How to get rid of clogged ear from sinus infection

There are a number of reasons you may have clogged or stuffy ears. Maybe you have a sinus infection or excessive amount of earwax in the Eustachian tube. Or perhaps there's water in your ear or you're experiencing a change in altitude.

Whatever your reasoning may be, you may find that clogged ears distract you and take away from your overall quality of life. The good news is that there are several ways you can unclog your ears and get back to you normal self again. Here's how you can do so.

Pop Your Ears

When you pop your ears, you can open up the Eustachian tube and unclog your ears simultaneously. All you have to do is plug your nose and blow while you close your lips. Just be sure to avoid blowing too hard to avoid eardrum issues. Ear popping is a good option if your ears are clogged because of altitude changes.

Oral Decongestants and Nasal Sprays

If your clogged ears are the result of a sinus infection or nasal congestion, oral decongestants or nasal sprays may help. You can also use them before you fly to prevent ear clogging in the first place. Fortunately, both oral decongestants and nasal sprays can be purchased over the counter.

Warm Compress

Soak a clean cloth in warm water to create a warm compress. Then, take the warm compress and place it over your ear. This way you can allow steam to make its way into your ear canal and relieve your clogged ears. Taking a steaming hot shower may do the trick as well.

Irrigate Your Ear

Too much earwax can lead to clogging and discomfort. That's where ear irrigation comes in. Ear irrigation is a procedure that removes excess earwax or foreign materials from your ear. You can buy an ear irrigation kit online or at a local drugstore and complete the treatment in the comfort of your own home.

Should You See an ENT Doctor?

It's likely that you'll be able to treat your clogged ears at home. But if you'd like to expedite the recovery process or are not seeing any progress, don't hesitate to visit an ENT doctor. They can help you get to the bottom of your ear clogging and find fast relief.

In addition, seek medical attention if you face hearing loss, ear pain, dizziness, discharge, or a ringing sound.

All information provided on this website is for information purposes only. Please see a healthcare professional for medical advice. If you are seeking this information in an emergency situation, please call 911 and seek emergency help.

We’ve all been there – our ears feel like they are stuffed full of cotton. Pressure builds and builds until it feels like Mount Vesuvius ready to blow. Heaven forbid that the dog barks, as our head might just explode.

Anatomy of the Ear

To understand what’s happening, we have to peer into the anatomy of the ear. In particular, the function of the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube is a canal connecting the middle ear to the nasal cavity and the back of the throat. It acts as a pressure control for the middle ear, equalizing pressure in the air outside with the pressure inside the ear.

What Causes Blockage

The eustachian tube is normally collapsed and will open when you chew, swallow, or yawn. If the pressure outside the body changes suddenly, such as during airplane travel or scuba diving, you may experience what feels like blockage in the ears. When outside air pressure changes suddenly, it may take a while to equalize internal pressure with outside pressure. Opening the eustachian tube allows pressure to equalize with the rest of the body.

Ear pressure equalization may sometimes not function smoothly. This is often caused by waxy buildup in the ear. Earwax has an essential function in the ear, as it traps particles and funnels them down into the throat to be destroyed by the stomach. Occasionally, however, wax builds up. When this happens, the excess wax may hinder the proper opening and closing of the eustachian tube and prevent proper drainage. This causes the ears to feel “blocked”.

There are several ways to clear pressure in your ears. The simplest is by swallowing or yawning. When you do this, you may hear a faint pop in the ears; this is a sign that the eustachian tubes are opening and pressure is equalizing. Chewing gum can help this, as it causes saliva to be generated, which leads to constant swallowing.

How to Clear Your Ears

A more direct method is known as the Valsalva Maneuver. This is done by pinching the nose shut, closing the mouth, and then blowing gently. This forces the tubes open using air pressure from the lungs. This technique is used regularly by SCUBA divers while descending to counteract the pressure of water they are immersed in.

A similar technique, the Toynbee Maneuver, is done by pinching the nose shut and closing the mouth but swallowing instead of blowing.

A combination of the above two, the Lowry Technique, has you both blow and swallow while holding the nose and mouth closed. It takes a bit of practice to master both swallowing and blowing at the same time.

It is important to pay attention to pressure in the ears. Pressure can negatively impact hearing as well as balance. If the eustachian tube is clogged for too long it can cause otitis media (AOM), a middle ear infection, or otitis media with effusion (OME). It can even cause eardrum retraction, where the eardrum seems to be receding into the ear canal. Keeping ears clean, clear, and equalized can prevent a multitude of functional problems.

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