How to Treat Clogged Ears | Blog | Texas ENT Specialists (2024)

FAQs

How to Treat Clogged Ears | Blog | Texas ENT Specialists? ›

To correct the problem, try the following: Swallow, yawn, or chew gum to open the eustachian tubes

If an ear infection is the underlying cause, then antibiotics may be needed. For a chronically blocked ear or a more severe ear infection, an ENT surgeon may need to perform surgery.

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.

A myringotomy is a procedure to create a hole in the ear drum to allow fluid that is trapped in the middle ear to drain out. The fluid may be blood, pus and/or water. In many cases, a small tube is inserted into the hole in the ear drum to help maintain drainage.

A myringotomy is a surgery performed by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist to drain fluid from your middle ear. A myringotomy may be completed on one ear or both (bilateral myringotomy).

Your health care provider can remove excess wax by using a small, curved tool called a curet or by using suction techniques. Your provider can also flush out the wax using a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide.

An ENT consultant will test your hearing including a Tympanometry which measures the pressure your ear is at. They may ask you to swallow, and they will also check your Eustachian tubes with a fibre optic camera that's passed painlessly up your nose.

You may be able to open the blocked tubes with a simple exercise. Close your mouth, hold your nose, and gently blow as if you are blowing your nose. Yawning and chewing gum also may help. You may hear or feel a "pop" when the tubes open to make the pressure equal between the inside and outside of your ears.

Pseudoephedrine is used to relieve nasal or sinus congestion caused by the common cold, sinusitis, and hay fever and other respiratory allergies. It is also used to relieve ear congestion caused by ear inflammation or infection. Some of these preparations are available only with your doctor's prescription.

Ideally, the ear canals should never have to be cleaned. However, that isn't always the case. The ears should be cleaned when enough earwax gathers to cause symptoms or to prevent a needed assessment of the ear by your doctor. This condition is call cerumen impaction.

What is the procedure to unblock your ear? ›

Eustachian tube balloon dilatation is a short day-case procedure, which is used to treat people who suffer with blocked ears or ear pressure symptoms. It involves gently stretching the opening to the Eustachian tube using a minimally invasive approach.

The doctor makes a small cut in the eardrum to drain fluid and to make the pressure the same inside and outside the ear. Sometimes the doctor will put a small tube in the eardrum.

If your ears fail to open, or if you are experiencing persistent pain in your ears, seek the help of an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist, or otolaryngologist. They may recommend inserting small pressure equalization tubes or a balloon to help dilate your eustachian tubes.

Takeaway. Microsuction ear cleaning is a procedure to remove earwax buildup from your ear canal. It's a relatively effective procedure that's usually safe and painless.

When the ears are clogged, it can cause pain and discomfort and affect hearing and balance. Call your ENT doctor if you experience severe symptoms with clogged ears, or if symptoms persist for more than two weeks.

Eustachian tube dysfunction usually resolves in a few days to two weeks without treatment. You can take certain actions to open up the tubes, such as swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can try the Valsalva maneuver at home by taking a deep breath, pinching your nostrils closed, and blowing with your mouth shut.

Although blocked ears are common, if they are ongoing for a long period of time or the symptoms are severe then medical help may be necessary. Frequently experiencing blocked ears is a sign that you need to be cautious. It's essential to get examined to establish whether there is an underlying condition.