You try swallowing hard and yawning but to no avail, your ears are clogged and you can’t do anything about it. You’ve attempted opening your ear canal with your finger, popping your ear, and even chewing gum. Hoping your ears will just unclog by themselves, at some point you might just give up. But if you have drainage, discomfort, or the symptoms of an ear infection, this would be an unwise idea.
Your Eustachian tube, a small passageway that links your middle ear to the space behind your nose and controls the air pressure in your ears, can get blocked if it stays open or closed for longer than it should. You may notice a popping and crackling noise in your ears as this tube opens and closes when you swallow or yawn. A virus, sinus infection or allergy could cause the ear to stay closed, while hormonal changes can make the ear stay open. Both problems will go away with time, but it could take quite a long time for your ears to return to normal.
Another cause of plugged ears is buildup of earwax. This type of ear clog can be eliminated with treatments, depending on the severeness, this can be at home or at the hearing professional. When managing plugged ears, here are some suggestions:
You Can Try Putting Hydrogen Peroxide Drops into Your Ear
Hydrogen peroxide can be applied to break up earwax clogs, but it must be placed in your ear correctly. Hearing experts recommend 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 pipette. Your ear should be turned upward while you place the drops in your ear and you should stay that way for several seconds to allow the hydrogen peroxide to break down the earwax blockage. You may need to repeat this a few 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 complete blockage by pushing the earwax into the eardrum. As a matter of fact, anything that is inserted in your ears can lead to an earwax blockage, including hearing aids and earplugs. In order to lessen earwax buildup, you should only use cotton swabs on the outer ear.
Your Allergies Need to be Treated
Blocked ears are often made worse by allergies. Follow your doctor’s instructions concerning dealing with your allergies and never forget to take your medication. Unnecessary allergens should be limited during allergy season especially but also the rest of the year.
Be Hesitant of Home Remedies That Sound Weird
You should not stick a lit candle in your ear which should go without saying. Ear candling is an old and very unscientific way of removing earwax by putting a hollow candle in your ear and lighting it. The idea is that the heat from the flame causes a vacuum which forces the earwax into the hollow tube in the candle. This method will likely cause more injury and probably won’t do any good. Don’t forget, if it sounds wrong you should consult a specialist. Don’t chance losing your hearing by just trying anything.
You should give us a call if all else fails. Long lasting hearing loss or a burst eardrum are the sorts of repercussions you could suffer from inappropriate earwax removal.