Quite a significant number of people from time to time face such a problem as a feeling of pressure in the ears. According to some sources, at least 20-30% of the world's population has experienced this sensation at least once for no apparent reason. Anyone can experience this pain syndrome - the likelihood of its occurrence practically does not depend on age or gender, nor on social status or financial condition.
If we do not take into account the natural cases of the occurrence of this pressure - when flying on an airplane, diving to great depths, sudden rises to altitude, and so on, then the occurrence of this symptom is a sign of a person’s existing health problems. It is worth noting that the occurrence of pressure in the ear does not mean at all that the problem is associated with this organ - simply all the systems of our body are interconnected and the symptom of the disease can manifest itself in this way.
Isolated cases of feeling pressure in the ears may not be a sign of pathology, but they should not be completely ignored either. If you experience these sensations regularly, and are also accompanied by other alarming symptoms (head pain, nosebleeds, dizziness, nausea, weakness, etc.), then delaying a visit to the doctor is simply unacceptable. A combination of several symptoms or multiple repetitions of one - these cases undoubtedly require examination and an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms
When visiting a doctor about pressure in the ears, some patients mention other symptoms accompanying this sensation:
- dizziness;
- ear congestion;
- associated pressure in the head;
- various noises of varying degrees of volume (ringing, clicking, hum, etc.);
- acoasmas (auditory non-speech hallucinations);
- nausea and headaches;
- increased sensitivity to sounds or light.
The presence of these additional symptoms gives the doctor reason to suspect a serious illness and suggest that the patient undergo a comprehensive examination. An otolaryngologist can also offer consultations with other specialists, since the alleged ailments may not be within his competence.
Headache treatment
The method of treating headaches directly depends on the cause that causes it. In the multidisciplinary CELT clinic, a number of modern technologies are used for this purpose to effectively cope with pain symptoms. We practice an integrated approach in which drug treatment is combined with non-drug treatment, which includes:
- different types of therapy (magnetic, laser);
- acupuncture;
- massage;
- gentle manual therapy.
- various therapeutic and diagnostic blockades;
- intravenous infusions of drugs;
- radiofrequency ablation of individual nerves.
Treatment is prescribed depending on whether the pain occurs episodically or is chronic. Personal intolerance to certain medications is also taken into account.
If the pain is intense, our specialists take measures to quickly reduce these manifestations to a minimum. For this purpose, therapeutic blockades or radiofrequency ablation of nerves are used, as well as abortive drugs, which are prescribed immediately after the attack begins. These include: pure oxygen (inhalation through a mask), lidocaine, ergotamines, triptans. It is also possible to use preventive drug therapy. It allows you to prevent headache attacks and significantly shorten periods of exacerbation.
By contacting CELT, you can be confident in the effectiveness of treatment. We will do everything to eliminate the concept of “headache” from your life!
Make an appointment through the application or by calling +7 +7 We work every day:
- Monday—Friday: 8.00—20.00
- Saturday: 8.00–18.00
- Sunday is a day off
The nearest metro and MCC stations to the clinic:
- Highway of Enthusiasts or Perovo
- Partisan
- Enthusiast Highway
Driving directions
Causes
Pressure in the ears occurs due to a number of factors and ailments. These may include serious illnesses and completely harmless ones, for example, prolonged listening to music at high volumes in headphones. The most common causes of pressure in the ears are:
- otosclerosis (bone growth) and inflammation in the middle ear;
- pathologies of a neurological nature (cervical osteochondrosis, pinched vertebrae)
- atherosclerosis of blood vessels in the brain;
- high/low blood pressure of various etiologies (obesity, alcohol and tobacco abuse, depression, stress, heart problems, physical exercise, vascular disorders, etc.);
- injuries of the skull, head;
- tumor (acoustic neuroma) of the auditory nerve;
- otitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, earwax, aerootitis;
- everyday (natural) reasons - long telephone conversations, sleep disturbances, prolonged listening to music, overwork, sudden changes in atmospheric pressure, water getting into the ears, flying on an airplane, diving, etc.
Causes of headaches and ear congestion
Constant pain in the head, which causes blocking of the ears, is an alarming symptom for which you should seek medical help. It may indicate physiological changes that do not require therapy, including water entering the ear canals or fatigue. However, in some cases, this sign will help identify dangerous diseases in the early stages and begin treatment on time.
High blood pressure
Chronic hypertension is a disorder in which the pressure in the arteries exceeds normal levels. In a healthy person at rest it is 120/80 mmHg, but it is important to take into account individual characteristics. Blood pressure is considered high if it is 140/90 mmHg. and more. The condition can be caused either by an increase in circulating blood volume or by vascular spasms.
Blood pressure is easy to measure yourself using a tonometer. If the readings are too high, you should seek medical help. Without timely treatment, hypertension poses a danger to the patient and can cause the following complications:
- angina pectoris - acute pain in the chest;
- myocardial infarction - a sharp disruption in the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle;
- chronic heart failure – deterioration of the heart valve apparatus caused by increased load on it;
- arrhythmia is a disturbance in the heart rhythm that can cause a heart attack.
When blood pressure rises, the patient has a headache and pressure on the ears. Symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, hearing loss and poor coordination of movements also occur. With a sudden attack, fainting is possible. Hypertension can be triggered by an increase in atmospheric pressure, physical activity, stress, disruption of the daily routine and other factors. For chronic hypertension, it is necessary to take medications in a course, including to remove excess fluid.
Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses. With this disease, the nose and ears are blocked, the head hurts, and the overall body temperature rises. The process can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, and cold weather is often the trigger. Sinusitis occurs in acute or chronic forms and may recur after some time. In addition, the disease can manifest itself as a complication of seasonal colds.
The paranasal sinuses are cavities formed by the bones of the skull. In a healthy person, they are not filled with anything, and their walls are lined with mucous membrane. During the inflammatory process, pathological contents appear in them, which causes headaches. Sinusitis can be serous (with clear liquid contents), catarrhal (cavities filled with mucus), purulent and mixed. Depending on the location of the process, there are several types of this disease:
- sinusitis - inflammation of the maxillary sinus, often occurs as a complication of a cold;
- frontal sinusitis - the process affects the frontal paranasal sinus;
- ethmoiditis - inflammation of the mucous membrane located in the ethmoid labyrinth;
- sphenoiditis - damage to the mucous membrane of the sphenoid sinus.
At home, you can conduct an initial diagnosis of sinusitis. If you sharply tilt your head forward and down, a sharp pain occurs in the forehead. This indicates fluid accumulation in the sinuses. Also, with inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, headaches intensify at low temperatures and decrease in a warm room.
Diseases of the hearing organ
If your ears are blocked due to pain in your head, you should undergo an examination by an otolaryngologist. Chronic diseases of the organ of hearing cause a sharp deterioration in health, increased body temperature, impaired balance and coordination of movements, as well as other symptoms and complications.
- Otitis is an inflammation of the ear in any of its parts. Depending on the location, they distinguish between external, middle and internal, and according to the nature of the course - acute and chronic otitis. The process can be caused by hypothermia or herbs, as well as viral and bacterial infections. Internal purulent otitis is the most dangerous because it can spread to the membranes of the brain and cause meningitis.
- Acoustic neuroma is a benign neoplasm. Its first symptoms include constant headaches and dizziness, as well as hearing loss. Over time, nausea, loss of coordination of movements, and atrophy of the masticatory muscles appear. Neuroma does not disappear on its own and may increase in size. To treat it, surgical techniques, radiation therapy, or combined methods are prescribed.
- Mechanical damage or blockage of the ear canals is another reason why headaches and blocked ears occur. You can get injured even at home, if you do not properly clean your ears or if sharp objects get into your ear canals. The cause of the blockage is often cerumen plug - after its surgical removal, headaches disappear and hearing is restored.
If you suspect a disease of the hearing organ, you must undergo an examination by an otolaryngologist. It uses a special device - an otoscope, which allows you to detect various disorders in the auditory canals. The inner ear is difficult to access for diagnosis and has a complex structure, so it is important to prevent the spread of infection from the external parts.
Other reasons
Headache and ear congestion are common symptoms for a large number of diseases and conditions. They are not necessarily related to hearing health, so it is important to pay attention to associated signs. A more detailed examination reveals the following pathologies:
- cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease of the spine in which blood circulation and innervation of the tissues of the head are disrupted;
- viral diseases - influenza, ARVI also manifest themselves as headaches and hearing impairment;
- consequences of traumatic brain injuries , which can manifest themselves many years later.
These symptoms can also occur in a healthy person. So, they often bother you during a flight or in other cases of changes in atmospheric pressure, when water gets into the ear canals, during fatigue or prolonged work at the monitor. However, if they occur regularly, doctors at the Clinical Brain Institute recommend undergoing an examination and determining the exact cause.
Treatment
Obviously, treatment for ear pressure can only begin after a diagnosis has been made. Until the cause is identified, the otolaryngologist is unlikely to be able to prescribe medications or take any other action. In addition, if the cause of the disease is beyond his competence, then it will not be possible to do without the help of an appropriate specialist (therapist, surgeon, neurologist, etc.).
The reception is conducted by specialists
Kirillov Evgeniy Sergeevich
Audiologist
Cost of services
Initial consultation with an audiologist
1200₽
Repeated consultation with an audiologist
1000₽
Types of noise in the head:
Sounds in the head, audible only to humans, can have a different character: ringing, buzzing, buzzing, hissing, pulsating, clicking. They can be constant or occur from time to time, for example, only during pressure changes, after stress or physical exertion. They can be sharp or weak, intensify or weaken when changing position.
Due to constant tinnitus, sensitivity to sounds increases
Noise in the head can be localized in the left or right temporal region, in the back of the head, on the sides, or only in the area of the ears. Its intensity and character depend on the disorders in the body that provoked its appearance.
White noise
It is monotonous, barely audible, reminiscent of the rustling of leaves. It often does not leave a person even at rest, which causes insomnia, decreased performance, irritability and nervousness.
Noise like a high voltage line
In case of inflammatory diseases of the hearing organs, the patient is haunted by a noise reminiscent of the sound of electrical wires or a transformer. To get rid of it, you need to treat the underlying disease.
Sometimes this type of noise occurs against the background of high body temperature, physical exertion, or stress at work.
Dull noise
Feels deep in the head. Although it is not loud, it affects sleep, concentration and quality of life. May indicate that the blood vessels are narrowed.
Monotonous noise
Feels like a constant buzzing in the head. It can be caused by cervical osteochondrosis and age-related changes in the auditory analyzer.
Sharp noise in the head with deafening
The appearance of a sharp noise in the head is associated with damage to the eardrum, a jump in blood or intracranial pressure, or traumatic brain injury.
Pulsating noise in the head and ears
More often it is of vascular origin and occurs due to vascular damage. A person feels a pulsation in the temples, back of the head or ears.
Numbness of the head when making noise
If cerebral circulation is impaired due to narrowing of blood vessels due to osteochondrosis or other problems, a feeling of numbness in the occipital region is likely.
Head pressure and tinnitus
The pressing pain that accompanies tinnitus is usually felt with hypertension or increased intracranial pressure. With a migraine, a person describes his condition as if his head is being squeezed in a vice.
Ringing noise
It can be constant or intermittent, and has different volumes. More often indicates diseases of the hearing organs, but may indicate hypertension. As soon as the pressure drops, the ringing immediately decreases.
High frequency noise in the head
Quite unpleasant and interferes with work. Its appearance is most often caused by disorders in the inner ear. It is often not accompanied by hearing loss at first, but if nothing is done, hearing decreases.
Diagnostic methods
To choose an effective headache treatment regimen, it is important to undergo a full examination and determine its cause. To do this, a set of tests is prescribed to assess the condition of the heart and blood vessels, brain and other organs. It may include the following techniques:
- General and clinical blood tests - allow you to identify inflammatory processes, acute and chronic diseases of internal organs;
- electroencephalography is a method for diagnosing the brain, thanks to which it is possible to detect signs of tumors and vascular pathologies;
- MRI is an informative technique for assessing the patient’s condition in case of stroke, sinusitis, trauma and other pathologies;
- Ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and head using a contrast agent (Dopplerography) - allows you to determine atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases.
The Clinical Institute of the Brain has all the conditions for accurate and comfortable diagnosis. Doctors have extensive experience in treating diseases that are accompanied by severe headaches. They will prescribe only the necessary examinations to quickly determine the cause of the pain and prescribe an effective treatment regimen.
Heaviness in the head: Cases from practice
Woman, 60 years old. Pensioner.
The main complaint is constant heaviness in the head (“bad head, stale, like cotton wool”), poor general health in the morning (“sleep does not bring relief, I often wake up at night”) and increased symptoms in the evening. Notes swelling of the face, persistent tension in the muscles of the cervical spine.
These and other symptoms have developed over the past 10 years. The patient was repeatedly hospitalized by ambulance and also underwent treatment in specialized Moscow medical centers. She underwent a thorough examination for possible neurological and cardiovascular disorders: duplex scanning of the intracranial vessels of the head (without pathology), nuclear MRI of the brain (without pathology), computed tomography of the cervical spine (initial manifestations of osteochondrosis).
According to the patient, her general condition has worsened over the past few months, which is associated with the injury she received (she was hit by a car and suffered a fractured collarbone). She began to feel short of breath when walking, episodes of dizziness and increases in blood pressure (up to 150, her norm is 120-130) with rapid heartbeat.
During an examination at the clinical center of autonomic neurology using the cardiointervalography method, we identified an initially high level of tension index of the autonomic nervous system with a weakening of the inhibitory influence from the parasympathetic centers.
After the first course of laser-magnetic therapy, all disturbing symptoms disappeared. At the same time, the patient began to notice increased weather dependence. Therefore, three months later, at her request, a second course of therapy was carried out. There are currently no complaints.
Male, 20 years old, student.
The history of his illness is not typical: against the background of complete well-being, a physically strong young man developed a severe headache, “which he had never experienced before”; it arose in the morning after a good, full sleep and lasted for 3 days.
On the second day they called an ambulance. The man was given a painkiller injection, which brought temporary relief.
On the third day, he consulted a physician, who also prescribed potent analgesics. The pain went away, but a month later it returned. Pain in the area of the right shoulder blade and episodes of burning of the inner thighs were also added.
No more than a month passed from the onset of the disease to the visit to the autonomic neurology center. Perhaps this circumstance can explain the fact that the polysymptoms inherent in VSD did not have time to fully develop, and for a complete cure the man needed 5 sessions of magnetic laser and electrotherapy.
