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What Is The Loud Sound That I Can Hear In The Area Between My Eyes? Have Headache
Question: I was trying to fall asleep when my dog began making a lot of noise. I XXXXXXX to tell him to be quiet and when I put my head back down on the pillow I had a loud popping noise in the area between my eyes and now have a slight headache on the right side of my head. What is this?
Dear XXXXXXX
Thank you for your query.
1. The loud popping sound that you heard in the area between the eyes is due to the opening of the Eustachian Tubes which connect the ears to the nose and help equalize air pressure on both sides of the ear drum. The effort of getting up or lying down changes the pressures in the nose, nasopharynx and oral cavity which are transmitted to the ear. In addition, our sinuses have extremely small openings compared to their size and hence sudden air pressure changes may also cause them to pop, especially if they are partially obstructed.
2. Your slight headache will be due to mild obstruction due to your chronic sinusitis. Take a trial with steam inhalation first. Later on, if there is no relief, you may ask your physician to give you a course of anti allergic, anti leukotriene and steroid nasal sprays. Get your ears examined to rule out earwax.
3. Since you are trying to loose weight, I must introduce you to the concept of a Patulous Eustachian Tube. There is a pad of fat (Ostmann's pad of fat) around the medial (inner) end of the Eustachian Tube which may reduce in size on losing weight. This causes the Eustachian Tube which is normally collapsed and closed to remain intermittently open. In your case this may be mild, if any.
4. It is good that you have stopped taking oral contraceptive pills, as these have many side effects, including headaches. These pills are designed only for short term use for spacing children only.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries I will be available to answer them.
Regards
Thank you for your query.
1. The loud popping sound that you heard in the area between the eyes is due to the opening of the Eustachian Tubes which connect the ears to the nose and help equalize air pressure on both sides of the ear drum. The effort of getting up or lying down changes the pressures in the nose, nasopharynx and oral cavity which are transmitted to the ear. In addition, our sinuses have extremely small openings compared to their size and hence sudden air pressure changes may also cause them to pop, especially if they are partially obstructed.
2. Your slight headache will be due to mild obstruction due to your chronic sinusitis. Take a trial with steam inhalation first. Later on, if there is no relief, you may ask your physician to give you a course of anti allergic, anti leukotriene and steroid nasal sprays. Get your ears examined to rule out earwax.
3. Since you are trying to loose weight, I must introduce you to the concept of a Patulous Eustachian Tube. There is a pad of fat (Ostmann's pad of fat) around the medial (inner) end of the Eustachian Tube which may reduce in size on losing weight. This causes the Eustachian Tube which is normally collapsed and closed to remain intermittently open. In your case this may be mild, if any.
4. It is good that you have stopped taking oral contraceptive pills, as these have many side effects, including headaches. These pills are designed only for short term use for spacing children only.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries I will be available to answer them.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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