Hello! I have been a doctor for 21 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article, we'll discuss how to get fluid into the ear after rinsing the nose.
The middle ear is connected to the pharynx by the Eustachian tube. It is also called the auditory tube. Air enters the ear through the tube. If there was no pipe, then the air from the middle ear would be absorbed, the eardrum would be sucked in, and hearing would be greatly impaired. Fortunately, air flows back and forth through the pipe.
The Eustachian tube has special valves. Sometimes we need to open these valves to equalize the pressure. Remember the feeling on the plane? Ears become clogged, and you have to swallow to open the Eustachian tube. So the pressure is equalized.
Hiatus
Sometimes the valves in the pipe don't work and air gets in too easily. This is called the eustachian tube gaping.
Through the gaping pipe, the air hits the middle ear powerfully, and the person begins to hear his own voice too harshly. It gets in the way.
Many people think that liquid can be poured into the middle ear along with air. For example, when rinsing the nose. And that this liquid will flop there.
In fact, this does not happen. This is an illusion.
Blowing your nose and sniffing
When water is poured into the nose, then many people blow their nose hard. By blowing their nose, they blow through the Eustachian tube, drive air into the middle ear, and discomfort is obtained. The discomfort is very peculiar - it seems that fluid is overflowing in the ear. But there is no liquid there. This is an illusion.
There is another option. People do not blow their nose, but sniff air - they sniff. This reduces air pressure in the middle ear. The pressure becomes negative, the eardrum retracts, and hearing decreases.
In addition, negative pressure can pull fluid from the surrounding tissue into the middle ear. It turns out that there will be liquid in the ear, but not from the nose. It's getting closer.
If you don't blow your nose too hard and don't sniff around all the time, then everything will be fine.
So is rinsing your nose not harmful to the auditory tube?
It might even be helpful.
This happens in different situations. For example, a person has allergies, and rinsing the nose removes allergens from the respiratory tract. The swelling in the pharynx is reduced and the Eustachian tube works better.
Another option is if the auditory tube is gaping. The sounds of one's own voice beat on the brain, and it depressing. We must close the pipe. And it is covered with water. This does not mean that water is poured through a pipe into the middle ear. No. Just rinse your nose with distilled water.
We've already discussed various strange effects of demineralized water. You can read about it at the link below. So one of the not very useful effects of water is the swelling of the cells that come into contact with it.
In the case of a gaping Eustachian tube, demineralized water causes a slight swelling at the very beginning of the tube closer to the throat. From this, the valves close, and the pipe will no longer gap.
Roughly the same effect is achieved if you just sit for a few minutes with your head bent between your knees. Or you can lie on the floor with your feet up against the wall. In both cases, blood flows to the head and the auditory tube swells slightly. This removes harsh sounds.
What is the conclusion
If you rinse your nose, then do it right. Below is a link to an article on this topic.
Do not blow your nose too hard and do not sniff too often (hello Strelnikova gymnastics!). This way you will not have pressure drops in the middle ear, and it will not seem that water is bubbling there.
If you liked the article, then like it and subscribe to my channel. Check out my articles on related topics:
How demineralized water affects health
Do I need to fill the nose with sea water
