From Cold - Ears Stuffy

The middle ear is connected to the back of the throat by the , which regulates air pressure and drains fluid. When you have a cold:

Desperate, Alex retreated to the bathroom. He stood under the shower, letting the scalding water beat down on his head. The roar of the water was a dull, percussive thud, but it did nothing to clear the clogged feeling. He tried the old trick: pinching his nose and gently blowing. A tiny, pathetic squeak. Nothing. ears stuffy from cold

Getting out of bed was a journey into a muted world. The creak of the floorboards was a dull thud. The gurgle of the coffee maker was a distant, subterranean rumble. He tried to watch the morning news, but the anchor's voice was a garbled monotone, lost beneath the roaring silence in his own head. He saw a report about a storm and a car chase, but it felt like a silent film. The ticker at the bottom of the screen became his only news source. The middle ear is connected to the back