Home Health Expert Reveals Simple Solution for Clogged Ears: It Could Be Due to a Muscle Problem

Expert Reveals Simple Solution for Clogged Ears: It Could Be Due to a Muscle Problem

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Expert Reveals Simple Solution for Clogged Ears: It Could Be Due to a Muscle Problem

A leading physiotherapist has revealed a simple two-minute trick which he claims can instantly relieve clogged ears.

Dr. Joe Damiani, a New Jersey-based head and neck specialist, told his 767,000 Instagram followers that fullness in the ear could be due to a problem with one of the jaw muscles.

This is because the pressure in the ear canal is controlled by two small muscles that run along the back of the mouth, behind the teeth.

These tissues control the level of air inside the ear canal, which connects the middle ear to the throat and nose.

According to Dr. Damiani, gently stroking the inside of your mouth can help relieve tension in these muscles, preventing them from trapping air and relieving pressure in the ear canal.

However, he advised those with a strong gag reflex to place their finger carefully, as reaching this far back in the mouth can make some miserable.

Muscle problems in the jaw not only cause the sensation of clogged ears, he added, but they can also cause teeth grinding and severe ear pain.

In the clip, Dr. Damiani explains the components of the ear in greater detail.

He said the jaw muscles are called the velum palatine and medial pterygoid, and they work together to open the ear canal, also called the eustachian tube.

This small channel helps balance air pressure in the ear and can stop working if these muscles begin to spasm.

As a result, the ears may feel full and clogged.

Dr Damiani said: ‘When (the medial pterygoid muscle) is open or dilated, it allows for a pressure balance between the inner ear and the tensor veli palatine muscle.

‘When it contracts, it allows the Eustachian tube to do its job.

“However, muscle spasm in the medial pterygoid prevents the tensor veli palatini from doing its job, hence pressure, fullness and stuffy ears.”

To help release this pressure, Dr. Damiani suggests rubbing the medial pterygoid muscle on the inside of your mouth, next to the back molar.

He said: ‘Take your finger and drag it along the inside of the base of your teeth to the last molar and then pull out. Work your way up by applying pressure at different points and moving up and down.

However, the cause of ear plugging is not always muscular; it can also be caused by an ear infection or earwax obstruction.

An ear infection is usually painful and occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum, causing a feeling of fullness in the ear. This can be treated with antibiotics and pain relievers.

Earwax buildup is another common problem that can make the ears feel full and blocked.

Made to keep ears clean, earwax usually falls out on its own, but sometimes it builds up too much and blocks the ears, explains the NHS.

But in addition to being a nuisance, an ear full of wax can cause pain, hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.

And counterintuitively, cleaning your ears with cotton swabs can make wax buildup worse.

Instead, earwax blockage can be removed with ear drops that can be purchased at the pharmacy.

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