There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must go online and search: “How to unclog your ear.” Maybe they’re just getting over a cold. Maybe they’re mid-flight in a cramped economy seat. Maybe it has been eons since they’ve done some personal grooming in that area. No matter the situation, the sensation of a blocked ear is downright unpleasant.
The first step to relief is knowing what kind of problem you’re dealing with. “Ears typically feel clogged for two different reasons: one of them being an impaction of earwax blocking airflow to the eardrum,” Emily J. Taylor, Au.D., FAAA, who goes by Dr. Earwax on social media. “A clogged sensation can also be related to sinus and Eustachian tube issues.”
Now before your AI doctor has you thinking you’re seven days away from losing your hearing for good, here’s what’s actually happening when it feels like your ears are clogged—and exactly what you can do at home to address your dilemma.
What causes clogged ears?
The most obvious answer is blockage, most likely due from an accumulation of earwax. Usually the mass of sweat and oil buildup falls out on its own, but for some people, it can collect in the ear canal and cause a problem with hearing. Another potential for a clogged ear is dysfunction with the Eustachian tube, which runs from the back of the throat to the middle ear. When it swells—from either illness or allergies—it can cause an imbalance of ear pressure creating a blocked feeling. This can also happen when there’s a change in altitude or pressure, like when you fly or go deep-sea diving.
How do I unclog my ears?
First, figure out what’s making your ears feel clogged. A clogged ear because of ear wax will feel like you’re wearing earplugs while symptoms of a blocked ear due to sudden pressure change will feel more like you’re under water. To determine your cause of blockage, Taylor recommends an ear camera, though it’s not mandatory. It’s a handheld device that allows you to look inside the ear canal, which will help you to determine if that clogged feeling is because of ear wax or something else.
If you do end up seeing a lot of wax in your ear, it’s best to then use wax-softening drops and a syringe—which you can buy at your local drug store—to rinse it out gently. “This process might have to be repeated a number of times if the wax is very hard,” says Taylor.
For ears blocked because of altitude change, common remedies include yawning, chewing gum, or drinking water to help open up the eustachian tubes. Another option is to hold your nostrils shut and attempting to blow air through your nose, which is called the Valsalva maneuver.
What is the worst thing to do to try to unclog your ears?
Maybe you’ve seen someone on TikTok sticking the opposite end of a lit candle into their ear as a remedy. Let’s just say you should not try that at home. Ear candling has become a viral way of clearing out an ear blockage, but Taylor says it’s “dangerous and actually does nothing to help the situation.”
The same goes for using cotton swabs or Q-tips inside the ear. “In fact on the box, it says not for use in the ear,” she says. For a lot of people, that’s a hard habit to break, but Taylor says it will only increase the chances of blockage. “People who truly do generate earwax and use a Q-tip will just be pushing the wax deeper in their ear canal, making it more difficult and painful to remove.”
So the next time it feels like you’re listening to the world while wearing earmuffs, figure out why your ears are blocked and take a real doctor’s advice. Otherwise you might create an even worse problem for yourself and your hearing.
