There are other symptoms of a cold that are less common than the well known runny nose. Once in a while, a cold can move into one or both ears, but you rarely hear about those. This form of cold can be more risky than a common cold and shouldn’t ever be neglected.
What does a cold in the ear feel like?
Your sinuses are directly interconnected to your ears, so it’s normal to feel some congestion in your ears when you have a cold. Normally, when you take a decongestant for sinus relief, this blockage will also be alleviated.
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 become infected. And that will trigger inflammation. Inflammation is an immune response that causes fluid to build up on the exterior of the eardrum. So somebody who is coping with an inflamed eardrum may also experience a slow leaking of fluid from the ear. Because it’s a slow leak, it’s most pronounced when you sleep on your side.
This impacts how well you hear in the short term, which is called conductive hearing loss. But long term hearing loss can also occur if this inflammation forces the eardrum to burst. In turn, more permanent damage takes place to the hearing nerves from the inflammation, which is called sensorineural hearing loss.
Waiting could be costly
Come in and see us if you’re experiencing any pain in your ears. Oftentimes, a primary doctor assumes that the ear symptoms will go away when the primary cold does. Sometimes, a patient will even forget to mention any pain they may be feeling in their ear. But if you’re experiencing pain, the infection has progressed to a point where it is most likely doing damage to the ear. It’s paramount that the ear infection be addressed quickly to prevent more damage.
Many individuals who experience ear pain during a cold, get over their cold only to find that the ear pain lingers. This is usually when an individual finally decides to see a hearing specialist. But, a great deal of damage is normally done by this time. This damage often leads to permanent hearing loss, especially if you’re at risk of ear infections.
After a while, hearing clarity is affected by the tiny scars and lacerations of the eardrum which are the consequence of ear infections. In a normal, healthy person, the eardrum serves as a barrier between the middle ear and inner ear. If the eardrum gets perforated even once, then the infection that was previously restricted to the middle ear can now enter the inner ear, where it can damage the irreplaceable tiny nerve cells that you need to hear.
If you waited to get that ear infection treated, what should you do?
Don’t beat yourself up. A cold with pain in the ear can actually be a more severe cold than most people may think. You should schedule an appointment for a hearing assessment as soon as you can if you are experiencing hearing loss after a cold.
We will determine if you’re dealing with conductive, or short-term hearing loss. If this is the case, you might have a blockage in your ear that needs to be removed by a professional. If the hearing loss is irreversible (sensorineural), we can talk about solutions that will help you hear better, including new hearing technology.
If you’re struggling to hear after a cold, schedule an appointment asap.