What Are the Treatments for Stopped Up Ears?

Most of us will experience ear congestion at some point. The most common cause of blocked ears is a sudden change in air pressure, such as during the takeoff and landing stages of a flight. Excessive nose blowing during colds and allergies can also block ear canals. Other times it is the allergies or infections themselves that cause the blockages. Whatever the reason, there are many remedies to this ailment, ranging from highly controversial ear candles to doctor-prescribed ear drops.

Prevention

• If you're flying, chew gum, suck on lozenges or yawn as much as possible during takeoff and landing; you can also try swallowing fluids with your nose pinched closed to create a vacuum that will help to keep the ear canals open during pressure changes. Taking a mild decongestant before your trip can also help keep the ears clear; however, it is not guaranteed that this strategy will completely stop your ears from being blocked.

  If you have a cold or severe allergies take caution not to blow your nose too hard or too frequently, as this can cause fluid to back up into the ear canals.

Drainage

• There are many effective at-home remedies for blocked ears. A very popular, yet controversial, solution is the ear candle. An ear candle is a papery tube with one tip small enough to fit into the ear and another tip about 1-inch wide. When the "candle" is lit, it creates a low vacuum, pulling wax out of the ear. Some claim that the wax found in the candle after use is actually from the burning of the candle itself and not from the ear at all. Some doctors warn against the ear candles, stating that eardrums can be damaged if excess burning wax drips down onto them from the candle.

  Hydrogen peroxide is another common at-home remedy. Simply lay with the blocked ear facing up and drop the peroxide into that ear; when you hear the peroxide fizzling drop in a bit more. When the fizzling stops sit up with a towel to your ear and wait for it to drain.

  One of the simplest ways to unplug your ears is to pinch your nose while closing your mouth and attempt to force air into your ear canal.

Medicinal Remedies

• Decongestants and nasal decongestant spray, such as Sudafed, can prove useful with ear congestion. All of the airways in the head are connected, so opening up one airway will undoubtedly affect the others. On this note, nasal allergies may be the cause of your sinus congestion. If this is the case then treating the allergies themselves with antihistamines might be your answer. If all else fails you may need to have the ear wax manually extracted from your ear by your physician, or your doctor might prescribe antibiotics and ear drops if an infection is present.