Question: My elderly father says that when he chews his ears "stop up" and he feels nausea and dizziness. This tends to happen every time he eats. Any ideas for what might be causing this? Is it treatable?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:

Your father describes complaints that may be consistent with simple ear wax impaction or may also be early symptoms of one of several very serious conditions.

He should see a doctor right away, and even if his external ear canals are clear, he should get further evaluation from an ear, nose, and throat specialist in short order.

It could be he has a jaw problems (which untreated may lead to sudden permanent vision loss), a tumor, advanced cardiovascular disease, carotid stenosis, or coronary artery disease.

All of these conditions are treatable as long he does not wait until permanent irreversible complications set in.