# Anyone notice a fullness in the ears when constipated?



## beach (May 12, 2000)

I notice my ears are full - hard to explain when constipated...anyone else get this?


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## 13675 (Apr 21, 2006)

I have IBS-C and have experienced something similar. Some months ago I woke up with fullness/pressure and pain in one ear. It felt like a balloon was expanding inside my ear. I happened to have ear plugs in and the one in the affected ear increased the pain when I layed on that side (which is what I think woke me) or pressed on it, so something seemed to be pressing out against the ear plug and it certainly felt that way. I also had thumping noises in both ears, especially when I inhaled/exhaled, which later became crunching and metallic pinging noises. I got up and had a larger-than-usual bowel, which surprisingly reduced the pain and pressure greatly, though not entirely. Minor ear pressure continued for weeks, but gradually diminished further. The ear noises continued for months afterward, but also gradually diminished. I haven't mentioned this to my doctor (or anyone else) because I can't think of a possible explanation, he probably wouldn't see or find anything at this point (and likely wouldn't have seen anything as soon as the pressure reduced after that first bowel--and maybe not before), and I would risk appearing to be a hypochondriac.I've also noticed over the years that I tend to be constipated when my ears ring (tinnitus).I found similar reports by other ibsgroup members:AMcCallProlific Member Posted 25 February 2001 02:54 PM... I have been experiencing extremely loud ringing in my right ear, and also a lot of pain. It's not constant, it just comes and goes. ... I'll be awakened from a sound sleep with the pain and the ringing. ... It feels like someone has blown up a balloon in my ear or something. ...<Peak>	Posted 06 April 1999 08:50 PM... I wondered if anyone has fullness in an ear and pain on the side of the neck when IBS is bad. My ear and neck always bother me but it gets really bad when IBS is bad. Doctors don't seen to understand or see anything wrong. ...BlairVery Prolific Member Posted 04 May 1999 12:12 AMDoes anyone get ear pain along with their IBS? Like your ears are plugged up and you'rechanging elevation. I get this all the time.<klone_dd> Posted 04 May 1999 04:32 PMHi Blair - I've had problems with my ears along with that "lump in throat" feeling for ages. Never really connected it with IBS until I read about it in one of the IBS books. ...Does anyone have a possible explanation for ear pressure that occurred without sinus infection and that was reduced by bm?


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## RailFan (Aug 29, 2004)

I'm totally there!!! I haven't had ear pressure, but I've had ringing ears. The ringing is not as intense now as it was last fall and winter. It's always been at a time when my IBS-C was being nasty.I had my eyes examined last fall. I told the optometrist I had IBS, because my vision had gone wacky one day, and I wondered if IBS-C could've caused the incident. He said that any inflammation in the intestinal area could cause a whole host of things to happen, including the eye thing I had happen that day. (My left eye began to "swim" without warning... there was a ring of shimmering around my straight-ahead vision, and then my peripheral vision began to go black. As panic set in, I then went into a vaso-vagal episode. It was a scary thing to have happen, especially at work! I asked the optometrist if it might be diabetes, but he didn't see any signs of that.)Anyway, I mention all of this because these things have happened during times of extreme C, which, for me, seems to be 24/7. (Today's a bad day.)


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## 13675 (Apr 21, 2006)

Have you heard or seen any indication of a link between intestinal inflammation and ear pressure?


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## 17176 (Mar 31, 2005)

Hello and welcome ibsc


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## 13675 (Apr 21, 2006)

Thanks for the welcome. Re: intestinal inflammation, the following may be of interest...Review: the role of omega 3 fatty acids in intestinal inflammationCarbon Monoxide Helps Shut Down The Intestinal Inflammation That Causes Ulcerative ColitisArticle Date: 20 Dec 2005 - 2:00am (PDT)www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=35173"Omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, essential fats in flaxseed oil, and vitamins C and E are thought to ease the chronic gastrointestinal inflammation that is characteristic of the disease." --Crohn's Disease, www.wholehealthmd.com/hk/remedies/disp/1,1459,556,00.html


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## 17014 (Apr 13, 2005)

He he h e ... I have this too. Does this has something to do with IBS or C ? VERY INTERESTING


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## 13675 (Apr 21, 2006)

The IBS or the C or both could be the culprit of these ear symptoms and other symptoms, or it could be something else. I mentioned ear fullness and noises associated with C to my doctor, and he confirmed what I found in my own research--that there is no known connection. Yet I experience these symptoms, and sometimes ear pain, in conjunction nonetheless. I can't explain it and don't understand it. It is a mystery to me and my doctor. I assume it's not serious, though it is unpleasant. I'll just try to keep the bowels moving so as to avoid it.


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## 14032 (Apr 2, 2005)

> Originally posted by ibsc:Carbon Monoxide Helps Shut Down The Intestinal Inflammation That Causes Ulcerative ColitisArticle Date: 20 Dec 2005 - 2:00am (PDT)www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=35173"Omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, essential fats in flaxseed oil, and vitamins C and E are thought to ease the chronic gastrointestinal inflammation that is characteristic of the disease." --Crohn's Disease, Thanks for this post! I got UC after I quit smoking. Regarding Flaxseed oil: I cannot take it because it causes cramps.


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## 13675 (Apr 21, 2006)

Fish oil is an even better source of anti-inflammatory omega 3's than flaxseed oil, though fish oil can give you the "fish burps" if you don't buy the no-burp kind. Note: the amount of fish oil found to have a beneficial effect in studies tends to be much more than that suggested in fish oil supplement directions, so you may want to ask your doctor how much more you can safely take, but even a little is a plus.


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