Gah What's wrong with my ears :*(

  • Thread starter moose
  • Start date
In summary: This could create the problem you describe. If you have a fever, it might be worth seeing a doctor just to rule out a more serious problem.
  • #1
moose
557
0
For the past week and a half or so, I've had a cold. I've had an extremely runny nose the entire time, like always. Well, two days ago, I went to blow my nose and all of a sudden there was a weird noise in my right ear, and it felt like air came out of my ear :uhh: . It kinda felt like when your ears pop, except amplified * 100. That day I didn't hear as well out of my right ear for an hour or so, and then everything was normal, so I didn't think much of it. And now, today, the same thing happened three times. However, today it didn't make me hear any worse, but it just feels weird O_O. Also it sounds weird o_O... Anyone had this happen to them?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I can't blow my nose for that very reason. As far as I know, it's a structural defect in the sinus cavities. Do you happen to have very narrow nasal passages?
 
  • #3
Possibly an ear infection?
 
  • #4
Danger said:
I can't blow my nose for that very reason. As far as I know, it's a structural defect in the sinus cavities. Do you happen to have very narrow nasal passages?

I don't know O.O This has never happened before o.0
 
  • #5
rachmaninoff said:
Possibly an ear infection?

Most likely an ear infection.

I've had lots of ear infections in my lifetime. :frown:
 
  • #6
That happens to me sometimes too when I blow my nose really hard. I dunno.. my ears still work.
 
  • #7
JasonRox said:
Most likely an ear infection.
I've had lots of ear infections in my lifetime. :frown:

That's unfortunate. My brother use to have ear infections when he was little and by the crying and screaming, I can only imagine that they were very unpleasant.
 
  • #8
Jelfish said:
That's unfortunate. My brother use to have ear infections when he was little and by the crying and screaming, I can only imagine that they were very unpleasant.

Yeah, it starts to hurt if you wait too long to do anything about it.

Leaving it for any longer than 2 weeks can make it pretty bad. You can even lay your head down to sleep sometimes. :eek:
 
  • #9
I've never had an ear infection... in my life...

How do you know if you have an ear infection? I really doubt I do, because my ear does't hurt whatsoever...
 
  • #10
moose said:
I've never had an ear infection... in my life...

How do you know if you have an ear infection? I really doubt I do, because my ear does't hurt whatsoever...

Some ear infections can go away on its own.

It's possible that you never got one yet.
 
  • #11
I've never had an ear infection... in my life...

Me neither... Wonder why some people have healthy ears and some don't.
 
  • #12
I've heard that breast-fed babies are less likely to have ear infections.
 
  • #13
Speaking of things I've never had :uhh:

I've never had a nose bleed in my life...

EDIT:

* Swelling, heat, or tenderness around or behind the ear.
* Redness of the ear, ear canal, or skin around or behind the ear.
* Drainage from the ear that does not appear to be earwax.
* Itching of the ear or ear canal.
* Fever.

Yeah, I don't have any of those symptoms.
 
  • #14
I really don't think it's an ear infection. I've never had an ear infection and I've have that happen to me all the time. My guess is that it's caused by the difference in pressure between your middle ear and the atmosphere. When you blow your nose, you increase the pressure in your middle ear, so your ear-drum bends to create an opening and the pressure normalizes (or if you keep blowing, the air streams out). It's not a good idea to do that though since a lot of ear infections start when bacteria from mucus goes into your middle ear via the explained method.
 
  • #15
Do not listen to anyone here!

Go see a doctor and ask him/her!
 
  • #16
Jelfish said:
I really don't think it's an ear infection. I've never had an ear infection and I've have that happen to me all the time. My guess is that it's caused by the difference in pressure between your middle ear and the atmosphere. When you blow your nose, you increase the pressure in your middle ear, so your ear-drum bends to create an opening and the pressure normalizes (or if you keep blowing, the air streams out). It's not a good idea to do that though since a lot of ear infections start when bacteria from mucus goes into your middle ear via the explained method.
I think this is probably right. Under normal circumstances I don't believe there is any continuous passage from the sinuses out the ear. On the other hand I have read that there are places in there where excess gas can build up and has to vent occasionally. This explained why, every once in a while I'll hear a very high pitched whistling noise in one ear that attenuates till it is no longer audible.
 
Last edited:
  • #17
moose said:
Speaking of things I've never had :uhh:

I've never had a nose bleed in my life...

EDIT:



Yeah, I don't have any of those symptoms.

Um... you can still have an inner ear infection.

I had the same problem as you about a month ago, and it was an inner ear infection. I had none of those symptoms either. The fluids remained in my ear, so it did not leak out, like it should.
 
  • #18
You have a little tube called the Eustachian tube, that runs from the back of your middle ear to your nose. Its function is to ventilate the middle ear, makeing sure that the pressure inside the ear remains at near normal air pressure. It also drains any accumulated secretions, infection, or debris from the middle ear space.
When you blow your nose hard, these tubes may become pluged, causeing things to sound muffled. Your cold is more then likely the cause, and you can try chewing gum or yawning really big to help clear the tubes.
And as noted by Matt, check with your doctor.
 
  • #19
I hope its not like the time I really tried to push a fart out. Was there any discharge??:yuck:
 
  • #20
Take up smoking and see if you can blow smoke out your ear. you could probably make a fortune in bars if you can.
 
  • #21
Could be a ruptured eardrum.

Go see a doctor!
 
  • #22
mattmns said:
Do not listen to anyone here!
Go see a doctor and ask him/her!
This is the only advice you should be listening to here, along with Astronuc's post just above telling you the same thing. It'll take a fairly short visit to the doctor for them to look in your ear and determine if there's an infection, a ruptured eardrum, some sort of blockage that's not draining properly and might lead to an infection, or something else entirely. Especially if it's recurring, you should get it checked out. Something is obviously wrong, but nobody can tell you without actually looking at your ear.
 
  • #23
I'd try seeing how far you can get a Q-Tip into your ear canal then have someone look for the cotton tip in your nostril.
 
  • #24
tribdog said:
I'd try seeing how far you can get a Q-Tip into your ear canal then have someone look for the cotton tip in your nostril.
I have these ke-bab skewer things. I bet you could use one to push a Q-tip all the way through.
 
  • #25
Would you be willing to Fed Ex one to moose? Might be a couple of days til you get it back though. I've tried pencils, car antennas, shots of air from a compressor, and a vacuum to the nostril and I can't get a Q tip more that 3/4 of the way down my Eustachian.
 
Last edited:
  • #26
I'm normal! Hurray!
 
  • #27
you are more than normal. Super normal, no , Ultra, no, oh yeah, you are more than normal you are AB normal!
 
  • #28
I'm extra-ordinary!
 
  • #29
Go to the doctor, or this will happen to you!
 

Attachments

  • snot.jpg
    snot.jpg
    32.6 KB · Views: 465
  • #30
tribdog said:
Would you be willing to Fed Ex one to moose? Might be a couple of days til you get it back though. I've tried pencils, car antennas, shots of air from a compressor, and a vacuum to the nostril and I can't get a Q tip more that 3/4 of the way down my Eustachian.
It's such a worthy cause I can't really refuse can I?

Or, he could run down to the local Chinatown market and get a bag of 100 for 99 cents.

That attachment Evo posted, that might be a good look for moose. He should at least try it before deciding.
 
  • #31
moose said:
Speaking of things I've never had :uhh:

I've never had a nose bleed in my life...
Yeah, me neither. I wonder why. I've been hit in the nose too many times, so that's not why not.

I've only had one ear infectoin so far. It was unpleasent. Hallucinations accompined it. Those were unpleasent. I heard things. It was just my heart beating, very very loud. I couldn't sleep, almost the whole night.
 
  • #32
You probably blew your nose too hard. Blow more gently and this will be less likely to happen. It's also a good idea to check with your doctor to be sure there is no abnormality in your Eustachian tube.
 
  • #33
I didn't read all the replies, but I had the same exact problem before. I went to the doctor and he said I had some ear infection or something from the cold I got. I had to take horrible shots for a week or something and it went away (this was in another country though so you might just get pills or something in the US :biggrin:).
 
  • #34
Physics_wiz said:
I didn't read all the replies, but I had the same exact problem before. I went to the doctor and he said I had some ear infection or something from the cold I got. I had to take horrible shots for a week or something and it went away (this was in another country though so you might just get pills or something in the US :biggrin:).

If it was in another country, I think we all know the doctor just wanted money :biggrin:

I'll go to the doctor someday...soon
 
  • #35
moose said:
If it was in another country, I think we all know the doctor just wanted money :biggrin:
I'll go to the doctor someday...soon
In any event, from now on, blow your nose as gently as possible. I think it's concievable a thing like this could do long term damage to your hearing. The fact you couldn't hear well for an hour is not good.
 

Similar threads

  • Biology and Medical
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
6
Views
875
  • General Discussion
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
814
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
666
Replies
14
Views
1K
Replies
24
Views
10K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
12
Views
7K
Back
Top