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 more ears, but you rarely hear about those. This type of cold can be more harmful than a common cold and should never be ignored.
What does it feel like when you have a cold in your ear?
It’s not uncommon to feel some blockage in your ears when you have a common cold. After all, your sinuses and ears are connected. Normally, when you take a decongestant for sinus relief, this blockage will also be alleviated.
But you should never disregard pain inside of your ear, even when you have a cold. If the cold moves into the ear, the eardrum can become infected. And that will cause inflammation. Inflammation is an immune response 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. Because it’s a gradual leak, it’s most pronounced when you are sleeping on your side.
This affects how well you hear in the short term, which is known as conductive hearing loss. Sadly, it can also cause the eardrum to burst, which brings about long-term hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss, which is damage to the nerves of the ear, can then occur.
It could cost you if you wait
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 goes away because they assume the ear pain will go away with it. Occasionally, a patient will even forget to mention any pain they might be feeling in their ear. But if you’re feeling 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 promptly to prevent further harm.
Many individuals who develop ear pain during a cold, get over their cold only to notice that the ear pain lingers. Most individuals usually decide to consult a hearing specialist at this time. But, a great deal of damage is usually done by this time. This damage often leads to an irreversible hearing loss, particularly if you’re prone to ear infections.
After a while, hearing clarity is affected by the tiny scars and perforations of the eardrum which are left behind from ear infections. In an average, healthy individual, the eardrum serves as a barrier between the middle ear and inner ear. If the eardrum becomes 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.
What should you do if you waited to address that ear infection?
Don’t beat yourself up. A cold with pain in the ear can actually be a more significant cold than most individuals may think. You should make an appointment for a hearing assessment as soon as you can if you are experiencing hearing loss after a cold.
We can assess whether the hearing loss is short-term (conductive). You may need to have an obstruction professionally removed if this is the situation. If you’re dealing with sensorineural, or irreversible hearing loss, there are treatment solutions, including new hearing technology, that we can help you with.
Make an appointment as soon as possible if you’re having trouble hearing after a cold.
