Why would someone with a "cold" experience decreased hearing?

Question

What is causing this? and similarly, why would someone with a throat problem have ear pain?

Answer 1

Your ears are connected to the throat via the eustacian tubes. These normalize pressure on the inside of the eardrums to the outside air. This normalization is vital for detecting the pressure waves that our brains interpret as "sound". If this is messed up, the ability to hear is physically impaired.

The connection is also why throat problems go with ear pain.

Answer 2

The most likely explanation (of several) is that inflammation in the nasopharynx has caused the eustachian tubes to close and not function properly, and there may also be an associated effusion (fluid build-up) in the middle ear, due to the pressure differential between the middle ear and the atmosphere. A good yawn may pop the ears and restore hearing, at least temporarily.

Answer 3

The eustachian tube rub from the ear down to the back of the throat. It's very thin so any internal inflammation can close it off. For instance, my upper wisdom teeth were lying down in my jaw and literally cut off my ability to hear because they pressed again my eustachian tubes.

Chances are good you have sinus inflammation that's causing your ears to congest. And if you still have your tonsils and they're inflammed, that could also put pressure on the eustachian tubes and make it harder to hear.

Answer 4

Your nose, ears and throat are all connected, therefore if you have alot of congestion during a cold etc it can affect your ears also.

Answer 5

sinuses,they are all connected by tubes ear nose and throat

Answer 6

It's all tied together