Sound waves vibrate the eardrum, which transmits the vibrations through the middle ear to the inner ear. The eustachian tube--a connecting duct between the nasal cavity and the middle ear--maintains equal pressure between the external environment and the interior ear, facilitating normal eardrum vibration and sound transmission. Infection and eustachian tube blockage or malfunction can lead to abnormal pressure in the middle ear. The treatment for middle ear pressure depends on the underlying cause.
Antibiotic Therapy
Viruses and bacteria that enter the middle ear through the eustachian tube can cause an ear infection, or acute otitis media. Middle ear infection typically causes swelling and blockage of the eustachian tube and an accumulation of infected fluid, explains the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery. The increased pressure in the middle ear causes pain and, in severe cases, may lead to eardrum rupture.
Doctors often prescribe antibiotic therapy for middle ear infections, especially among infants and in children with severe symptoms. For children with mild to moderate symptoms, doctors commonly recommend a waiting period of two to three day before prescribing antibiotics. The clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of acute otitis media, jointly issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, notes that symptoms of acute otitis media decrease within 24 hours in 61 percent of children, regardless of whether the child receives antibiotic therapy. The guideline, therefore, recommends a waiting period before prescribing antibiotics, if feasible.
Allergy Medicines
Children and adults with allergies commonly experience persistent nasal congestion, which may contribute to eustachian tube blockage. Fluid often accumulates in the middle ear due to the blockage, causing ear pressure. Doctors frequently prescribe allergy medicines to help reduce allergy-associated swelling and inflammation, potentially leading to reopening of the eustachian tube and spontaneous drainage of middle ear fluid. Avoiding known allergy triggers, such as mold, pollen and dust mites, may also help facilitate drainage of middle ear fluid, notes the National Library of Medicine encyclopedia MedlinePlus.
Ventilation Tubes
Persistent fluid in the middle ear, or serous otitis media, proves a common cause of ear pressure. This disorder frequently occurs after an acute middle ear infection. It may also develop with other medical conditions that cause eustachian tube blockage or malfunction. For patients with persistent serous otitis media, doctors often recommend placement of ear ventilation tubes, notes the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The doctor cuts a minute hole in the eardrum and places the ventilation tube in the opening to relieve middle ear pressure. The ventilation tube, also known as a pressure-equalizing or tympanostomy tube, remains in the eardrum for a variable period, depending on the type of device used.
References
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery: Earaches
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Clinical Practice Guideline, Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media
- MedlinePlus: Otitis Media with Effusion
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Otitis Media with Effusion (Serous Otitis Media)
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery: Ear Tubes
