Children are common to experience clogged ears, as the condition can be related to colds. As fluid accumulates, it causes the ears to become clogged. Wax buildup can lead to clogged ears, too. Removing wax can improve hearing and relieve any clogged ear-related pain.
Common symptoms of clogged ears include headaches, ear pain, and reduced hearing. Other causes of clogged ears are swimmer’s ear – where fluid builds up commonly from swimming, – chronic ear infections, and acoustic neuroma, which is a rare, noncancerous tumor growth around the acoustic nerve.
The good thing about hearing loss related to clogged ears is, it can easily be treated and prevented in order to restore hearing, and the damage is not permanent.
Natural treatments to unclog clogged ears
Here is a list of natural remedies in order to help unclog ears, no matter the cause.
- ‘Pop’ your ears – with your mouth closed and your nose pinched, take a deep breath then exhale from your nose in order to regulate air pressure. You will notice a popping sound, which means the Eustachian tubes are open again.
- Put drops of olive oil in your ears to soften the wax and break it up.
- Mix alcohol and apple cider vinegar, and put drops in your ears to help fight bacterial infections.
- Apply warm compresses to ears to relieve the clogging due to congestion.
- Inhale steam if ears are plugged due to a cold.
- Put drops of hydrogen peroxide and tilt your head once the fizzing stops to allow it to drain out.
- Flush ears with warm water in a syringe – it may be easier if someone does this for you, or your doctor can perform this procedure easily.
- Gargle hot water and salt to unclog ears from congestion.
- Chew gum – this is common practice when flying.
These tips can easily be performed in the comfort in your own home. Furthermore, remember that a Q-tip should never be inserted directly into the ear, as it can rupture and cause damage to the eardrum and can push wax further into the ear.