These days everyone from newborns to old age experiences ear clogging, which might sound like a minor issue but, if ignored, can soon become a major health problem. The ears are one of the body’s openings or gateways for entering dirt, bacteria, and germs which is the main reason for ear clogging. Although there are multiple answers to how to unclog your ear which we will discuss briefly in this post.
But what exactly ear clogging is? So, in simple language ear clogging is basically blocking of the ear canal due to multiple reasons including the collection of dirt or mucus in the form of sticky liquid and wax which lead to many problems such as reduced hearing capacity, hazy listening experience, and irritation as well. So, to know more about how to unclog your ear, read the complete article.
Table of Contents
Reasons Behind Ear Clogging
There are a lot of reasons behind ear clogging of an individual, but the commonly heard ones are:
1. Ear wax
An excessive amount of ear wax or mucus collection in the ear canal can also lead to clogging as it balls up and block the passage which decreases the listening experience and make the person’s ear feel full.
2. Allergies
Strong cough and cold also invite ear and nose clogging of an individual which makes the entire passage from nose to ear blocked. This also leads to headaches and watery eyes.
3. Travelling or Adventures
Activities like scuba diving and swimming let the water enter your ear canal which blocks the ears and also irritates you very much. Not only this but flight can also lead to ear clogging as in an airplane the atmospheric pressure get increases which eventually blocks the ear along with other body discomfort.
4. Infection
Ear infections can easily be seen in children but if it occurs once then there are chances of reoccurrence which can lead to ear clogging. In this, you can witness pimples in the ear canal or sudden ear bleeding.
5. Irritation
Your regular irritation in the ear canal can also lead to clogging. The reason behind this can be your day-to-day beauty products like shampoo or oil and the bad scrapping habits with bobby pins or pens.
Symptoms of Having Clogged Ear
It is very obvious how an individual can identify that he/she has a clogged ear that needs to be fixed. So, below are a few symptoms that can help you in this situation:
- Pop sound in the ear
- Continuous itching
- Unusual thumping and buzzing in the ear
- Decreased hearing experience
- Pain inside and outside the ear
- Sudden fever
How to Unclog Your Ear?
The best ways to unclog your ears are mentioned below which are not just easy to do but also give effective results in less than expected time. So, let’s read them!
1. Swallow
Blocking of the Eustachian tube is one of the reasons behind clogged ears but swallowing good food or mouth movement in any way can bail you out from this issue. Doing this makes the muscles from mouth to ear move a little and leads to the opening of this canal. You can eat chewing gums or any other hard food and also suck candies to practice this remedy.
2. Warm Compress
Its name already screams about its steps and naturality. This practice is majorly done during a cough or cold situation which results in unclogging of the ear along with decreased ear pain. For this, all you need to do is soak a towel or handkerchief in warm water for 10-15 minutes, drain the excess water, and press that damp heated towel over your ear so that it reduces congestion and pain. This also helps in easy cleaning of the ear canal. For more relief, you can also keep a hot bag wrapped in a towel over your ear.
3. Oiling
You can get freedom from clogged ears by using various beneficial oils which are easily available in markets. You can use mineral oil, olive oil, mustard oil, or baby oil to soften your ears and decrease undesired wax formation. For this, all you have to do is heat up one tablespoon of your selected oil, let it set down to an acceptable temperature, and pour 2 to 4 drops of it with the help of a dropper in the ear canal.
After this, wait for 15 seconds so that the oil can go deeper into the ear passage, and then clean the same with a hot towel. The pro tip here is that repeat it thrice a week and you can also use mashed garlic in it during the time of boiling the oil for more effective results but make sure to strain the same before putting it in the ear.
4. Shower
A hot shower has tremendous benefits which not just make your ear feel healthy but also leaves a good impact on the body. Practicing this method can help in opening the air passages of the respiratory organs, reducing the fever, and cleaning the internal as well as external ear. For this, you just have to make the water warm, splash some water into the ear, tilt your head up for 2 seconds so that water goes inside the canal, and then tilt down instantly so that the dirt or wax comes out.
5. Steaming
Whether it’s cold, fever, or ear clogging, steam is the all-time effective remedy for any individual irrespective of age which gives unimaginable health benefits. It is highly suggested because of its effortless setup, ease of use, and zero side effects. For this, boil a bowl of water, add essential oils in it like tea tree oil or even vapor rubs, cover your head and bowl with a thick towel and start inhaling for at least 10 minutes. Move your head from left to right while inhaling and let the ear get the warmness of steam. You can practice it twice a day and unclog your ear instantly.
Other ways: The remedies and solutions are not limited to this but you can also practice yawning, ear flushing, scrapping from the index finger, ear drops, and so on. In case, you do not get the relief then you must rush to the nearby audiologists as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Above we shared the most effective, easy, and quick ways to answer your question of how to unclog the ear. This problem is not big enough to get worried and can be cured within 2-3 days if taken into consideration but its ignorance can result in major irritation, infections, and problems. There are many medicines, yoga asanas, and home remedies available on our page which can guide you more appropriately. I hope the article helped you and for further details, comment down below!
FAQs
1. How to unclog the ear?
This issue can be solved by having ear flushing, steaming, hot water bath, warm compressing, swallowing, yawning, and more.
2. What are the symptoms of clogged ears?
Experiencing pain, thumbing, irritation, itching, decreased listening ability, and fever are a few symptoms of clogged ears.
Preeti Jha is a young writer who loves reading, writing, and using words in the crispiest and clearest way possible. She has 3+ years of industry experience and holds a very good command over language and representation of content. She believes in hard work and dedication when it comes to winning any milestone or getting loyal readers. From reporting and anchoring to writing and radio jockeying, she has an interest in various fields of mass communication.