You are in the gym, happily exercising, and as you begin to build up a sweat you feel as if someone just dunked your head under water. If this is a familiar feeling, there is a reason and also a remedy. The ear possesses its own drainage system to get rid of fluid that has entered it. That drainage system can become blocked, causing a potential leak during exercise.
The Ear and its Drainage System
Water often enters the ears -- when you swim or bathe, for example. Any water that has not exited the ear externally has to be removed somehow. There is a system for this. The inside of your ear and throat are connected by a tube called the Eustachian tube, or the auditory tube, and it drains fluid from inside the ear. Since it is connected to the throat, you can swallow excess fluids.
What if Drainage System is Blocked
Problems occur when the drainage system becomes blocked. This is due either to the nature of fluid in the ear or to swelling on the inside lining of the Eustachian tube. The following are major culprits for causing blockages or swelling: Ear or respiratory infections, an allergy or an irritant.
Bacterial infections generate pus, which builds up. Even after the infection is treated, some fluid can remain in the middle ear. This can be thin and is not necessarily pus. Fluids can persist from a few days to several weeks. Since allergies or irritants cause Eustachian tube swelling, these can also cause a blockage, trapping fluid inside the ear. This blockage in turn can lead to infection, since liquid is a great breeding ground for microbes. You can see how a vicious cycle can emerge. The result can be temporary hearing loss, pain from pressure of liquid buildup against the eardrum and potential leakage of fluid. This condition is called serous otitis media (SOM).
Why is There a Leak?
Now that you know how the fluid blockage is caused, you may be wondering why it leaks during exercise. When you exercise, especially vigorously, blocked liquid in the ear can leak out. This is due to mechanical movement. The sensation you feel of your ear filing with water is due to it leaking out from within the ear. SOM is often the cause for this.
It is important to note that in rare cases, fluid leakage in ears during exercise may have a different cause. This is leak of cerebrospinal fluid into the middle ear. It can occur after bone trauma, fracture, or meningitis. It can even happen spontaneously, although this is extremely unusual.
Prevention and Cure
One possible solution is to wait. This may not seem like much of a cure. However, waiting helps. This is because the Eustachian tube drains itself of liquid. Always consult your doctor first to determine the correct course of action.
If you suspect an infection, or if waiting does not help, then antibiotics may be the answer. Decongestants help with clearing fluid buildup, and a cortisone-based medication can bring relief to allergy sufferers. Very occasionally SOM requires surgery. Prevention tips include: taking an allergy test if you suspect this to be the cause, avoiding any irritants such as cigarette smoke, using an air filter to reduce levels of bacteria in the air and attempting to prevent water entering ears if you know that you are susceptible to infections.
References
- Medline Plus: Otitis Media
- American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery; American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Otitis Media With Effusion. Otitis media with effusion. Pediatrics. 2004
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Tympanostomy tubes and developmental outcomes at 9 to 11 years of age; Paradise JL, Feldman HM, Campbell TF, Dollaghan CA, Rockette HE, Pitcairn DL, et al; 2007
- "Laryngoscope"; Diagnosis and management of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid-middle ear effusion and otorrhea; Brown NE, Grundfast KM, Jabre A, Megerian CA, O'Malley BW Jr, Rosenberg SI; May 2004 May
