Plugged ears: What is the remedy? (2024)

FAQs

How can I quickly unblock my ears? ›

Natural ways to help you pop your ears include using a warm washcloth against your ear, yawning, swallowing, using a salt water nasal spray, and rinsing your sinuses.

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.

Basic understanding of the ear structure and how fluid usually drains can be helpful. Effective home remedies for safe fluid drainage include jiggling the earlobe, using gravity, creating a vacuum, using a blow dryer, trying ear drops or sprays, trying more water, inhaling steam, and gargling with saltwater.

An 85% rate of success in opening the clogged tube with hydrogen peroxide is documented. The ototoxicity of the treatment is also examined.

Use the Valsalva maneuver

To perform the Valsalva maneuver, take a deep breath and pinch your nose. With your mouth closed, attempt to exhale gently through your nose. This should create enough pressure to “pop” or unclog the ear. Don't blow too hard to avoid damaging your eardrum.

You can do exercises to open up the tubes. This includes swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can help relieve the “full ear” feeling by taking a deep breath, pinching your nostrils closed, and “blowing” with your mouth shut.

To do this, you: Use your finger to find a bony bump behind your ear lobe. Slide your finger down until you feel a groove between your earlobe and jaw. Using firm, steady pressure, trace the groove all the way down your neck to the collarbone.

Insert the drops: Carefully insert a few drops into the ear canal using a dropper or syringe. Wait: Stay still and wait about five minutes, giving the drops time to work. Drain: Tilt your head to allow the solution to drain out.

Decongestants and Antihistamines

A decongestant like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) or an antihistamine like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can help relieve some of the symptoms of an infection. They will cure the cause of your middle ear fluid build-up if related to a dysfunction or swollen Eustachian tube.

How to drain an Eustachian tube naturally? ›

The expectorant helps thin and loosen mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up the mucus. Decongestants help relieve stuffy nose, sinus, and ear congestion symptoms.

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.

Ear congestion can often be treated at home with strategies such as swallowing, yawning, chewing gum, nasal flushing, applying heat, washing the ears, and using a humidifier. In some cases, medications such as decongestants or antihistamines may be helpful.

When pressure builds up in the ears, people can usually relieve it by yawning, chewing gum, or wiggling the jaw. If these do not help ears pop, a person may need a nasal spray or other medical treatment. From altitude changes to ear infections, there are many reasons why pressure may build up in the ears.

Blocked eustachian tubes

When the eustachian tube is blocked, it prevents the air bubble from moving into the middle ear, eventually creating a vacuum and pulling on the eardrum. This can be uncomfortable and can cause other problems in the ear, such as temporary hearing loss and dizziness.