inhibitors (Captopril, Lisinopril, Ceronapril), calcium blockers (Nifedipine, Manidipine), diuretics are prescribed.
If tinnitus reduces the patient’s quality of life, along with drug therapy, the use of psychological techniques may be recommended to reduce the severity of subjective perception of noise.
The reception is conducted by specialists
Kirillov Evgeniy Sergeevich
Audiologist, otoneurologist
Cost of services
Initial consultation with an audiologist
1500₽
Repeated consultation with an audiologist
1000₽
Briefly about the airlock
Airlock is a collective term for ear discomfort and not a clinical diagnosis. There is no such disease; the term explains the unpleasant feelings in the organ of hearing. In other words, we are talking about congestion, which from time to time causes hearing impairment and dizziness.
The puzzle is suitable for both children and adults. It often goes away after the stimulus is eliminated, for example a loud sound or high atmospheric pressure. In other cases, it may be accompanied by severe inflammation, swelling, and hearing impairment.
It is important to find out the root cause of the disease and, if necessary, carry out complete healing.
“Congestion in the ear for a short period of time is not a cause for concern. Such a symptom (one of the individual signs, a particular manifestation of a disease, pathological condition or disruption of any vital process) passes in most cases without the help of others in a few hours, or at most in a day. If the discomfort persists longer and the negative signs increase, you should contact an otolaryngologist and find out the cause of the violation (An offense, an action or inaction that is contrary to the requirements of legal norms and committed by a person capable of delinquency; “Violation,” one of the first stories by Sergei Lukyanenko).”
In practice, the symptom of ear congestion is experienced by a person flying on an airplane or climbing a mountain peak. But these are not all the prerequisites for the appearance of a similar phenomenon.
Hardware examination
In order to clarify the nature of the lesion in this case, the following brain studies can help:
- echoencephalography (used when a tumor or traumatic brain injury is suspected);
- Doppler ultrasound, which is based on the study of large vessels using an appropriate sound signal;
- computed tomography (allows you to study the structure of the brain in cross section);
- magnetic resonance imaging (assesses the anatomical features of the brain and the presence of pathological changes in it);
- magnetic resonance angiography;
- positron emission tomography (assesses the metabolic processes of the brain at the cellular level).
Depending on the detected pathology, a specialist may offer a variety of treatment methods. These can be both medications and physiotherapeutic procedures. In the presence of a post-traumatic hematoma or tumor, the question may be raised not only about conservative, but also surgical methods of treatment.
It's all because of ear plugs
No matter how trite it sounds, gurgling in the ears can occur from ordinary ear plugs. In this case, it is all due to lack of hygiene. Few people know that cleaning ears with a cotton swab is not recommended. In the depths of the ear canal, an obstacle is created when the wax is pushed deep into the ear canal. No matter how strange it may sound, if the Eustachian tube is blocked, then it is worth doing certain exercises that normalize internal processes in the body.
They are as follows: the lower jaw moves forward, and then the direction changes and the jaw moves to the right and left. This simple exercise helps eliminate signs of congestion. You can also experiment with another exercise: close your nostrils with your fingers and draw air into your lungs, and then exhale it. This simple exercise will cause a small “click” to appear, which will cause ear congestion to disappear.
Methods for removing traffic jams
Therapeutic measures depend on the underlying cause of the disorder. The following simple steps will help you remove an airlock in your ear during an air flight or climbing a mountain peak:
- lollipop resorption;
- frequent swallowing of saliva;
- slowly exhale air through a nose pinched with your fingers;
- special earplugs.
After disembarkation, the given symptom traditionally goes away on its own, healing (by faith (as well as healing by prayer, divine healing) - a doctrine that affirms the possibility of supernatural physical healing from an illness or congenital (acquired) defect of the body) is not required.
What to do if a wax plug has formed in your ear? Rinsing with a Janet syringe will help. The procedure is carried out on an outpatient basis in a clinic in almost a few minutes. The manipulation is safe and virtually painless.
If you are sure that the presence of air in the ears is connected specifically with the accumulation of gray matter, you can carry out home rinsing. A 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and a syringe without a needle will be useful.
For a couple of days, 3-5 drops of water are instilled into the ear three times a day to soften the plug. Then the cavity is washed with clean water at room temperature using a huge syringe.
To make it easier to clean the ears of wax, special drops called cerumenolytics are used: A-Cerumen, Remo-Vax, Debrox. Use strictly as directed, no more than once a week.
Ear congestion due to otitis media and other inflammatory diseases requires special attention and special treatment. Depending on the etiology, the following are prescribed:
- systemic anti-inflammatory agents: Ibuklin, Nurofen;
- antimicrobial drops: Otipax, Otinum;
- antiseptics: Miramistin, Chlorhexidine;
- antihistamines: Claritin, Suprastin;
- medications: Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin.
These products are prescribed by the treating doctor. The plug disappears as the underlying disease is cured (this is a condition of the body expressed in disruption of its normal functioning, life expectancy and its ability to maintain its homeostasis).
Only a specialist can tell you how to get rid of an air plug in the ear when chemical particles and foreign objects get into the ear canal. A painstaking examination with an otoscope is required to determine the extent of the damage.
The method of treatment is selected individually depending on the situation with the ear. In some cases, transportation to the clinic and surgical intervention are required.
Chronic pharyngitis
According to the depth of damage to the pharyngeal mucosa, chronic pharyngitis is divided into: catarrhal, hypertrophic and atrophic forms.
- Chronic catarrhal pharyngitis - there is slight swelling of the tissue layers of the pharyngeal mucosa. Individual areas are sometimes covered with clear or slightly cloudy mucus. It develops as a result of acidic gastric contents entering the throat, for example, in the case of a hiatal hernia. Therefore, catarrhal chronic pharyngitis is a consequence of the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis is a significant severity of swelling of the mucous membrane. Additionally, thickening of the uvula and swelling of the soft palate are observed.
- Chronic atrophic pharyngitis is characterized by some thinning of the lining of the pharynx. They are usually pale pink, sometimes shiny varnished. Some of their areas become covered with crusts, viscous mucus and pus.
Any type of chronic pharyngitis develops due to the fact that the acute form of the disease was not cured in time and developed into a more serious form. Chronic pharyngitis also appears as a consequence of rhinitis, sinusitis, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps - that is, when nasal breathing is difficult for a long time. In addition, long-term use of vasoconstrictor drops also leads to the appearance of chronic pharyngitis.
How does pharyngitis manifest and progress in children?
Children suffer from pharyngitis more severely than adults. This especially applies to babies under one year old. Swelling of the mucous membrane can cause signs of suffocation; the pain that accompanies the disease reduces the child’s appetite. Often, a baby’s body temperature can reach 40°. The most difficult thing in this situation is that a small child cannot say what hurts.
Incorrect treatment can lead to irreparable consequences for a small, fragile organism. Therefore, at the first signs of pharyngitis, consult a doctor immediately.
