A tube connects the ear to the back of the throat. This passage is called the eustachian tube. When you have a stuffy nose , this tube gets blocked. Bacteria and viruses become trapped in your middle ear and cause an infection. Fluid and pressure build up, making your ear hurt.
Ear infections are very common.
They affect about 3 out of every 100 people. Anyone can get an ear infection . Children are more likely to have an ear infection than adults, though. Bacteria and viruses can travel up into a child's ear easier. That is because a child's Eustachian tube is shorter than an adult's.