Clogged Ears: Causes, Home Remedies and When to Worry

01How ears work

Why does an ear feel clogged?

Behind each eardrum is the middle ear, an air-filled space. The Eustachian tube, a narrow channel that runs from the middle ear to the back of the nose, opens briefly when you swallow, yawn or chew to let air in and keep the pressure equal to the outside.

When the tube does not open properly, pressure builds or drops behind the eardrum. The result is a feeling of fullness or blockage, muffled hearing (like being underwater), popping, clicking or crackling, and sometimes mild discomfort. Doctors call this Eustachian tube dysfunction. A consensus statement defines it as acute when it lasts less than 3 months and chronic when it lasts longer.

02Causes

Common causes of clogged ears

• Colds, flu and sinus infections: swelling of the lining of the nose and throat also swells the opening of the tube. “Ear blocked after a cold” is the most frequent pattern.
• Allergies and chronic nasal inflammation: hay fever and ongoing congestion keep the tube swollen.
• Earwax: a plug of wax in the ear canal causes fullness, reduced hearing and sometimes itching or ringing.
• Fluid behind the eardrum (otitis media with effusion): often follows a cold or ear infection; hearing feels dull.
• Pressure changes: flying, diving, driving over mountain passes or fast elevator rides.
• Ear infections or swimmer’s ear: usually with pain, and sometimes discharge.
• Other contributors: smoking, acid reflux, obesity, and large adenoids or growths at the back of the nose.
• Inner-ear causes: sudden hearing loss, Ménière’s disease and others can start with a feeling of fullness (see the warning signs below).

03Symptoms

What clogged ears can feel like

• Fullness or pressure in one or both ears.
• Muffled or dull hearing, or your own voice sounding loud or echoing.
• Popping, clicking, crackling or “bubbling” sounds, especially when you swallow or yawn.
• Mild ear discomfort or a dull ache.
• Ringing (tinnitus) or a feeling of imbalance in some people.
• A blocked ear that “does not hurt” is common with Eustachian tube problems and wax; strong pain points more to infection.

04After a cold

Ear blocked after a cold or sinus infection

This is the classic scenario. As the cold settles, the swelling goes down and the tube starts working again, so the blocked feeling usually fades within days to a few weeks. Cleveland Clinic notes that Eustachian tube dysfunction usually goes away on its own in a few days.

It may linger if the nose stays congested, if allergies flare, or if fluid has built up behind the eardrum. If your ear is still blocked more than two weeks after the cold has gone, it is worth having it checked.

05At home

What may help at home

• Swallow, yawn or chew gum: each opens the tube briefly. Sucking a hard candy while flying works the same way.
• Gentle pressure equalization: pinch your nose, close your mouth and blow very gently as if blowing your nose. Never force it: blowing hard can hurt the ear, and you should not do this if you have an ear infection or severe pain.
• Saline nasal rinses or sprays: clear mucus and swelling from the nose, which is where the tube opens. Use distilled, previously boiled and cooled, or sterile water in a rinse bottle.
• Steam: a hot shower can loosen congestion and give short relief.
• Short-term decongestant spray or tablets: may reduce swelling for a few days. Follow the label, and do not use nasal decongestant sprays longer than the packaging says because of rebound congestion. Check with a pharmacist if you have high blood pressure or heart disease.
• Nasal steroid sprays or antihistamines: help when allergies or chronic nasal inflammation are involved. Their full effect takes days of regular use.
• A warm washcloth against the ear can be soothing, but it does not open the tube.

06Avoid

What not to do

• Do not put cotton swabs, hairpins or other objects into the ear canal. They push wax deeper and can injure the canal or eardrum.
• Do not use ear candles. The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery guideline on earwax recommends against ear candling for treating or preventing wax, and the NHS notes there is no evidence they remove wax.
• Do not irrigate or put drops in the ear if you have ear pain, discharge, a history of a perforated eardrum or ear surgery, unless a clinician has said it is safe.
• Do not blow your nose hard with both nostrils closed.

07Earwax

Is it earwax?

Wax blockage tends to build slowly, often feels like a plug in one ear, and may follow showering or using earbuds or hearing aids. The guideline advises treating wax only when it causes symptoms or prevents the ear from being examined. Options include over-the-counter wax-softening drops, irrigation, or removal by a clinician with instruments or a microscope.

For self-care, the NHS suggests 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in the ear, lying on your side for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days; wax usually clears over about 2 weeks. Do not use drops if you have a hole in the eardrum. The NHS also notes there is no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums remove wax. If the wax does not clear, a clinician can remove it.

08Flying

Blocked ears from flying or altitude

During descent, air pressure rises and the tube has to open actively. Swallow, chew gum or suck on candy, and use gentle pressure equalization. If you have a cold or allergies, using a decongestant as directed before descent and avoiding sleeping through landing can help. If the ear stays blocked and painful for more than a day or two after the flight, see a doctor.

10Treatment

What an ENT doctor can do

The examination usually starts with looking at the ear canal and eardrum with an otoscope or microscope. A hearing test (audiogram) and a tympanogram, which measures how the eardrum moves, can show negative pressure or fluid behind it. The nose and throat may also be examined to look for causes such as allergies, nasal swelling or reflux.

Depending on the cause, treatment can include nasal steroid sprays, treatment of allergy or reflux, earwax removal, or in persistent fluid, a tiny ventilation tube (a “grommet”) placed in the eardrum. For adults with chronic obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction that does not respond to medical treatment, balloon dilation of the tube is an option in selected cases.