Plugged Ears
You’re probably familiar with that terrible sensation when you can feel that your ears are plugged, and that there’s not much you can do.
Though you can usually hear, it’s always a bit muffled and you may feel as though you are deep in a well.
You may suffer from plugged ears from flying on a plane, from swimming in a pool, or as a result of a cold or the flu where you had congestion. It can also be caused by earwax building up,
Whatever the cause for the congestion and blockage, you want to do your best to get rid of it. Not only can you have difficulty in hearing properly, but it can also interfere with your ability to get that feeling out of your ears for good.
So what do you do? Is it necessary to seek medical attention? It may be a good idea if the plugged ears have been there for awhile, or if nothing that you try seems to be working.
If your ear is infected, you need to go to the doctor because you need antibiotics to clear that up.
It may also be wise if you feel that this condition is associated with other symptoms or factors. However it can be quite helpful to know that there are simple steps you may take on your own.
Turning to home remedies for plugged ears can be of great help, so that you can get rid of the awful feeling and get back to hearing everything normally again.
Home Remedies for Plugged Ears:
Antihistamines:
I recently had a bout of plugged up ears. First was an annoying feeling of hearing insect wings touching my ear drum and hearing the vibration. I tipped my head so the "bad" ear was facing up, then a few drops of olive oil and hydrogen peroxide took care of that. I had to treat the ear twice to clear that up.
Then I noticed that periodically my ear became plugged up in the sense that I couldn't hear very well. I had a slight sense of pressure in the ear, but no pain. By tipping my ear in various directions I was able to unplug it, but it came back over the course of a few weeks about four times.
I happened to be scheduled for a yearly exam at the Doctors office, so I asked my doctor to take a look. She confirmed that there was a little bit of fluid behind my ear and told me to take Benedryl (the little pink pills) to help clear up the fluid that was trapped.
Take the Benedryl at night before you go to bed as it causes drowsiness. I took 2 pills a night for about a week and it worked just great.
Equalizing The Pressure:
These methods move or stretch the eustachian tube, allowing it to open and the pressure inside and outside your ears and sinuses to equalize.
Pick one to try and move to the next one if you don't experience relief in about 10 minutes.
- Chew gum
- Suck on a lollipop or similar. The suction causes the eustachian tubes to open.
- Big yawn
- Inhale, close your mouth and plug your nose. Gently and carefully and try to exhale (lightly) with your mouth still closed and nose plugged.
- Benedryl or other antihistamine- See above.
Peroxide:
We know that peroxide works well in healing injuries, but here we see it as an effective home remedy for plugged ears caused by earwax.
Carefully pouring a solution of peroxide and water into the ears very slowly can help the ears to clear the earwax.
Several OTC (over the counter) products are made from oil or glycerin and hydrogen peroxide.
The peroxide will help dissolve the earwax causing your ears to feel plugged.
Olive Oil:
Olive oil is such a wonderful and healthy substance that it only makes sense that we would turn to it as a home remedy for plugged ears.
Here we see that the best possible treatment is to warm a bit of olive oil in a pan. Once cooled a little bit, this should then be put into the ears directly as a few drops.
This can help to naturally get rid of the source of the clog and allow you to get rid of the plugged sensation, so that you are back to normal in no time.
Cider and Rubbing Alcohol:
This combination of ingredients really works well because it goes to work quickly and easily.
Mixing together apple cider vinegar and rubbing alcohol helps to get rid of any bacteria that may have been growing in the ear, and also helps to suck out any trapped moisture. Don't use this if you have open sores in your ears as the alcohol and vinegar will sting and cause pain.
