Clogged ears are a major cause of concern. The feeling of having something stuffed in the ear can be bothersome and if untreated, can result to loss of hearing. An infection is also a possible outcome of a clogged ear. So to avoid any damage, it is important to attend to this problem at the earliest.
While there are quite a few treatments that can help solving this problem, understanding the causes is very crucial. So in order to make you familiar with the possibles causes and treatments for a clogged ear, we have mentioned all the details below. Have a look!
Blocked nose: Nasal congestion or stuffy nose could lead to blocked ears.
Building up of ear wax: Excess of ear wax production can lead to ear wax build-up and earache.
Build up of water within the ears: Discharge of fluid and fluid build-up in the eardrum can lead to clogged ears.
Cold: This is often the cause of sinus congestion which blocks your Eustachian tubes thereby causing clogged ears. It is like saying that clogged nose can lead to clogged ears.
Allergy: Ears can get affected by allergies too.
Sinus infection: This can lead to clogged ears, pain in the ears and even temporary loss of hearing.
Altitude changes: Change in the atmospheric pressure whenever you are aboard a flight can bring a sense of discomfort to your ears.
Swimmers’ Ear: This happens due to fluid build-up in the ear as a result of swimming underwater.
Now let us find out the symptoms that indicate clogging in ears.
Hearing trouble: This could happen due to acute ear infection as a result of the clogged ear.
A severe earache: Inflammation in the ears can lead to unbearable ear pain.
Itching in the ears: This is a natural outcome of ear wax build up and clogging.
Ringing sound in the ears: The accumulation of ear fluid and feeling of fullness not only causes pain, it leads to a ringing sound.
Feeling dizzy: Chronic infection in the ear is a natural build up of clogged ear left untreated. This causes discomfort and dizziness.
Discharge or bleeding from the affected ear(s): A prick in the ear, damage or infection when left unattended can cause discharge and bleeding.
With the mentioned causes and symptoms, let us find out the various home remedies that can provide instant relief from the pesky problem of clogged ears.
What all you need: 3 percent hydrogen peroxide.
How to Do: Start with putting 2 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the affected/blocked ear.
How it Works: After putting hydrogen peroxide in your ear, you will get the sound of a hiss in your ear. This will happen for some time only. After 10 minutes, drain out the solution from your ear by tilting your head towards the other side.
Tip: When you use hydrogen peroxide in your ear in raw form, chances are it might cause infection and dizziness in some. If you already have an ear infection, then do not use this remedy. Just clean up the outer parts of your ear with it. Avoid overusing hydrogen peroxide as it can harm your eardrums too.
What all you need: Olive oil, a dropper.
How to Do: Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a pan. Using a dropper, put olive oil in your ear.
How it Works: Give lead time of 10 minutes for the oil to soften the ear wax. Then remove the oil by keeping your head in sideways position.
Tip: Use ear buds in order to take out the softened ear wax. Those of you who have the history of ear surgery should not use this technique without a medical prescription. This remedy is strictly prohibited for those who have a perforated ear drum.
What all you need: Alcohol and ACV.
How to Do: Mix alcohol and vinegar in equal measure. Lie down and put a few drops in your ears by using a dropper. Thereafter, put a cotton ball in the treated ears and avoid moving your head for a few minutes.
How it Works: Give some time for the solution to work and show results.
Tip: Patients who have a history of ear surgery should not do this technique without the aid of a medical prescription. To be strictly avoided by those patients for who have had their ear drum perforated.
What all you need: Just a steamy shower.
How to Do: When you have finished your shower, stay in the steamy bathroom for a minimum of 10 minutes.
How it Works: The steam will naturally unclog your ears.
What all you need: Your clogged ear is sufficient.
How to Do: Close your mouth and pinch your nose. Breathe out the air from your nose. See to it that you do not apply too much pressure as it can end up hurting your ear drum.
How it Works: You will hear a popping sound in none other than your ear when you are blowing air out of your nose which is closed. This sound indicates that your Eustachian tubes have opened up.
Tip: If you feel dizziness while doing this exercise, then immediately stop it.
What all you need: Heated water, a piece of cloth.
How to Do: Put the cloth soaked in warm water on your affected ear for about 10 minutes. This will help ease out the pain and cause trapped fluid to come out of your ear.
Tip: You can also use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and rest it on your ear or alternatively use an iron to heat a cloth piece or handkerchief and then putting it in the affected ear.
How to Do: Open your mouth slightly and fill it up with air. Keep doing it till you hear the sound of a pop in the ear.
How it Works: This will help redistribute the fluid in your ears and get rid of the clogged ear situation fast.
Tip: Keep repeating this procedure till the time you get relief and start to listen better.
What all you need: A glass of water, some salt.
How to Do: Make a solution by mixing salt in a glass of water. Then gargle with it for 20 seconds. Spit out the solution.
How it Works: Salt water gargle gives warmth to the respiratory system, thereby reducing the pain in clogged ears.
Tip: Repeat it till the time you get relief.
What all you need: Any of the two between chewing gum or candy.
How to Do: Chew a gum or eat a candy.
How it Works: The sudden change in air pressure will unclog the ear by releasing the pressure excess in the ear.
What all you need: Baking soda, Non-iodized salt, bulb syringe.
How to Do: Sterilise water by boiling it in a pan. Once it sets down to room temps, pour the treated water into a sterilized container. Now add 1/2 tsp each of baking soda and non-iodized salt. After mixing all the ingredients, pour the solution into a bulb syringe. Lean your head to 45 degrees and then pour some drops into your nostril. Allow the solution to drain your mouth and nose. Spit the solution if it remains in your mouth. Now blow your nose before you repeat the same exercise on your other nostril. Repeat it twice or thrice daily.
Tip: Do not store the nasal spray solution for more than 2 days.
How to Do: Iron the cloth that you have picked or put it in the sunlight. Now put this sun-treated cloth under your clogged ear.
How it Works:
Tip: You can also take an optional route, wherein you need to heat some water and put a cloth in it. Squeeze water out of it and keep the heat-treated cloth on the affected ear for about 5 minutes. Now put your palm on the ear and push it like a suction cup. In few minutes, you will notice the change of clogged ear getting unclogged.
What all you need: A glass of water, Tea Tree Oil.
How to Do: Boil a glass of water, and put some drops of tea tree oil in it. When the water starts to boil, pour it gently in your affected ear.
How it Works: This method is an effective treatment for plugged ears.
Tip: See to it that the boiled solution of tea tree oil is not so warm that it damages your ear drum.
While there are quite a few treatments that can help solving this problem, understanding the causes is very crucial. So in order to make you familiar with the possibles causes and treatments for a clogged ear, we have mentioned all the details below. Have a look!
Causes Of Clogged Ears:
There can be many reasons of clogged ears. Here are some which you could identify with:Blocked nose: Nasal congestion or stuffy nose could lead to blocked ears.
Building up of ear wax: Excess of ear wax production can lead to ear wax build-up and earache.
Build up of water within the ears: Discharge of fluid and fluid build-up in the eardrum can lead to clogged ears.
Cold: This is often the cause of sinus congestion which blocks your Eustachian tubes thereby causing clogged ears. It is like saying that clogged nose can lead to clogged ears.
Allergy: Ears can get affected by allergies too.
Sinus infection: This can lead to clogged ears, pain in the ears and even temporary loss of hearing.
Altitude changes: Change in the atmospheric pressure whenever you are aboard a flight can bring a sense of discomfort to your ears.
Swimmers’ Ear: This happens due to fluid build-up in the ear as a result of swimming underwater.
Now let us find out the symptoms that indicate clogging in ears.
Symptoms Of Clogged Ears:
These are some of the possible symptoms you could experience when you feel your ears clogged or plugged:Hearing trouble: This could happen due to acute ear infection as a result of the clogged ear.
A severe earache: Inflammation in the ears can lead to unbearable ear pain.
Itching in the ears: This is a natural outcome of ear wax build up and clogging.
Ringing sound in the ears: The accumulation of ear fluid and feeling of fullness not only causes pain, it leads to a ringing sound.
Feeling dizzy: Chronic infection in the ear is a natural build up of clogged ear left untreated. This causes discomfort and dizziness.
Discharge or bleeding from the affected ear(s): A prick in the ear, damage or infection when left unattended can cause discharge and bleeding.
With the mentioned causes and symptoms, let us find out the various home remedies that can provide instant relief from the pesky problem of clogged ears.
Home Remedies For Clogged Ears:
Get a pen and paper or bookmark this page as I take you the through some of the natural and time-tested ways to sorting out the clogged ear problem.1. Hydrogen Peroxide:
This is an excellent remedy when it comes to unclogging the ears.What all you need: 3 percent hydrogen peroxide.
How to Do: Start with putting 2 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the affected/blocked ear.
How it Works: After putting hydrogen peroxide in your ear, you will get the sound of a hiss in your ear. This will happen for some time only. After 10 minutes, drain out the solution from your ear by tilting your head towards the other side.
Tip: When you use hydrogen peroxide in your ear in raw form, chances are it might cause infection and dizziness in some. If you already have an ear infection, then do not use this remedy. Just clean up the outer parts of your ear with it. Avoid overusing hydrogen peroxide as it can harm your eardrums too.
2. Olive Oil:
Earwax is a common cause of clogged ears. The beauty of olive oil is that it not only nourishes the skin and hair, it also softens up the earwax and removes it easily.What all you need: Olive oil, a dropper.
How to Do: Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a pan. Using a dropper, put olive oil in your ear.
How it Works: Give lead time of 10 minutes for the oil to soften the ear wax. Then remove the oil by keeping your head in sideways position.
Tip: Use ear buds in order to take out the softened ear wax. Those of you who have the history of ear surgery should not use this technique without a medical prescription. This remedy is strictly prohibited for those who have a perforated ear drum.
3. Alcohol And Apple Cider Vinegar:
One of the reasons behind clogged ears could be a bacterial infection. Alcohol and vinegar help in combating bacteria.What all you need: Alcohol and ACV.
How to Do: Mix alcohol and vinegar in equal measure. Lie down and put a few drops in your ears by using a dropper. Thereafter, put a cotton ball in the treated ears and avoid moving your head for a few minutes.
How it Works: Give some time for the solution to work and show results.
Tip: Patients who have a history of ear surgery should not do this technique without the aid of a medical prescription. To be strictly avoided by those patients for who have had their ear drum perforated.
4. Steam:
One of the natural ways to unclogging your blocked ears is steam.What all you need: Just a steamy shower.
How to Do: When you have finished your shower, stay in the steamy bathroom for a minimum of 10 minutes.
How it Works: The steam will naturally unclog your ears.
5. Valsalva Maneuver:
This exercise is meant to give relief to you from pain and clogging in the ear.What all you need: Your clogged ear is sufficient.
How to Do: Close your mouth and pinch your nose. Breathe out the air from your nose. See to it that you do not apply too much pressure as it can end up hurting your ear drum.
How it Works: You will hear a popping sound in none other than your ear when you are blowing air out of your nose which is closed. This sound indicates that your Eustachian tubes have opened up.
Tip: If you feel dizziness while doing this exercise, then immediately stop it.
6. Warm Water:
This is alternatively called a warm compress. It means heat is used to cure blocked ear since it helps loosen the ear wax.What all you need: Heated water, a piece of cloth.
How to Do: Put the cloth soaked in warm water on your affected ear for about 10 minutes. This will help ease out the pain and cause trapped fluid to come out of your ear.
Tip: You can also use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and rest it on your ear or alternatively use an iron to heat a cloth piece or handkerchief and then putting it in the affected ear.
7. Yawning:
Even if you don’t feel like yawning, make it a point to yawn when you are facing clogged ears.How to Do: Open your mouth slightly and fill it up with air. Keep doing it till you hear the sound of a pop in the ear.
How it Works: This will help redistribute the fluid in your ears and get rid of the clogged ear situation fast.
Tip: Keep repeating this procedure till the time you get relief and start to listen better.
8. Gargle:
When you do salt water gargle, it will help unclog the ears and decongest the nose.What all you need: A glass of water, some salt.
How to Do: Make a solution by mixing salt in a glass of water. Then gargle with it for 20 seconds. Spit out the solution.
How it Works: Salt water gargle gives warmth to the respiratory system, thereby reducing the pain in clogged ears.
Tip: Repeat it till the time you get relief.
9. Chewing Gum:
An ordinary chewing gum or candy would be sufficient to open up the clogged ears.What all you need: Any of the two between chewing gum or candy.
How to Do: Chew a gum or eat a candy.
How it Works: The sudden change in air pressure will unclog the ear by releasing the pressure excess in the ear.
10. Nasal Spray:
An allergic inflammation could lead to clogged ear. But relax, this is how you can treat it.What all you need: Baking soda, Non-iodized salt, bulb syringe.
How to Do: Sterilise water by boiling it in a pan. Once it sets down to room temps, pour the treated water into a sterilized container. Now add 1/2 tsp each of baking soda and non-iodized salt. After mixing all the ingredients, pour the solution into a bulb syringe. Lean your head to 45 degrees and then pour some drops into your nostril. Allow the solution to drain your mouth and nose. Spit the solution if it remains in your mouth. Now blow your nose before you repeat the same exercise on your other nostril. Repeat it twice or thrice daily.
Tip: Do not store the nasal spray solution for more than 2 days.
11. Warm Cloth:
What all you need: A piece of cloth and some sunshine.How to Do: Iron the cloth that you have picked or put it in the sunlight. Now put this sun-treated cloth under your clogged ear.
How it Works:
Tip: You can also take an optional route, wherein you need to heat some water and put a cloth in it. Squeeze water out of it and keep the heat-treated cloth on the affected ear for about 5 minutes. Now put your palm on the ear and push it like a suction cup. In few minutes, you will notice the change of clogged ear getting unclogged.
12. Tea Tree Oil:
Essential oils such as tea tree oil can be used as a steam to treat unclogged ears due to cold.What all you need: A glass of water, Tea Tree Oil.
How to Do: Boil a glass of water, and put some drops of tea tree oil in it. When the water starts to boil, pour it gently in your affected ear.
How it Works: This method is an effective treatment for plugged ears.
Tip: See to it that the boiled solution of tea tree oil is not so warm that it damages your ear drum.
