Woman trying to clear a clogged ear by shaking water out of it.

We’ve all had the experience, the unpleasant feeling when your ear is clogged and no amount of swallowing and yawning can help it. You’ve attempted opening your ear canal with your finger, popping your ears, and chewing gum. Hoping your ears will simply unclog on their own, eventually, you may just give up. But if you have drainage, soreness, or the symptoms of an ear infection, this would be an unwise idea.

Your Eustachian tube, a small passageway that connects your middle ear to the space behind your nose and controls the air pressure in your ears, can become plugged if it stays open or closed for longer than it should. You may hear a popping and crackling noise in your ears as this tube closes and opens when you swallow or yawn. Normal hormonal changes cause the ear to stay open and viruses or ear infections will cause the ear to stay closed. It may take your ears a while to go back to normal but both problems will recede over time.

Another cause of blocked ears is buildup of earwax. Ear treatment can eliminate this kind of blockage, depending on the severeness, this can be at home or at the hearing specialist. When dealing with clogged ears, here are some tips:

You Can Try Putting Hydrogen Peroxide Drops in Your Ear

Hydrogen peroxide can be utilized to dissolve earwax blockages, but it must be applied in your ear properly. Hearing experts suggest that you mix the solution with warm water making certain that the water is not too hot and then place a drop or two into your ear with a dropper. After you tilt your ear upward and put the drops in, a few seconds should be enough to break up the wax blockage. You might have to do this several times a day for a couple of days, but eventually, the clog should clear.

Never Clean Your Ear by Putting Something in it

Seriously, this is worth repeating: it will only make the predicament worse if you attempt to use a cotton swab to clean your ears. Cotton swabs can cause total blockage by pushing the earwax into the eardrum. Even earplugs and hearing aids can, in fact, cause an earwax blockage. In order to prevent earwax buildup, you should use cotton swabs only on the outer ear.

Your Allergies Should be Managed

Plugged ears are often made worse by allergies. Follow your doctor’s advice about managing your allergies and never forget to take your medication. Unnecessary allergens should be limited during allergy season specifically but also the rest of the year.

If a Remedy Sounds Strange, Stay Clear of it

It probably goes without saying, but you really should never put a lit candle in your ear in order to clean out a clog caused by wax. Ear candling is an old method of sticking a hollow candle in your ear and lighting it which is very unscientific. The theory is that earwax is drawn into the hollow space in the candle when the heat of the flame causes a vacuum. This does not work and you will probably cause a lot more harm to your ears. Keep in mind, if it sounds strange you should ask an expert. Don’t risk losing your hearing by merely trying things.

When all else fails, you should give us a call. Unconventional wax removal can trigger significant issues in your ears, like a ruptured eardrum or lasting loss of hearing.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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