You try to swallow hard and yawn but it’s no use, your ears are clogged and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve tried popping your ear, chewing gum, or trying to open your ear canal with your finger. Hoping your ears will simply clear up by themselves, at some point you may just stop trying. But if you have drainage, pain, or the symptoms of an ear infection, this would be a bad idea.
A little passageway that connects the middle ear to the place behind the nose and controls the pressure that goes the ears, called the eustachain tube, will get plugged if it stays open or closed for too long. The tube normally opens and closes as you yawn or swallow, which you might notice by a crackling noise or pop in your ears. Typical hormonal changes cause the ear to remain open and viruses or ear infections will cause the ear to remain closed. It could take your ears a while to go back to normal but both issues will go away over time.
Another cause of blocked ears is buildup of earwax. Ear treatment can clear this kind of clog, depending on the severity, this can be at home or at the hearing professional. When dealing with clogged ears, here are some tips:
Try Droplets of Hydrogen Peroxide in Your Ear
Hydrogen peroxide can be utilized to dissolve earwax clogs, but it must be put in your ear properly. Hearing specialists suggest that you mix the solution with warm water making certain that the water isn’t too hot and then place a drop or two in your ear with a dropper. After you turn your ear upward and put the drops in, a few seconds should be enough to break up the wax blockage. Ultimately, the blockage should clear but you may need to repeat the process for a few days.
Don’t Put Anything in Your Ear to Clean it
This can’t be overstated: don’t use a cotton swab to try and unclog your ear, because you will only worsen the problem. Cotton swabs can cause complete blockage by pushing the earwax against the eardrum. Even hearing aids and earplugs can, in fact, cause an earwax blockage. To avoid earwax accumulation, you should only use cotton swabs on the outer ear.
Pay Attention to Your Allergies
Blocked ears are commonly made worse by allergies. Follow your doctor’s instructions concerning treating your allergies and don’t forget to take your medication. Stay away from any unneeded allergens, especially during allergy season.
Be Leery of Home Remedies That Sound Strange
It probably goes without saying, but you really should never put a lit candle into your ear to clear away a clog caused by wax. Ear candling is an old and very pseudo-scientific technique of clearing earwax by putting a hollow candle into your ear and lighting it. In theory, earwax is pulled into the hollow space in the candle when the heat of the flame causes a vacuum. This method will most likely cause more injury and probably won’t do any good. If something doesn’t sound correct, it probably isn’t and it’s best to consult an expert. Randomly trying anything is a massive danger to your hearing.
When all else fails, you should give us a call. Permanent loss of hearing or a ruptured eardrum are the sorts of repercussions you could sustain from incorrect earwax removal.