There are many reasons—and remedies—for a clogged ear, says Isaac D. Erbele, MD, neurotologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The answer starts by identifying where the discomfort is coming from.
Anatomy of the ear: The eardrum is basically a little piece of skin that divides the middle ear, where the ear bones live…and the outer ear, where your ear canal is. When it comes to clogged ears, most of the time something is going on behind the eardrum. This often involves a problem with the Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear and the nasal-sinus cavity on each side of the head. These tubes can get clogged from inflammation resulting from allergies or a cold among other causes. But your ear can also feel clogged if you get water in it from swimming or even showering—that fluid is on the outside of the eardrum. Different situations…different remedies.
Here are the most common causes of clogged ears and remedies…
Reason #1: Barometric pressure
Many of us have had that clogged-ear feeling during airplane takeoffs and landings as well as in elevators, especially during a rapid ride of numerous stories.
How to unclog ears: It helps to know how to pop your ears. For many people, chewing gum, yawning and swallowing work. These motions activate muscles in your palate that, in turn, open the Eustachian tubes.
But if you have a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, a lot of chewing can irritate the jaw, so instead try taking a deep breath and pinching your nose with your fingers, then keep your mouth closed as you gently push that air into your nose. This often will pop open your Eustachian tubes and, by extension, your ears.
If you frequently experience discomfort when flying, try a squirt of the nasal decongestant Afrin, Sinex or Zicam in each nostril about an hour before takeoff. It will decrease inflammation in the back of the nose, and that can help keep Eustachian tubes open in flight.
Reason #2: Cold/flu
These are the most common reasons for the sensation of clogged ears. If you have a bad upper-respiratory infection and your Eustachian tubes are swollen, some fluid can get lodged behind the eardrum. This can take several weeks— sometimes as long as two or three months—to go away completely.
How to unclog ears: Besides the usual over-the-counter cold and flu medications, taking Tylenol, getting rest and drinking fluids, you can try popping your ears to see if that will equalize the pressure and help move some of the fluid out of the Eustachian tubes. But much of the time, it comes down to simply waiting for it to resolve on its own.
Reason #3: Allergies
The same histamines that cause nose and eye allergic reactions can lead to swelling of the Eustachian tubes.
How to unclog ears: If your allergy medications aren’t helping ear symptoms or if you’ve never been tested for allergies, see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
Reason #4: Hearing loss
Some degree of hearing loss can create the sensation that your ears are clogged. Often, people experience a feeling of pressure, as though there’s something stuck in the ear canal, before they perceive that they have hearing loss.
How to unclog ears: It’s important to get an audiogram (hearing test), especially if hearing loss persists or if you experience a sudden loss in hearing. The test involves sitting in a booth and responding to a series of beeps played at different frequencies to gauge the amount of any hearing loss. Depending on the type of hearing loss, a hearing aid may help with your clogged ear, or you may need to see an ENT.
Reason #5: Water in the ears
How to unclog ears: You don’t have to hop on one foot or bob your head to one side. Instead, aim a hair dryer on a low setting toward the outer ear opening for 30 seconds—this can usually dry out the ear canal.
What not to do: Stick a cotton swab in your ear. Swabs can scratch the ear canal, cause an infection or even puncture the eardrum, a trauma that could require surgery to repair.
Reason #6: Punctured eardrum
This can create a feeling of fullness similar to a clogged ear from another cause, but if you try to pop the ears, you can hear air escaping, which is not usually painful. In addition to ear fullness and hearing loss, other symptoms of a punctured eardrum can include ear discharge plus the dizziness and ringing of tinnitus.
How to unclog ears: An ENT should evaluate the eardrum. Punctures often can heal on their own, but some require surgical repair. It’s especially important to see an ENT if you have drainage coming out of your ears.
Reason #7: Earwax
A lot of waxy buildup can create that clogged ear feeling.
How to unclog ears: See an ENT to remove the wax. Caution: Home remedies, from ear candles to instruments marketed as “safe to use at home,” all carry risks, including scratching the ear canal and puncturing the eardrum.
When to Get Medical Attention Immediately
Most of the time, clogged ears are benign problems, but there are signs that you shouldn’t wait for them to resolve on their own…
- When discomfort worsens or if you have a lot of pain in the ear.
- If you experience a sudden loss of hearing, especially along with tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance or the feeling that the room is spinning around you.
- If there’s any drainage of pus along with a clogged sensation.
