Best way to un-clog an ear?

[elleng]

Haven't had a cold or unusual congestion, but noticed this afternoon left ear feels/sounds clogged. What to do???

Thanks

[GeorgeGist]

1. If it's due to wax ...

try Debrox ear drops. Most drug stores carry it. Works great.

[sharp_stick]

5. This worked for me

It was driving me nuts and this was the one treatment that actually popped it without seeing a doc

You're other option is a doc and that will work as well if you need it. A walk in clinic will do the job.

[elleng]

11. Thanks. May try Debrox/clinic/daughter's help.

[Tanuki]

12. I saw your username, "sharp stick", and then read "This worked for me."

You had me worried for a minute there!

[Warpy]

2. Make an appointment with an ear nose and throat doctor

It's usually a buildup of ear wax if you haven't had a cold or other infection. Drugstore remedies don't work. Somebody who knows what s/he is doing needs to dig it out.

[redwitch]

3. Carefully!

I have had broken ear drums due to horrible sinus infections. It is really annoying when the ears are clogged but it's worse when the ear drums break and you have a weird, hollow sound left. Fortunately they do heal but I am pretty certain my hearing took a permanent hit.

If it doesn't unclog soon I would see a dr.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

4. This has worked for me several times

Several minutes before showering, I'll put a drop of liquid dish soap in the clogged ear, keeping my head tilted. I let it soak for a few moments while tugging on the ear lobe and stretching the skin outside the ear with a finger. When I get in the shower I adjust the handheld to jet stream and blast the plugged ear. In each case, almost immediately, the wax plug pops out and goes down the drain.

I went to a Dr. for it once, years ago. He had me tilt my head while he squirted some solution into my ear, and had me sit several minutes, head tilted. He eventually came back with a little tray and one of those little bulb squirter things. A few squirts, bingo. I just took it a little extreme. But FREE!

One time I had to do it a second time. Every other time once was fine.

Good luck whatever you do

[Docreed2003]

6. Here's my two cents...

If you think it's wax, peroxide and a bulb syringe work wonders.

This time of year, it's likely allergies. Any over the counter remedy works well, especially Benadryl which is cheapest, but I'd only take that at night.

If the allergy medicine doesn't help, try something with pseudoephedrine, but only if you don't have issues with uncontrolled BP.

If all that fails, go to your PCP.... ....

Like I said, just my 2c, love ya Ellen....you can send me my consultation fee anytime, lol!!

[elleng]

9. THANKS, Doc.

Few if any allergies, regular post-nasal drop, so use kleenex often, and pseudophed for occasional 'congestion-related' almost-headache. (MILD symptoms) So may do your peroxide/syringe suggestion, and may have to visit my daughter (and 2.5 year old grandson!) to do that! Drops and syringe-out?


$50 in the mail!!!

[elleng]

7. THANKS for all the info, folks!

[Mosby]

8. Have you tried popping your ears?

Maybe it has something to do with your eustachian tube, if your ear seems clogged its most likely a pressure difference in the middle ear.

http://www.medicinenet.com/eustachian_tube_problems/article.htm

If you have an infection you will know soon enough. I have used Sudafed for mild inflammation and it works, takes a few days though.

[elleng]

10. Yes, tried popping ears with 3 approaches from internet,

holding nose, blowing, etc.

No infection, imo; no other symptoms. I use sudafed for congestion/headache- like symptoms.

[NCjack]

13. My wife had the clogging problem. She had to

have the TV volume so high that it was annoying. She was examined by an audiologist, who determined that one of her ear drums was coated with wax too hard to be removed with a water jet. The physician prescribed some special ear drops to dissolve the wax and told her to pop her ears 10 times a day, with an interval of 1 hour. Now her hearing is better than mine. So, the TV volume is too low for me to hear what is happening -- so annoying.

See a specialist.

[longship]

14. Whatever you do, do not put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow.

That is what my mother used to tell me.

And the drug store remedies can make things worse. I know.

The best advice is to see a physician if it does not clear up.

[Rollo]

15. It's also what my ENT doctor told me last summer...

Turned out I had a fungal infection in one ear.

It was not good... blood, bad odor, and pain extending down to my teeth.

Took about a month to treat and cure. Multiple visits for the doc to vacuum out debris.

Previously I had tried wax dissolving ear drops, which probably only made it worse.

The cause? I suspect I got some shredded brittle plastic shards in there at work, and only shoved them in further trying to alleviate the annoyance.

Since then if I suspect an infection, I treat with an acetic acid (think vinegar) ear drop prep. I've also read that some use a 50/50 mix of 70% rubbing alcohol and white distilled vinegar as a prophylactic.

One telltale early on: a Q-tip (yeah, I know) came out with what looked like soot on it. Turns out that was fungal spores (like a mushroom). Yeech.

[elleng]

16. Oh GOODNESS!

No symptoms like that! (I use q.tips regularly, but no soot, blood, bad odor, or pain.)

[Rollo]

17. Well, I had used Q-tips regularly for about 40 years...

... and never had a problem. But it just took this one infection to convince me they are not such a good idea. True, I made the problem worse by using the Q-tip, unwittingly, to shove sharp shreds further into the ear, but still.

Now it is rare that I'll use a Q-tip, and then never all the way in. If there is itching or other irritation, I'll use the acetic acid drops and those seem to work.

The ear is designed to be self-cleaning, with wax production and perhaps tiny hairs directing any debris that gets in to move outward. From what I've read, the Q-tips interfere with the self cleaning process by sopping up the beneficial wax layer, shoving debris in further, and potentially introducing bacteria and fungus.

If excess wax production is a problem, there are drops to dissolve the wax. I suspect however that excess wax production is the ear's reaction to being invaded and abraded by Q-tips or other foreign objects.

[elleng]

18. I NEVER push the q-tip all the way in,

just 'superficial' cleaning. Haven't studied the wax process, but I too suspect that EXCESS wax production relates to ear being 'invaded.'

P.S. My ear's 'clogged' feeling disappeared last night/this morning. Related, you think, to my after-midnight ice cream snack???