Bunged Up Ear After Cycling

[Chappers]

Anyone have an idea as to why my right ear suddenly becomes bunged up after say...10 minutes or less of cycling?

I won't notice until I talk and then it's like my right ear is full of water and I can hear my voice vibrating in it.

I'm not a gentle cyclist, if I'm cycling then I'm pushing hard...would that have something to do with it?

[whiffey]

I don't think this is a lot of help, but it is surely to do with the wind rushing past your ears. I do a lot of cycling as well, and I find similar (not as bad as you describe), but only in very cold weather and in both ears. As it's only one ear, try putting a piece of cotton wool in it. Does pinching your nose and blowing clear it ?

[whiffey]

Also, you are going to be breathing hard. Does it happen if you run ?

[Chappers]

Pinching nose and blowing doesn't help and come to think of it yes...I think it does happen when I run!

[crete]

chappers can you hear me now chappers can you hear me ? use olive from the chemist warm slightly and instill into the affected ear/

[whiffey]

Is that going to help crete ? Isn't this a middle-ear pressurisation thing ? (via the Eustachian tube between the middle ear and the back of the nose)

[crete]

i think it sounds like wax which has been dislodged whilst on his bike, but you may be right it could be a problem with his sinuses

[whiffey]

Sound is transmitted from the eardrum via the 3 smallest bones in the body - malleus, incus, stapes (hammer, anvil, stirrup - eat your heart out SR!!) which is surely the only way the hearing could be affected - if the pressure in the middle ear chamber is mucked up ?

http://www.slcent.com/eustachian.html

[Chappers]

Haha! No I don't think it's a buildup of wax, as I say it ONLY happens when I've been riding my bike or indeed running. It settles down fairly quickly afterwards.

So it's a pressure thing?