While annoying, this symptom is not a separate illness but a direct consequence of the anatomy linking your ears, nose, and throat. Understanding that connection is the first step toward relief. The middle ear—the air-filled space behind your eardrum—is not a sealed chamber. It is connected to the back of your throat (the nasopharynx) by a narrow, bony, and cartilaginous canal called the Eustachian tube .
That feeling is unmistakable. You’re already wrestling with a runny nose, a scratchy throat, and a dull headache. Then comes a new, uniquely frustrating sensation: your ears feel stuffed with cotton, your own voice sounds unnaturally loud or echoey inside your head, and the world around you seems muffled, as if you’re underwater. This is the phenomenon of “cold and plugged ears.” cold and plugged ears