Sinusitis is a swelling of the inner lining of the sinuses due to allergies, dust, and exposure to viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The sinus is located between the spaces in the bones of your face. It is the area where mucous drains into the nose. Many people often wonder why they experience tinnitus when their sinus problems flare up. Surprisingly, there’s a link between sinus and ringing ears.
If a person is suffering from sinusitis he’ll probably feel discomfort from the pressure. This can make a person feel nauseous, dizzy, and create a headache. Once the sinusitis worsens, it will end up totally blocking the airways and will eventually cause sinus-induced ringing ears.
The sinus cavity (which is positioned between both ears) functions as a dirt catcher to prevent foreign objects from entering the lungs. If it gets irritated because of the dirt that it catches, it will result in swelling and exert the pressure to the ear drums. This pressure can make the ear drum react through ear ringing.
But why does pressure start to build? The pressure is created because of the pressing of the swollen sinus cavity. Pressure can also increase as you start to blow your nose to get rid of the mucous. That very act will heighten the pressure further and can even lead to pain in your ears.
That’s not the only reason why sinuses cause ringing ears. When a person is suffering from sinusitis, his nasal pathway is blocked. When the nasal pathway is blocked the ear canal also gets blocked and causes the disruption of the flow of sound into the ears. This makes the ear concentrate on the internal noise, which creates a ringing sound. Sometimes you may even hear the blood flowing with your heart beat.
Sinus ear ringing is a very painful and tedious condition – in addition to having difficulty breathing, you also need to deal with the ringing in your ears. So what can you do if you have both sinus problems and tinnitus?
Since it is the sinusitis that causes the ear ringing, the ringing will stop if the pressure is lowered. This can be achieved by using nasal sprays, decongestants and antihistamines. These sprays will reduce the inflammation of the sinus but you need to make sure you choose the right antihistamine. Some antihistamines aggravate tinnitus so while you may have decreased the pressure, the ringing may actually get worse.
So here’s the most important message if you frequently suffer from sinus problems and tinnitus: Be aware that decongestants and antihistamines can get rid of the pressure, but there’s a chance that these medications might actually make your ear ringing worse. To completely solve the problem and alleviate your suffering, surgery may be needed. It may be the most effective solution to completely get rid of both problems.