Experiencing pressure in your ears?

Have you ever experienced that annoying feeling of pressure in your ear? Sometimes it’s mild but other times it can affect you so much that you struggle to hear. It can also cause dizziness and a ringing in your ear. A lot of people experience this at one time or another so do not worry; it is generally treatable!

Most likely, the pressure in your ear has been caused by a change to air pressure; we all know this feeling from being on a plane. This change in pressure can cause the eardrum to move in and out which creates the feeling of pressure. Most often, you will experience pressure in your ears when you do something that changes the air pressure like flying or scuba diving. However, everyday activities such as showering or swimming can have the same effect.

The most common symptom that people experience when having pressure in the ears is a feeling of fullness, which is sometimes accompanied with a ringing sound or dizziness. Unfortunately, in some cases, it is a sign of infection or another medical condition. We would also advise that if you are experiencing any symptoms alongside the pressure, that you see an Audiologist or your GP. They can recommend certain medications or other treatments to help relieve it. In severe cases, this pressure can lead to hearing loss so it is important to seek medical advice.

There are things you can do to help relieve the pressure in your ears. The first is to chew gum or suck on a lollipop as this helps to equalise the air pressure in the ear canal. Yawning and swallowing frequently can also have the same effect.

As we have discussed here many times before, prevention is always the best cure for most hearing related things. Obviously it is tricky to avoid getting pressure in your ears when flying somewhere but there are things you can do to help the situation. Chew gum as we stated above and keep hydrated as the fluid helps to equalise the pressure in your ear canals.

If you are concerned about a ringing in your ears or a full feeling, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and one of our Audiologists will be happy to help.