The Hindu Business Line : You've got to listen to this

Why does that awful earache intensify at midnight when we are fast asleep? Why not during the day when we are up and about and can alleviate it? The key words are: `up and about'. To explain: we have this eustachian tube running aslant from middle ear to throat, which gets plugged during a cold.

Daytime, when we are upright, the e-tube drains mucous downward from ear to throat. Plus, when we chew and swallow, the e-tube opens and allows airflow to the middle ear. This keeps the eardrum membrane taut against the atmospheric pressure outside.

At night, when we lie down, the e-tube cannot drain easily. This keeps the gunk at the end of the e-tube, which is how the ear gets infected. Since we don't chew and swallow, there's no airflow to the ear. This creates a vacuum. The eardrum membrane gets sucked inward and... we wake up to this terrible throb.

The only recourse is to sit up and allow the tube to drain. Then, yawn to equalise the air-pressure in our ear. If the pain persists, Grandma's time-tested remedy — a drop of warm baby oil in the ear — is fine provided the eardrum is not ruptured. A safer alternative is Granddad's traditional trick of blowing warm pipe-smoke into an aching ear!

"It was the warmth of the smoke that relieved the pain," explains Dr Dan Drew, family physician, Jasper, Indiana. He suggests adapting Granddad's technique by setting the hair dryer to `low' and `warm'. "Then holding the dryer 20 inches from the ear, aim that warm air into the aching ear." And sink into a nice, deep sleep. Great.

But, aren't there ways of entirely staving off this mid-ear's nightmare? There are.

Normally earaches are preceded by stuffy sinuses. Some steps to de-stuff them:

Drink pink: Through the day, sip warm water to help clear your e-tubes and ear-area. Water thins the mucous so it drains easily. Hot ginger or anise tea also aids mucous movement.

Eat spicy: Decongest your sinuses with spicy food — garlic, horseradish, green chillies and black pepper. Spiciness stimulates the nerve fibres that put the sinuses in a drip `n' dry mode.

One blow at a time, please: After those spices give you a runny nose, don't blow both nostrils together. This creates a vacuum that forces all the pollutants to retreat upward towards the ears. Wisely, blow one nostril at a time. No vacuum means no pressure build-up in the ear. And the microbes move in the right direction — out.

Pre-sleep preps: Check with your doctor first, though — Pre-bedtime, have a pain-relieving acetaminophen for aching ears. Use decongestant nose-drops before sleeping. They dry fluid in the ears and prevent pressure and pain to ensure a decent sleep.

Frequent flier's ear troubles: Chew gum to keep those e-tubes open; if you must sleep, doze at the beginning of the flight, not towards the end. Since you don't swallow in sleep, the pressure changes during airplane descent could play hell on your ears. Prior to the flight if you have a stuffy head or sinuses, use nose-drops one hour before landing. If your ears twinge when you're airborne, pinch your nostrils shut with your fingers. Inhale air through your mouth. Using cheek and throat muscles, force the air to the back of your nose. A `pop' signifies equalised pressure in and around your ear, followed by relief.

Exercise clears ears: Regular walking, jogging, or cycling helps ... the body releases adrenaline which constricts swollen blood-vessels in the sinuses and allows freer air-flow. Increases immunity and fights infections; stimulates the ear's vestibular apparatus — fluid-filled sacs suspended behind the middle ears — that keep us upright and balanced.

Tips from body-mind therapists: Walk on the curb or the skirting of a low wall whenever you get the opportunity. Whenever possible, balance on each leg alternately to put on and take off your shoes and socks.

Finally, if you have a swelling around or discharge from your ear, suffer dizziness or hearing loss, consult an ENT specialist. It could be wax-accumulation in your ears. No, don't dig it out yourself. At such times, the delicate ear-structure needs a patient hearing from your doctor!

The writer is co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.

Picture by Parth Sanyal

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