Unplug Ears

Plugged ears can even be quite painful. While you may eventually need to seek the assistance of a doctor, there are ways you can attempt to unplug ears at home before calling in the medical cavalry. This article will show you a few ways to do it.

10 Second Summary

  • Plug your nose, then try to exhale through it. You can also try a decongestant or nasal spray. More ↓
  • Equalize pressure by popping your ears. You can also try chewing gum, swallowing, or even yawning. ↓
  • Remove ear wax with a solution made from vinegar and alcohol, and a few drops of oil. Flush the ear out with water afterwards. ↓

Steps

Sinus Decongestion

  1. Unplug ears that are clogged due to a cold. Colds can often lead to sinus congestion, which in turn, block your eustachian tubes—which are connected to your middle ear and the back of your nose. When this gets stopped up, it can lead to a great deal of pain.
  2. Do the Valsalva Maneuver. Not only is this good for blockage due to colds, it's also very handy for pilots, airline passengers, and divers.[1]
    • Pinch your nose to plug your nostrils. Exhale like you are trying to breathe out of your nose. Resist the urge to blow too hard as it might hurt the eardrum.
    • There may be a small pop sound associated with the relief of pressure when using this remedy but it should not be accompanied by any pain.
  3. Take a decongestant. This will help clear the sinuses, and return your hearing to some semblance of normalcy.
  4. Use a nasal spray antihistamine. In the event your sinus blockage is caused by allergies, an antihistamine may be just the thing you need.
  5. See a doctor. If your ear pain is serious, see your doctor or specialist, who may prescribe meds such as topical nasal steroids, or use ventilation tubes to drain any fluid and relieve pressure.

Equalizing Pressure

  1. Pop your ears. Sometimes, rapid changes in altitude can cause unequal pressure differences between the inner ear and the outer ear. This can be annoying, like an "air" version of wax buildup, or it can be extremely painful—or both!
  2. Try an ounce of prevention. If you're reading this article as a precaution, you may be able to forestall the problem. Before you get in an airplane, or drive over that mountain pass, break out the chewing gum or hard candy.
    • The action of chewing, swallowing, even yawning, will open up your Eustachian tubes, allowing the air pressure to equalize.
    • This also works if you are experiencing the problem. Continue chewing, yawning, and swallowing until your ears quit popping.

Earwax Removal

  1. Unplug an ear clogged with wax. These suggestions may need to be repeated for several days in a row to completely unplug the ear, but you may experience some relief immediately.
  2. Mix a solution of equal parts vinegar and alcohol. This will help soften the cerumen (wax), and make it easier to flush out.
  3. Apply the solution to your ear canal. Lean your head sideways and put a few drops of the solution in your ear. A medicine dropper makes adding a few drops to the ear an easy task. Allow the solution to settle in for about 5 minutes.
    • To keep it from spilling out, place a piece of cotton in your ear before raising your head. If both ears need attention, repeat the process with the other ear.
  4. Add oil. Drop a few drops of warm (not hot) olive oil, mineral oil or baby oil into your ear, and keep the head sideways for about five minutes
    • Lean your head upright and wipe away any oil and wax that exit the ear canal with a clean cloth.
  5. Flush the ear with warm water. Fill an ear syringe with lukewarm water (body temperature: 98.6°F / 37°C, is best). An easy way to do this is fill a cup with warm water, so that it's easy to refill the syringe.
    • Lean over the basin of your sink, pull your ear lobe down and towards the back of your head to open up the ear canal.
    • Insert the tip of the syringe just into the opening of the ear canal, pointing slightly up and sideways, so you aren't directing the water directly at the eardrum.
    • Squeeze the bulb of the syringe hard enough so that it dislodges the wax, but never squeeze forcefully. It will sound like you're in a windstorm, and may tickle a bit.
    • Make sure the tip of the syringe doesn't block the water and cerumen exiting your ear canal, and don't be alarmed at the goop that comes plopping out.
    • Repeat until your ear is cleared, then dry with a soft cloth.
    • You may notice a very distinct difference in your hearing, for the better.

Tips

  • Take hold of your earlobe, pull down, then push up, and pull down again.
  • Practicing the Valsalva Maneuver when taking off or landing in an airplane, or as you descend when diving, can prevent or minimize pressure differentials that block ears and cause (sometimes extreme) pain.
  • Cleaning your ears regularly will help prevent waxy buildup in your ears so that they never get bad enough that they interfere with your hearing.

Warnings

  • Resist the urge to clean wax from the ears using a cotton swab. More often than not, this pushes wax further into the ear rather than removing it.
  • Consult a doctor if you are experiencing a fever or intense ear pain.

Things You'll Need

  • Vinegar
  • Alcohol
  • Olive oil
  • Cotton
  • Clean cloth
  • Medicine dropper

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver
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