Surprising culprits behind clogged ears Q: My ears are plugged and just won't "pop." I hear things as if I were down in a barrel, and even my own voice sounds strange. If I hold my nose and blow, usually one or both ears will momentarily clear. This has been going on for four months now, and my doctor hasn't been able to recommend anything. Any information you can give would be much appreciated. Dr. Wright: Most often, chronically plugged ears are due to allergy -- even if you've never been diagnosed with or troubled by them before. Allergies are one of those unpleasant things that we never really "grow out" of -- and it's possible for symptoms to surface even late in life. And the offending allergen can be just about anything, from food to inhalants to tiny microorganisms. It's also quite possible that your digestion has slowed down to the point where you're not actually getting all the nutrients you think you are from those supplements. This could weaken your body, and the problem with your ears could be a first warning sign. But first let's go back to the allergies. Get some paper and write down any changes you can think of that may have occurred in the few months prior to the onset of your problem. Have you started eating any new foods? What about new supplements? Have you moved to a new home or had new carpet installed? Once you've written down as many new things as you can (take your time, it's very important), you'll need to avoid them or eliminate them at least temporarily so you can see if it has any effect on your ears. Then there are the old exposures that may just have caught up with you. Search around the house for any mold or excess dust. Be sure to look in unlikely places like under carpets, behind loose wallpaper, and so on. If you don't find anything unusual in your search, you should make an appointment to have thorough allergy testing done. If some tiny microorganism is causing the problem, you'll need help determining what it is and how to avoid it. Contact The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (316-684-5500, www.aaem.org) for a list of doctors near you who can help you with allergy testing. Now, about that possible digestion and assimilation problem. When digestive function is off, it can cause problems in many other, seemingly unlikely parts of the body. So, if you can't find anything at all that might be an allergen, consider contacting ACAM, the American College for Advancement in Medicine (800-532-3688, www.acam.org), for a list of doctors near you who can help you test your digestion and correct it accordingly. | 
