A report by The American Lung Association states that the average adult gets up to four colds every year. That’s a lot even if the majority of colds are minor viral infections. It doesn’t make a difference what part of the body the virus attacks, if it leads to congestion, it can cause an ear infection.
There are certain symptoms of a cold you don’t want to ignore even though colds are normally thought to be harmless. The link between the common cold and ear infections has finally been confirmed by scientists. This is an important finding, because ear infections are a significant contributing factor in the disturbing rise in antibiotic resistance.
You Should Never Ignore These Symptoms
Considering that your sinuses and ears are interconnected, it’s not uncommon to feel stuffed up in your ears when you’re experiencing a cold. Typically, this feeling comes and goes, particularly if you’re using a decongestant and your head is draining out fluids. But congestion can turn into an ear infection in just a few hours. This is the reason that if you’re experiencing pain or discharge in your ears you should seek professional help.
Pain is a hint that your cold is moving in the wrong direction and can be evidence of inflammation or infection. You can avoid permanent injury, if caught early enough, by getting a prescription for antibiotics. If it’s ignored, it can result in scarring on the eardrum and potentially injury to the cilia from inflammation.
How significant is this? A cold will normally only cause temporary issues with your hearing. However, permanent hearing loss can result if the eardrum or cilia become damaged and that can lead to other health problems.
Loss of Hearing Can Impact Your General Health
Hearing loss has been linked to other health concerns, from loss of cognitive capability to depression to an increase in accidents. An increase in healthcare expenses has been linked with hearing loss by researchers recently. As a matter of fact, in just 10 years, untreated hearing loss can raise your healthcare costs by 46%.
Hearing loss can also raise your probability of needing hospitalization by 50%….and the probability of needing to be readmitted also increases.
It adds up each time your ears take even minor damage. Johns Hopkins found that just having slight hearing loss can double your probability of getting dementia. Consider the fact that considerable hearing loss can be caused by scarring on the eardrum from recurring ear infections.
Suffering From Pain for Days?
Have you had ear pain for days and neglected it? Get treatment right away. Don’t make the common mistake of waiting too long. Most health insurance companies consider signs of an ear infection or ear pain an emergency and there’s good reason for that. If you feel pain in your ear during a cold or after a cold get a hearing examination. A professional evaluation can tell you whether:
- You have an ear infection currently
- you need to address injury to the eardrum
- there is any affect on your inner ear
A professional assessment can also make sure there are no obstructions in the ear that may cause discomfort or temporary hearing loss.
It’s a definite sign that you should consult a professional if you have prolonged loss of hearing or pain in your ear. Schedule an appointment right away.
