That uncomfortable feeling of blocked-up nose and ears! Also, the pain around your forehead, nose, and cheeks. You might have suffered from a sinus infection at least once in your life. The symptoms can vary from blocked nasal passage to severe headache and facial pain.
One of the less talked about symptoms of sinus infection is ear pain yet it is so common also. In this article, we will discuss every aspect of sinus infection and ear pain and what to do when you have this issue. Dive in and find out some home remedies you can try to relieve the ear pain due to sinus infection!
Understanding Sinus Infection
Sinus infection or sinusitis affects around 31 million people in the United States each year. It is characterized by a swelling or inflammation in the sinus area, the air-filled areas around your forehead, nose, and cheeks. The infection is caused by fluid build-ups in the sinuses which leads to the growth of germs. There are mainly three types of sinus infections and they are:
- Acute Sinusitis– The major cause of this condition is bacteria residing inside the sinuses. The symptoms can last up to 4 weeks or less.
- Chronic Sinusitis– This can be caused either by a bacteria or fungus. The symptoms can last more than 3 months.
- Subacute Sinusitis- The swelling and other symptoms of sinusitis can prevail from at least 1 to 3 months.
There are various symptoms attributed to sinus infection and one common among them is ear pain. In a few instances, this ear pain can be caused by a secondary ear infection as a result of a sinus infection.
The reason why your ear hurts during a sinus infection is that the fluid buildup from sinusitis gets trapped behind your eardrum. Before diving further into these details, you should know the causes and symptoms of sinus infection which will be detailed in the next section.
Symptoms And Causes Of Sinus Infection
As detailed above, the fluid trapped inside the sinuses allows germs to grow and leads to sinus infection. In most cases, the major cause of the infection can be a virus or bacteria. In some cases, fungi and molds can also be a reason for sinus infection and it is called fungal sinusitis. Some of the risk factors that can accentuate the probability of getting a sinus infection include:
- Seasonal allergies
- Dust, pollen, animal hair sensitivity, or allergies.
- Presence of a respiratory tract infection like cold.
- A deviated septum.
- Weaker immunity due to some illness.
- The presence of nasal polyps.
There are various symptoms of sinusitis depending on how long the issue lasts and how serious it is. Some of them are:
- Pain and pressure in the sinus area.
- Green or yellow nasal discharge.
- Headache.
- Postnasal drip, feeling mucus on the back of the throat.
- Congestion.
- Sore throat and cough.
- Fever and reduced smell sense.
- Bad breath and fatigue.
- Swelling and tenderness around sinus areas.
- Tooth pain.
The Link Between Sinus Infection And Ear Pain
One of the symptoms of a sinus infection can be ear pain in some cases. The ear pain caused by sinusitis can often feel like pressure and fullness in the ears. Sinusitis happens when the sinus areas around your forehead, nose, and cheeks get filled with fluid.
In some instances, this fluid can travel to your Eustachian tube, which is a narrow passageway that links the back of your throat with your middle ear. When the Eustachian tube is blocked, this prevents normal airflow resulting in a vacuum-like state in your middle ear.
As a result of this negative pressure, your eardrum can retract and pull inwards, causing pain and discomfort. If the pain is mild, the situation might not be serious but if you have severe ear pain with headaches or facial pain, it can be dangerous.
How To Manage Ear Pain Caused By Sinus Infection?
Now, if you have ear pain caused by a sinus infection, you can try certain home treatments to relieve the symptoms to an extent. What methods are described in detail below:
- Take a steam treatment- You can use a steam treatment to loosen the mucus around the sinus and ears. For this, take a bowl of hot water and a towel. You can add menthol, camphor, or eucalyptus oil to the water. Now put the towel around your head and place your face over the steam from the water. This is a good method to open up your nasal passages and loosen the mucus.
- Holding a warm compress– Another method of relieving ear pain due to sinus infection is by using a warm compress. You can place it on your forehead, ears, or nose to reduce the pressure.
- Blowing your nose– Make sure not to blow your nose hard. Blow your nose openings alternatively to relieve pressure and mucus.
- Apply hot moist cloth– You can apply a hot moist cloth on your face to relieve pressure on the ears.
- Take over-the-counter decongestants and pain medications– You can use nasal contestants to relieve clogged nasal passages and ears. Pain medications such as ibuprofen can relieve the pain and discomfort associated with ear pain.
- Stay hydrated– Drinking plenty of water can help to thin up your nasal mucus. As a result, it is easy to drain it off which can relieve the pain and pressure in your ears.
Treatment For Sinus Infection Ear Pain
The treatment for sinus infection ear pain is decided based on the cause of the sinus infection. If the sinus infection is caused by bacteria, your doctor will suggest antibiotics such as amoxicillin, augmentin, azithromycin, etc.
Usually, such antibiotics are prescribed if the condition doesn’t solve on its own and the symptoms pertain up to more than a week. If you get persistent sinus ear infections, it might be due to some underlying allergy or sinus issues.
In that case, the health care provider will recommend you to take allergy testing and other physical exams which can help to identify the root cause of the problem and offer ideal solutions. As a result, they can provide you with over-the-counter medications, draining of the fluid, tonsils removal process, antibiotics, etc.
Sinus Infection Ear Pain: When To Consult A Doctor
You need to consult a doctor if you have a sinus infection ear pain and the following symptoms:
- A severe case of ear pain.
- Persistent symptoms even after taking over-the-counter medications.
- Symptoms that pertain more than 10 days.
- Ear aches are accompanied by severe headaches and facial pain.
- Fever that lasts three to four days.
- Repeated sinus infections for the past years.
Final Remarks
Sinus infection or sinusitis is a common health condition characterized by inflammation and swelling in the sinus areas. There are three types of sinus infections, acute, chronic, and subacute sinus infections. The most common cause behind sinusitis is a virus or bacteria, but in some cases, allergies such as pollen, dust, etc can also cause this condition.
Sinus infection has symptoms like facial pain, pressure on the face, postnasal drip, nasal discharge, etc. In some cases, a sinus infection can also cause ear pain. This is because when the sinus areas are inflamed, it can also affect the Eustachian tube, the passage that connects the middle ear to the throat.
This results in vacuum and pressure behind the ear causing ear pain. Certain home treatments can relieve ear pain due to sinus infections. But if the pain is severe and symptoms last for more than 10 days, you need to consult a doctor.
FAQs
You can try different methods like trying over the counter decongestants, applying steam, putting a hot moist washcloth on your face, saline rinse, etc.
Some of the symptoms of a sinus ear infection include ear congestion, earache, feeling fullness and pressure around the ear, ear drainage, sinus pressure, etc.
You can try using nasal spray with saline solution or a saline rinse to clear your ears from sinus pressure.
Sinus ear infection can last up to a few days to a week.
In acute cases, sinusitis can harm your hearing ability and can even lead to hearing loss.
