Losing the ability to hear clearly is one of the biggest fears most people have. It is even worse if your job relies on your hearing ability, like being a musician, for example. This is why some people may have this question when they suffer from sinus-related health problems:

Does sinus infection cause ear pain?

Before we even go there, let’s go over things about sinuses first.

A quick look on sinuses:

There is a hollow cavity filled with air inside your skull. These cavities are connected to your nasal airway. The narrow hole in the bone is the connector, which is called ostium.

There are four sinuses that we have, which include:

1. Frontal sinus, which is located in the forehead.
2. Maxillary sinus, which are behind the cheeks.
3. Ethmod sinuses, which are located right between the eyes.
4. Sphenoid sinus, which is behind the ethmod sinuses.

Normal sinuses are open to let the air in. These four exist to humidify and warm the air that comes in. Sinuses also work as insulators for the eyes and the nerves. They also increase the resonance of your voice and work as buffers to avoid facial trauma.

Do not forget that, without sinuses, your skull will feel a lot heavier.

Then, how does a sinus get infected? What are the obvious symptoms?

Symptoms of a sinus infection:

First of all,  if you suffer inflammation inside the sinus, it can disrupt the clearance of the mucus and block the ostium. If it goes on longer and worsens, the result is a bacterial infection.

Some of the symptoms of a possible sinus infection are:

1. Headache that worsens when you bend down. It is caused by the pressure in the sinuses, especially the frontal and the ethmod ones.
2. A tendered or swelling area around the face where the sinus infection may occur within.
3. Pressure or pain, still in the same area where the sinus infection may occur within.
4. Fever, as the reaction to the infection.
5. Nasal drainage that looks cloudy and discoloured.
6. Congestion, which gives you a hard time to breathe.
7. The excessive mucus production that flows to the throat and hurts it badly. This condition is also well-known as “post-nasal drip”. The sufferer ends up having a major sore throat because of this.
8. You start coughing a lot, thanks to your major sore throat.
9. Tooth pain.
10. Ear pain, since the pressure on the nerves and tissues make you feel like your head might explode.

There are actually more symptoms to a sinus infection, but since the question is: “Does sinus infection cause ear pain?”, then you have just got the answer you are looking for.

The trouble with the stuffiness and the pain in your ear:

Now you know that sinus infection can also cause the pain in your ear. Aside from the stuffiness and a sense that your head might literally explode any time (although it will not happen that badly), you would like to deal with the trouble accordingly.

So, how do we treat the ear pain caused by the sinus infection?

Treatments for your earache from the sinus infection:

1. A regular use on nasal saline spray is a great solution for you. You can also hold a warm washcloth to your face for a while, until the pressure and pain feel reduced or even go away. Other alternatives include sitting in the bathroom with the hot shower on for fifteen minutes and going to the sauna.
2. Take some medicines to treat your earache. If you do not have acetaminophne, ibuprofen, or naproxen in your medicine cabinet, go to the nearest pharmacist’s for some over-the-counter solutions.
3. Decongestant is also another over-the-counter solution that you can get from the pharmacist’s.
4. Stay in a mild temperature room. You might want to skip jogging in the summer or going out during winter, if you happen to live in a four-seasoned country. If you live in a tropical area, avoid going out if the weather is too hot and humid.
5. Keep your head up. The pressure caused by the sinus infection worsens if you bend down, even when all you want to do is pick up a coin on the floor. It is okay to ask for help when necessary, at least until your sinus problem stops bothering you.
6. Do not blow your nose too hard. Surely, this happens when your nose is clogged by too much mucus. Although you feel grossed by it and cannot wait to get rid of it, blowing your nose too hard may cause the sudden pressure to hurt your ears even worse.
7. No for the caffeine, salt, alcohol, and cigarette. They affect your blood circulation and any sudden change in blood flow, no matter how minor, can hurt your ears too.

Now you know the answer to: “Does sinus infection cause ear pain?” and how to deal with it.