I feel fullness and swelling in my right ear along with lightheadedness. Kindly help.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

There is absolutely nothing that you need to worry about as this is a very common treatable entity we come across. You have developed a eustachian tube catarrh which occurs secondary to nasal allergy. The eustachian tube ventilates the nose and the ear. In a situation where it does not function, a negative pressure develops in the side of the ear leading to the feeling of vacuum, ringing sounds, feeling of fluid in the ear, and sometimes decreased hearing. I suggest you the following to open the eustachian tube for relief; 1) Use decongestant nasal drops containing Oxymetazoline or Xylometazoline three drops thrice daily for one week. 2) Take a tablet containing a combination of Phenylephrine and Levocetirizine twice daily after food for one week. 3) Kindly do valsalva exercises. 4) Take steam inhalation three to four times a day. 5) Refrain yourself from the use of earbuds. 6) Avoid having anything cold or spicy for two weeks. 7) Please take care to avoid dust exposure. 8) You can consider Duonase nasal spray (Fluticasone propionate and Azelastine) two puffs in each nostril twice daily for six weeks. This typically takes around two to four weeks to settle down. Once the nasal allergies have settled down, the fluid in the ear will slowly reduce, and the associated symptoms will also disappear. I hope I have answered your query in detail. Warm regards.