After a cold, tinnitus and headache

It often happens that the symptoms of a respiratory disease have already disappeared, but the condition continues to improve. A person may complain of weakness, dizziness, sleep disturbances, apathy, and loss of appetite. Doctors call this condition asthenization, which is characterized by decreased performance of the body and unstable mood. One of the manifestations of asthenia is tinnitus after a cold, or scientifically, tinnitus.

With rare exceptions, the symptom goes away on its own within a week. Less often, it signals a pathology, for example, inflammation of the Eustrachian tube, otitis media, sinusitis, and hypertension. Noises and dizziness may also indicate the appearance of wax plugs. An otolaryngologist (ENT) diagnoses and treats this problem.

Noise as a consequence of a cold

Everyone has experienced ringing in the ear at least once in their life. Extraneous noise almost always appears when listening to loud music. It may occur more frequently with age. Doctors attribute this to natural hearing loss. In the 55 to 65 age group, approximately one in five people surveyed report a symptom.

Ringing in the ears can occur for various reasons. Theories of its origin are also different. From fluctuations in air pressure in the space of the middle ear to the brain's reaction to the death of auditory cells. Many factors can predispose to tinnitus: metabolic disorders, kidney disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia, head and neck tumors, osteochondrosis, etc.

How is a cold related to tinnitus? The connection is explained quite simply. A person predisposed to tinnitus may experience the symptom when the body weakens, against the background of general exhaustion. During a cold, a lot of energy is spent fighting the disease. After recovery, time is needed to recover.

Along with tinnitus, a person after a cold may experience fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, apathy, or excessive irritability. As a rule, such asthenia lasts no longer than a week and does not require medical intervention.

Another cause of tinnitus after a cold may be the side effects of medications. The symptom can be caused by Aspirin, Gentamicin, Furosemide, antibiotics and some other drugs. When the medication is stopped, the condition stabilizes fairly quickly.

https://youtu.be/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A58gBTwAvvA
_

Tinnitus after a cold: what to do, types and causes

Noise in the right and left ears during a cold is a common occurrence, forcing patients to think about what to do in such a situation. Congestion occurs as a result of a number of other reasons, including sinusitis, runny nose or pressure drop. A cold is usually accompanied by fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat.

Added to the unpleasant symptoms is congestion in the ears.

Causes of tinnitus due to colds

Noise in the right and left ears appears after a cold for various reasons. Among the large number, there are several main ones:

• complications caused by colds;
• residual phenomenon after ARVI;
• imbalance of internal pressure;
• individual characteristics of the body.

In medical practice, the symptom goes away on its own, without drug therapy. Sometimes the pathology requires long-term treatment and is aimed at preserving hearing.

Types of noise, ringing in the ears and its causes

If a person is overcome by a cold, he often notices the appearance of extraneous noise in the ears. This may be a constant knocking, gurgling, ringing, rustling or clicking sound. According to doctors, tinnitus occurs as a result of a serious cause. Depending on the type of noise, the disease is determined.

Pulsating noise

This type of noise indicates the presence of atherosclerosis in the patient. In other cases, arterial hypertension may occur. At the same time, high blood pressure contributes to the narrowing of small blood vessels in the brain. This prevents the saturation of the brain with oxygen and hypertension occurs as a manifestation of such changes.

The development of atherosclerosis is accompanied by the accumulation of cholesterol in the vessels. This reduces their diameter, slowing blood flow. As a result, pulsation, headaches, hearing loss and memory impairment appear.

Pulsatile noise accompanies another disease - arteriovenous malformation. Due to the irregular plexus of blood vessels, blood bypasses the capillaries and immediately enters the veins.

After a concussion, a pulsating sound and drumming of increasing volume are often heard. Typically, this condition occurs before vomiting and dizziness.

To avoid these symptoms, it is not recommended to remain in an inclined position for a long time.

With a headache

When tinnitus is accompanied by headaches and dizziness, it can be caused by one of three factors:

• the presence of atherosclerotic plaques;
• disruption of the auditory nerve;
• concussion.

When falling, a blow to the head is possible, after which the person feels pain. Subsequently, the condition worsens, nausea and vomiting occur. If tinnitus is added to the symptoms, this indicates a concussion, which must be treated urgently. In the evening, the noise intensifies, as the functioning of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted.

With dizziness

Changes in the cervical spine are almost always accompanied by dizziness. Over time, growths and thorns form on it. As the height of the disks decreases, they move closer to each other.

Bone growths irritate the vertebral artery, and it begins to spasm, thereby preventing normal blood flow to the brain.

In this case, the person feels unsteady while walking, blurred vision and noise in the ears.

Idiopathic murmur

If the doctor cannot determine the exact cause of tinnitus, he calls the condition idiopathic tinnitus. According to statistics, this phenomenon occurs in 45% of all cases.

Typically, noise complaints come from patients aged 40 to 80 years.

This is due to a number of factors, including age-related changes and physiological noise resulting from the movement of blood in the inner ear.

An examination of the ENT organs at a doctor’s appointment will help determine the exact cause of ear congestion. An otolaryngologist examines the outer ear. If necessary, additional tests may be prescribed. This is a bacterial examination of ear discharge and a procedure called tympanoscopy.

How to diagnose yourself?

It is difficult for a person to make an accurate diagnosis himself. In the initial stages of the disease, congestion in the ear does not bother the patient too much. As symptoms increase, the situation changes. If the discomfort does not go away for a long time, you should visit a doctor and undergo a full examination.

Which doctor should I go to for diagnosis and treatment?

An ENT doctor deals with diagnostic measures related to the hearing organs. Despite this, it is recommended to consult a therapist first. He will prescribe an examination that will determine the exact cause of the disease. The diagnosis can be made after:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• audiograms;
• Vascular ultrasound;
• radiographs of the brain;
• examination by an otolaryngologist.

How to treat tinnitus after a cold?

Acute respiratory diseases are often accompanied by the release of purulent contents. In this case, the patient complains of ear congestion, which later becomes unbearable.

The inflammatory process can progress in the sinuses even after the cold has passed. Due to swelling of the mucous membrane, air flow cannot enter the ear cavity and this causes discomfort.

It is possible to get rid of it only after treating the inflammation.

For ARVI

Drug therapy consists of using ear drops and warm compresses. If these are drops, they must contain antibacterial components and an anesthetic. When purulent masses accumulate in the ear canal, it is necessary to use solutions that will not only clean the ear, but also relieve inflammation. Other treatment options can also be used:

• Saline solution. There is no need to buy it at the pharmacy, as it is prepared at home. Used as a rinse. To prepare, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of boiling water. Alternative options can be found at the pharmacy kiosk if you don’t want to cook it yourself.

• Vasoconstrictor nasal drugs. We are talking about drops such as Farmazolin or Noxprey. You can avoid noise by instilling them into the nostrils after rinsing.

Vegetable juices, also prepared at home, will help relieve congestion. They are under no circumstances recommended to be used in their pure form. Before instillation, dilute with boiled water. Place two drops in each nostril in the morning and evening.

After otitis

The method of treatment differs in each specific case. Therapy is selected depending on the location of the inflammatory process. The disease may be associated with infection of the outer, middle or inner ear. If the source of inflammation is in the outer or middle ear, it can be eliminated independently.

The progression of otitis deep into the ear tissue always ends with the patient being sent to the hospital. Treatment is carried out by a qualified doctor to avoid inflammation of the brain. If the inflammation is associated with the outer part of the ear canal, experts recommend taking the following therapeutic course:

1. Drip boric alcohol into the ear cavity.
2. For severe pain, take Ibuprofen or its analogues.
3. Drop medicine into the ears to provide an antibacterial effect.
4. Place turundas based on lincomycin and tetracycline ointment in the ears.

Treatment tactics are suitable in the initial stages of the disease. If the symptoms are too strong and interfere with the quality of life, you cannot do without a doctor. Moreover, surgery may be required. A person’s careless attitude towards his health ends in the appearance of an abscess on the outer ear; the only treatment method is surgical removal.

With a runny nose

To eliminate tinnitus caused by a stuffy nose, a set of measures are taken:

1. Vasoconstrictor drops help relieve swelling and restore breathing.
2. If there is no inflammation in the ear, use a saline solution to rinse the nostrils.
3. Vitamins and taking multivitamin complexes will help strengthen the immune system and speed up the healing process.
4. The patient is prescribed medications aimed at fighting the infection that caused the disease. Initially, anti-cold medications are used. If cases of the disease are more severe, they switch to antibiotics.

Traditional methods of eliminating a runny nose have a good effect. This can be onion juice, which is applied in the form of drops. Chamomile infusion and diluted beet juice are used for the same purpose.

Chamomile helps relieve swelling and soothe damaged mucous areas in the nose.

The main therapy ends with the intake of herbal teas and breast mixtures, as this enhances the effectiveness of medications.

After sinusitis

Ear congestion is a symptom that often occurs during the course of the disease. If the underlying disease is treated, the noise in the ear will go away on its own.

Treatment of sinusitis takes a long period of time, especially if the stage is chronic. To alleviate the condition, vasoconstrictor drops are instilled into the nose.

They relieve swelling of the nasopharynx, opening air access to the right and left ears, and remove excess fluid.

After successfully getting rid of sinusitis, the patient’s ears may become clogged again. To solve the problem, it is necessary to concentrate on the condition of the hearing organs and, if necessary, begin treatment.

The ENT specialist will determine what led to the development of complications after sinusitis and prescribe the following procedures:

1. Normalization of the functionality of the Eustachian tube by blowing the ear canal.
2. With a progressive inflammatory process, take antibacterial drugs.
3. Physiotherapeutic methods.
4. Removing plaque blocking the ear.

To restore the full functioning of the hearing organs, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that provoked the occurrence of such disorders. Connective tissue growths or pus residues can serve as an obstacle to healing.

The best treatment is to prevent complications. To do this, do not allow infection from the nasopharynx to get into the ears.

Tinnitus and methods of its treatment

If extraneous noise occurs in the ears during the course of the disease, drug treatment is not necessary in all cases. The onset of tinnitus occurs suddenly and disappears very quickly.

Doctors say there is no need to worry about this. It is necessary to contact a specialist when noise causes discomfort and interferes with leading a full life.

You should visit a doctor if you have a disease that caused tinnitus and if the noise is constant.

Medications

Before using the medicine, determine the cause of the noise. There are many medications available to reduce tapping and tinnitus. Some of them cause serious side effects. Before use, it is better to read the instructions.

Traditional methods

You can get rid of unwanted noise in various ways. In addition to onion juice, dill, honey and viburnum are used. Greens are needed to prepare a tincture that is drunk as tea. Turundas are made from honey and viburnum and placed in the ears all night.

Prevention

To avoid ear diseases, you need to keep your hearing organs clean. Wear clothes and hats appropriate for the weather and treat illnesses in a timely manner. In addition, it is recommended to periodically go for examinations with a doctor. The causes of the disease are different and can only be identified by a professional.

Possible pathological causes of the symptom

Despite the fact that tinnitus after a cold has a favorable prognosis, sometimes it should be considered as a signal of pathology. What accompanying symptoms besides tinnitus should alert you:

• headache (especially in the frontal region or under the eyes);
• noise only on one side;
• nasal congestion, abnormal mucous discharge (serous, purulent, thick and viscous);
• earache;
• increased body temperature;
• incessant noise that negatively affects performance and sleep.

In this case, we may be talking about a complication of a cold, an exacerbation of a chronic disease, or the development of a new one against the background of decreased immunity. What diagnoses occur most often:

• hypertonic disease;
• sulfur plug;
• otitis;
• atherosclerosis;
• sinusitis or other sinusitis;
• problem in terms of neurology;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• tumor formations;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia.

If at least one of the above symptoms appears, you should consult a doctor. Most likely, for diagnosis you will need to undergo studies: x-rays of the sinuses, cervical spine and skull, otoscopy, audiometry, MRI or CT.

Why do ears get stuffy when you have a cold?

The hearing organs, one way or another, come into contact with the rest of the ENT organs. The auditory ossicles and eardrum are considered an important element of auditory functionality; they form the main auditory analyzer. It is this part that picks up sound waves.

When everything is working correctly, the middle ear space is completely filled with air . The air pressure in the ear coincides with atmospheric pressure. Nothing interferes with the sound wave entering the cochlea and other parts of the hearing organ. There is a gradual timely processing and correct perception of the audio information flow.

The Eustachian tube, which connects the ear to the nasopharynx, is also filled with air, but with a cold it can fill with liquid containing bactericidal or viral, infectious microorganisms. In this case, inflammation of the Eustachian tube begins, the main symptoms of which are noise, ringing, and gurgling. The patient complains of hearing loss, discomfort inside the ear, headaches, and general malaise.

Treatment methods

Treatments for tinnitus vary. The approach depends on the cause of the pathological condition. If the symptoms are caused by a sulfur plug, then it is removed using a syringe with an antiseptic rinsing solution. If there is an inflammatory disease, antibiotics, nose drops, and ear drops may be prescribed. In case of tinnitus caused by a disorder in the central nervous system, psychotherapeutic treatment is prescribed. Doctors use the following methods:

• drug therapy;
• physiotherapy;
• hearing aids;
• reflexology;
• sessions with a psychotherapist (in particular, cognitive behavioral therapy).

However, more often than not, tinnitus that occurs after a cold does not require specific treatment. If the cause of the symptom is asthenic, it is enough to follow a sleep and rest schedule, eat right and avoid nervous tension for a week after the illness. You can get rid of noise with the help of calm, classical music, listened to with headphones at a minimum volume. In addition, it is recommended to temporarily limit the consumption of salt, strong tea, coffee, and give up alcohol and smoking.

Use of folk remedies

It’s worth mentioning right away that in case of loud noise or other severe alarming symptoms, self-medication is unacceptable. The following recipes can be used for general weakness, dizziness, periodic ringing or other noise in the ears. So, what folk remedies help get rid of tinnitus?

1. Grate the onion, squeeze out the juice and dilute with boiled water 1:1. Apply 2-3 drops twice a day for a week.

2. Pour 300 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon of dill seeds (or other parts of the plant), let it brew for 1-2 hours. Then strain and take 100 ml orally before each meal.

3. Grate raw potatoes, squeeze out the juice, mix half and half with honey. Soak the ear turunda with the product. Such compresses should be done at night every other day.

4. Prepare lemon balm or mint tea: a tablespoon of dry tea per glass of boiling water. Use honey to sweeten. Take a glass at lunchtime and in the evening for 1–2 weeks.

5. Dissolve a tablespoon of ammonia in a glass of water, dip it in a waffle towel and apply it to your forehead. Keep the compress for at least half an hour. The course of treatment should not exceed 6 days.

Hiking in the fresh air, preferably in the forest or at least in the park, helps get rid of noise in the ear and head. It is recommended to include nuts, fruits, vegetables rich in vitamins C and B, and fermented milk products in your daily diet.

Tinnitus can be caused by various reasons. Sometimes they are completely unrelated to the cold and only coincide with it in time. If a symptom causes severe concern, in any case you should consult a doctor - an ENT specialist or a therapist.