How Do You Safely Open Blocked Ears?

Blocked ears can be uncomfortable and can end up causing hearing damage. Popping your ears may help in this situation. It is generally safe to pop your ears. It usually only requires moving your jaw muscles. Whatever technique you use, it is critical to be gentle. Keep reading to learn how to open blocked ears.

What causes a blockage in the ear?

People can get stuffy ears for a variety of reasons, just like they get stuffy noses. Blocked ears can occur as a result of:

- Excessive earwax in the Eustachian tube
- Water in your ear
- A shift in altitude (you may have noticed problems when you fly)
- Infections of the sinuses
- Infections of the middle ear
- Allergies

Both children and adults suffer from stuffy ears. Children may be more susceptible, especially if they have a cold.

How do I know if I need to open blocked ears?

Blocked or stuffy ears can cause a lot of pain, which includes:

- A feeling of ear pressure or fullness
- Muffled hearing
- Dizziness
- An intense ringing in the ears
- Ear pain

How to open blocked ears at home

You can try the following ways to open blocked ears:

Swallowing

Your muscles automatically work to open your eustachian tube when you swallow. This tube connects your middle ear to your nose. The popping sensation is caused by opening the eustachian tube, which allows pressure to equalise in your middle ear.

Yawning

Yawning also facilitates the opening of the eustachian tube. Try a fake yawn if you can't yawn on cue. Breathe in and out through your open mouth. This could have the same effect. Every few minutes, try "yawning" until your ears pop.

Valsalva manoeuvre

Close your nostrils with your fingers. Rather than puffing out your cheeks, try to keep them neutral or pulled in. Then, gently blow air through your nostrils. This creates pressure in the back of the nose, which may aid in the opening of the eustachian tube.

Applying a warm washcloth

If you have an ear infection, trying to place a warm washcloth or covered heating pad against your ear may help relieve pain. Placing it on your face may also help relieve sinus pressure in the event of a sinus infection, which can cause ear fullness.

Nasal decongestants

Unblocking your nasal passageways can aid in the treatment of blocked ears. If you use an over-the-counter nasal decongestant, try not to take it for more than three days in a row.

Ear problems

Nasal corticosteroids

There are numerous OTC nasal steroids available. Nasal steroids can help clear your ears by reducing inflammation in the nasal passages. This makes it easier for air to move through both eustachian tubes, so the pressure in your ears stays the same.

If you have a sinus infection and your ears feel full, nasal steroids may help.

Ventilation tubes to open blocked ears

In extreme cases, your pharmacist may advise you to use this simple surgical technique to relieve pain and pressure.

Your doctor or pharmacist will most likely use local anaesthesia to numb the area around your ears during the procedure. Then, in one or both of your ears, they'll insert thin ventilation tubes, also known as pressure equalising tubes or tympanostomy tubes, to drain fluid from behind the eardrum.

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