Disclaimer [ENGLISH]
Disclaimer : This material is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, as
Disclaimer: This material is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor does it replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. Reference to a specific commercial product or service does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that product or service by CPCMG.
Definition
- Ear congestion is a stuffy or plugged up feeling in the ear.
- Some children complain of hearing crackling or popping noises in the ear.
- Hearing is often muffled.
Health Information
Causes
- Blockage of the ear tube (eustachian tube).
- This is usually from nasal allergies or a cold.
- Blowing the nose too much can also cause blockage of the ear tube.
- Sudden increases in air pressure. This can occur in descent (coming down) when mountain driving or flying.
Prevention During Air or Mountain Travel
- It’s safe to fly when your child has a cold.
- Most symptoms happen when the airplane is coming down in altitude. This is the descent of the plane during the 15 minutes before landing.
- Keep your child awake during takeoff and descent.
- Swallow during descent using fluids or a pacifier.
- Children over age 6 can chew gum during descent.
- Yawning during descent also can open the middle ear.
- Drink lots of fluids throughout the flight. This will prevent the nasal secretions from drying out.
Care Advice
-
Swallow and Chew More:
- Have your child drink while their nose is pinched closed.
- Children over the age of 6, can also use chewing gum.
-
Decongestant Nose Spray (Age 12 years or older): Discuss with your child’s healthcare provider prior to starting these (or other) medications
- If chewing doesn’t help after 1 or 2 hours, use a long-acting decongestant nose spray. You can ask your pharmacist to suggest a brand.
- Dose: 1 spay per side, 2 times per day as needed.
- Don’t use for more than 3 days. Using this for too long can cause worsening of your child’s symptoms.
- Decongestants given by mouth (such as Sudafed) are not advised.
-
Allergy Medicines: Discuss with your child’s healthcare provider prior to starting these (or other) medications
- Nose allergies can cause ear stuffiness.
- Giving your child an antihistamine once daily can help.
- A nasal steroid spray used once daily can help decrease inflammation in the nose and causes the eustachian tubes to open up.
- It make take several weeks of using medications to see a change.
Call Your Doctor If
- Your child complains of ear pain.
- There is discharge or bleeding from your child’s ear.
- Your child has fever.
- You think your child needs to be seen.
- Your child becomes worse.
This publication was adapted from information within American Academy of Pediatrics Patient Education Handouts
Reviewed by: AR D.O. | 06/2023