The sun is shining, the air is crisp and your workout might be darn near perfect if it wasn't for the plugged feeling in your ears. Your best bet in alleviating the problem is to consult a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis. This annoying problem has several possible causes -- especially if you are exercising outside.
Allergies
If you are exercising outside, your stopped-up ears may be due to seasonal nasal allergies. Allergies cause your eustachian tubes to swell, which can result in a blockage that changes the air pressure behind your eardrum. Plugged ears are just one of the symptoms that go along with seasonal allergies. Others include any combination of an itchy ear canal, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy or watery eyes, red eyes, an itchy face or an itchy mouth.
Exercise-Induced Asthma
If you have exercise-induced asthma, you may be prone to plugged ears. Nasal allergies are often associated with this condition and can can aggravate it. In fact, some 75 percent of exercise-induced asthma attacks are associated with allergies, according to "Exercise-Induced Asthma and Sports in Asthma," by Kai-Håkon Carlsen and Thomas B. Ibsen. Cold weather is another exercise-induced asthma trigger.
Food Allergy or Intolerance
A food allergy or food intolerance may be causing your issue. A food allergy causes symptoms that can resemble seasonal allergies or be more severe, including hives and anaphylaxis. Common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, soy, wheat, shellfish and regular fish such as salmon. Food intolerance culprits include gluten, milk, sulfites, MSG and other food additives such as colorings. Sulfites, for example, can worsen asthma symptoms, as can other food intolerances. Food intolerances are hard to pin down because the range of possible symptoms is vast.
Ear Barotrauma
If you are hiking, scuba diving or otherwise changing altitude and notice plugged ears, it may be due to ear barotrauma. This occurs when the air pressure in your middle ear is no longer the same as the air pressure outside your body. If your eustachian tube is blocked, the pressure does not equalize. Your tubes may be blocked due to an allergy or cold or swelling in your throat or may be a congenital issue, according to University of Maryland Medical Center.
Considerations
Colds, seasonal allergies or food allergies can lead to an ear infection. To prevent an infection, treat your symptoms at the first sign. Moisture from swimming, inserting objects like cotton swabs into your ears and scratching your ears also make them more vulnerable to infection.
References
- "Exercise --Induced Asthma"; Kenneth W. Rundell et al.; 2002
- "Exercise-Induced Asthma and Sports in Asthma"; Kai-Håkon Carlsen and Thomas B. Ibsen; 1999
- McKinley University: Ear Infection
- "Asthma"; Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamlin; 2000
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Food Allergy
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Ear Barotrauma
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