Their nasal and ear passages are smaller and more likely to become blocked.

Music was playing close at hand, deafening me as the water drained in gulps from my ear passages.

Nor could he hear very much, since the general stuffiness in his head seemed to have extended to his ear passages too.

When he looked deep into the ear passages he was relieved to see that there was no inflammation.

But when you blow hard, pressure can carry germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, causing earache.

The reason for such a blockage, said Dr. Kent, may be a respiratory infection or that the ear passages are naturally small.

Risk of Complications The increased severity of hay fever attacks brings an increased risk of complications in the sinus or ear passages.