Blocked ears can be caused by earwax, air travel or other causes. Fortunately, various therapies and home remedies are available to quickly clear the ears.
Contents
What to do? Therapy and remedies for blocked ears
Removal of earwax
Earwax serves as a barrier against water, dust, bacteria and fungi.
However, an accumulation of earwax also causes:
- blockage, pain, discomfort in the ear,
- mild hearing loss.
Some options for home removal of earwax are listed below.
Use of plasticizers for earwax
The earwax can be softened with:
- Olive oil
- Baby oil
- Mineral oil
- Glycerine.
There are also chemical substances that soften the earwax, including:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Carbamide peroxide.
Ear drops containing these substances are available at the pharmacy.
Cerumenex® is a very well-known cerumen-dissolving product.
Procedure:
- Put on one side.
- Drizzle 3-4 drops of the oil into the ear canal with the enclosed pipette.
- Leave on for a few minutes.
- Turn your head to the other side.
- After a certain time, rinse the ear well to remove the loosened cerumen and accumulated dirt.
Precautions when using the drops:
Do not swallow.
Contact with the eyes should be avoided.
If a few drops get into the eyes, rinse them immediately with plenty of water.
Do not use the drops if:
- eardrum perforation,
- Use of a hearing prosthesis.
If the drops cause symptoms such as burning or pain, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Ear irrigation Ear irrigation
is a common procedure:
- accumulation of cerumen,
- if the simple techniques for dissolving and rinsing the earwax are not successful.
Warm water or a sterile saline solution is injected into the ear canal with a balloon syringe.
For domestic rinsing, you can use a combination set, which serves to eliminate earwax and:
- emollient agents,
- contains a balloon syringe.
It is important to pay attention to the description of the set.
The first step involves the dissolution of the cerumen by means of the solution attached to the set over the specified exposure time.
Then use the balloon syringe to rinse the ear canal.
Eliminate
constipation Rhinitis, sinusitis and allergy may cause:
- fluid congestion in the middle ear,
- Blockage of the Eustachian tube.
The accumulation of fluid can lead to other infections, resulting in inflammation and an aggravation of the blockage.
Sinusitis can also provoke headaches in the forehead area.
Some therapies and remedies for such a situation are described below.
Steam inhalation in catarrh
Steam inhalation is the oldest known method to relieve blockages of:
- Nose
- ears to eliminate.
Procedure
- Put hot water in a bowl.
- Put a towel over your head.
- Inhale the steam.
This helps to release the catarrh and eliminate the blockage in the sinuses and creates relief.
In otitis media and accumulation of pus, water vapor accelerates the drainage of pus and secretions.
Decongestant drops
The doctor may prescribe oral decongestants and/or decongestant nasal spray to relieve the blocked sinuses.
They reduce:
- catarrhal production,
- constipation,
- Discomfort in the nose and ears.
The doctor may recommend an expectorant, such as acetyl cysteine (fluimucil).
Antibiotics
In the case of an ear infection, antibiotic ear drops and oral medications can be taken. They serve to control the infection and the expiration of pus.
Micro-suction
If you continue to suffer from blocked ears and the previous methods do not bring relief, you can carry out the treatment of micro-suction.
As the name suggests, this is the removal of earwax, fluid or foreign bodies from the ear by means of gentle aspiration.
This can be done:
- in the domestic sector, by using a commercially available set,
- in a clinic, where a specialist performs the procedure using a microscope and special equipment for aspiration.
Home remedies for earwax plug
Depending on the intensity of the ear constipation, one can resort to some home remedies for the treatment.
It is important to know the effect of the respective remedy, which can be different. However, no home remedy is a substitute for therapy, which may be required in this situation.
Do not try to treat the ailments with these remedies if:
- they are severe,
- there is unbearable pain in the ear,
- pus or blood can be seen leaking from the ear.
In this case, a specialist must be consulted immediately.
With slightly blocked ear, the following means lead to an opening:
Add a few warmed drops of olive oil to your ear.
Thereto:
- dip a cotton ball in olive oil;
- turn the cotton wool into a small long roll;
- insert the cotton roll into the ear;
- wait ten to fifteen minutes.
If a cerumen plug is the cause of constipation, the olive oil softens the earwax and it can drain more easily.
If a nasal congestion due to a runny nose is the cause of the blocked ears, cleaning the sinuses will help.
Sometimes simple yawning is the best remedy.
Induce yawning until improvement occurs.
Another home remedy is to place a warm, damp towel on the affected ear. By the sea you can do the same with a warm stone.
The heat from the towel loosens the earwax and supports the removal.
Carefully remove the cerumen with a warm and clean towel; cotton swabs are not recommended, as they can push the earwax even further into the inside of the ear.
The swallowing process is another, very simple way to treat irritation caused by stuffy ears.
For earwax plug and floating tube (inflammation of the outer ear) you can apply a solution of one drop of isopropyl alcohol and one drop of apple cider vinegar.
Drizzle the solution into your ear.
This home remedy helps:
- to dry the ear canal, because it contains alcohol, which evaporates at low temperatures;
- To prevent the growth of bacteria that can cause otitis, apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties.
In the case of otitis media, it is important to rid a stuffy nose and throat of excessive mucus.
This is possible by:
- nasal rinsing,
- Steam inhalations with water and bicarbonate.
Nasal rinsing:
- Tilt your head to the side and add salt water to the upper nostril.
- The water runs through the nasal cavities and exits again in the lower nostril.
In this way, the “air filter” of the body is cleaned.
Some prohibitions for stuffy ears
- Avoid unnecessary removal of earwax.
- Use cotton swabs only to clean the outer ear. Do not insert a cotton swab by force or deep into the ear canal. Such actions push the earwax against the eardrum and do not serve to remove cerumen.
- Avoid the use of wax cones. There is no evidence that these are helpful and there is a risk of burns and damage to the ear, face and hair.
- Do not rinse and microsuction if the eardrum is ruptured or perforated and there is an ear lesion.
It is better to seek the opinion of a doctor before starting such methods. - If a foreign object has entered the ear, do not remove it.
Through such experiments, the foreign body can be pushed deeper into the ear.
Even if someone is able to remove the object, there is a risk of injury. - After ear surgery, you should not ignore even minor signs such as earache and constipation. Use only the remedies recommended by the doctor.
Remedies from grandmother’s times to remove water from the ear
Shake the ear
Place your head on one side, put your little finger in your ear and rotate. This allows excess water to escape again. Repeat the same on the other ear.
Put your head aside and jump This is one of the effective methods of removing water from the ears. Many people do this after diving:
- in the swimming pool,
- in the sea.
Stand on your right leg and bend your head to your right side. Hop 8 times. Gravity and jumping make the water run out of the ear. Repeat in the same way on the other side.
Suction balloon
You can buy a suction balloon in any medical store. These suction balloons are mainly used for:
- Babies
- Infants.
They can also be used to remove water in the ears. Bend your head to one side and on this side:
- insert the suction balloon;
- suck off the water.
Do not insert the tip of the suction balloon too deeply into the ear canal.
Hair dryer Set the lowest temperature
on a hair dryer. Check the temperature of the blown out air on the wrist. Hold the hair dryer at an arm’s length distance and blow-dry the affected ear for 30 seconds.
Applying alcohol It may be helpful to rub a tissue, moistened with alcohol, in the affected ear. The alcohol causes the water to evaporate in the ear and destroys germs that can lead to infection.
Vinegar Drizzle two drops of vinegar
into the affected ear. Repeat this method every two hours until the ears have improved.
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