What's Causing Your CLOGGED Ears? | Natus Madsen Zodiac Tympanometry

What's Causing My Clogged or Plugged Ears? | Ear Problems. Dr. Cliff Olson, Audiologist and founder of Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix Arizona, discusses how an Audiologist diagnoses what is causing your clogged ears using the Natus Madsen Zodiac Tympanometer and Otocam.

Clogged ears aren't always due to earwax buildup. The problem of clogged ears can actually be a serious medical condition that requires medical intervention.

Some causes of clogged ear can be due to a perforation or hole in your eardrum, Eustachian tube dysfunction, a sudden hearing loss, an acoustic neuroma (tumor), or a cholesteatoma. You should never try to self diagnose the cause of your clogged ears on your own without proper testing. What may seem like a clogged ear condition that can be solved by a cotton swab or a home ear wash kit, can actually be a serious medical condition that requires immediate medical treatment.

A series of tests should be performed to determine what is causing the sensation of clogged ears. First, otoscopy should be performed to see if there is a physical obstruction in the ear canal. If there is, either cerumen (earwax) removal or a foreign body removal will be required. However, if there is no physical obstruction, then additional testing to include tympanometry should be performed. Tympanometry is a way to evaluate ear canal volume (space), Eardrum compliance (movement), and the air pressure inside of your middle ear space. The combination of these measures can help to diagnose the cause of your plugged ear.

Once properly identified, your audiologist can direct you to the appropriate medical professional for treatment.

[DrCliffAuD]

Highly technical and detailed video. Was it easy to follow or not?

[LT-R]

@DrCliffAuD I appreciate the technical and detail of this video. Do ENT's perform these tests or would they refer patients to see an audiologist first? For those who don't have insurance, which would be the most cost effective and time efficient? Seeing an ENT or an Audiologist?

[marymaryquitecontrary]

Very educational, and timely in my case. Definitely needs pursuing at my upcoming appointment. See you soon!

[martinjewell]

Listening to your videos, I never hear you speak of one symptom. I hear my pulse in my left ear plus a sense of fullness. I have had my blood pressure checked and is near perfect. Is the pulse issue a normal symptom of middle ear infection? Thank you for the videos! Your explanations and otiscope are so helpful!

[theizzies]

Hi Doctor Cliff, your videos are great. I had all of these tests done and was in the normal range for all of them and also had a hearing test done up to 8k (Not sure if this is hrz, but its the standard top range of a hearing test) and scored perfect on it so no hearing damage. I had this for 2.5 months during the worst dry winter months ever. It went to a minimal barely noticeable level for 3 months during spring. Now since Late June the weather has gotten super hot and humid my tinnitus has spiked up again and I am feeling intermittent clogging and have a slight hissing at a high frequency that sounds like I'm sitting next to a compute monitor. The ear pressure tends to kick up as soon as the humidity goes crazy but its not a 100% given. Today the weather is better by my ears are not. One constant is Before any storm or big weather change my ears feel full. And my T is worse on the ear I sleep on. 24 hr allergy nasacort worked after 2 days, I had silence for one day (day 3), but the T returned worse on day 4. Also, The one ENT I visited 2 weeks into my issue said it would go away. It didn't. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks for your help!

[cyclonicleo]

Reminds me to follow up on my continual issues with my eustacean tubes. I ended up in hospital last year due to a severe ear infection that caused swelling that pressed on a nerve, causing Bells Palsy. A cholesteoma was diagnosed but then since disappeared. However, I still have a sense of my tubes having fluid in them or being blocked, only made worse by having to use a CPAP machine. Oh and on top of all that? I get occasional tinnitus. Yay!

[lexsli]

Great videos! Unrelated hearing question that's been on my mind: I listen to a lot of podcasts/youtube subscriptions, so I usually listen to them at 2x speed. Is there any medical research/evidence that listening to podcasts at faster speed (thereby increasing the frequency I believe?) lead to hearing loss/damages to your hearing?

[frstr]

Very informative rabbit hole we got here boys

[abhishekvijaykumar]

Hey Dr. Cliff..a big thanks for your informative videos
could you please suggest a hearing aid or a video for the same for people have no or very small undeveloped ears.

[brendakarl]

Can you please discuss patulous eustacian tubes? Can it be corrected?

[IAMGiftbearer]

This is interesting. I have had a clogged left ear for about 2 weeks now. I had it earlier but it didn't last as long as this time. I'm on Medicare and I had heard that the Build Back Better bill was supposed to add hearing care to Medicare. Does this mean that it currently isn't covered at all, or is a problem covered but just not regular check-ups?

[laurau]

Any suggestions for easing the pressure in the ear from SSHL?

[illogical]

I need one of those right now, no idea what have been going on with my left ear this past 2 weeks and I've been feeling clogged ever since the 18th of July.

[jeff]

excellent video. Now to find an audiologist like him in bradenton florida

[anisharonrang]

Hi sir i want to aky u a question i can hear everything bt i feel like its blocked

[telnetdoogie]

You didn't talk about what Ad means... My Tympanometry result showed Ad with a peak well above the chart... what does that mean?

[tjyqmxl]

I have seen my doctor several times, my ear has been blocked for 5 months and I can't hear my side of my face is numb and tingling and my doctors keeps saying just keeps say just put olive oil in my ear and it's not working. So frustrating I am allergic to steroids, what can I do 😢

[abhiseklaha]

Hey Dr. Cliff, My right ear usually locks while hearing normal freequency sound. But ther is no feeling of any kind of pain yet..What is the exact problem?? Is it the sign of damaging inner ear hair cell??

[bossladyivyoz]

I've had my ear looked at by several doctors and none have used a camera. I dont feel any harsh pain but I have some hearing loss and yet they see nothing wrong. I can the pressure continuously.. it effects everything from my balance to hearing..to idk what else but I rarely ha e pain. Anything that's overly loud does hurt but thats about it. They keep dismissing it. What should I do.

[Fakemedia-gm]

Every time I go to my doctor keep saying I’m fine I’m not fine