There are other symptoms of a cold that are less common than the widely recognized runny nose. Once in a while, a cold can move into one or both ears, though you rarely hear about those. While you may generally think of colds as harmless, here’s why this ear-related cold symptom shouldn’t ever be dismissed.
What does it feel like when you get a cold in your ear?
Your sinuses are directly connected to your ears, so it’s common to feel some congestion in your ears when you have a cold. This blockage is usually alleviated when you take a decongestant to relieve sinus symptoms.
But you shouldn’t ever dismiss pain in your ear, even when you have a cold. The eardrum can be infected if the cold goes into the ears. And that will trigger inflammation. Inflammation is an immune reaction that causes fluid to build up on the exterior of the eardrum. So somebody who is coping with an inflamed eardrum might also experience a slow leaking of fluid from the ear. Because it’s a gradual leak, it’s most pronounced when you are sleeping on your side.
This impacts how well you hear over the short term, which is called conductive hearing loss. But long term hearing loss can also happen if this inflammation forces the eardrum to burst. As a result, 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 dealing with any pain in your ears. It’s not uncommon for a primary care physician to wait until the cold goes away because they assume the ear pain will clear up with it. A patient may not even remember to mention that they’re feeling actual pain in the ear. But if you’re experiencing pain, the infection has progressed to a point where it is most likely doing damage to the ear. In order to prevent further damage, the ear infection needs to be quickly treated.
In many circumstances, ear pain will linger even after the cold clears up. This is often when a person finally decides to go to a hearing specialist. But, a great deal of damage is normally done by this time. This damage frequently leads to permanent hearing loss, particularly if you are prone to ear infections.
Each time you get an infection, eardrum lacerations and scar tissue can develop which, over time, can impact hearing clarity. The eardrum is a buffer between the inner and middle ear when it’s healthy and functioning in a normal capacity. If the eardrum becomes perforated even once, then the infection that was previously confined to the middle ear can now go into the inner ear, where it can damage the irreplaceable tiny nerve cells that you need to hear.
If you waited to have that ear infection treated, what should you do?
Don’t beat yourself up. Most people just assume ear pain with a cold is normal when it actually signals a much more serious cold infection. You should make an appointment for a hearing exam as soon as possible if you are experiencing hearing loss after a cold.
We can determine whether the hearing loss is temporary (conductive). You might need to have a blockage professionally extracted if this is the case. If you have sensorineural, or permanent hearing loss, there are treatment options, including new hearing technology, that we can help you with.
If you’re struggling to hear after a cold, make an appointment asap.
