Home Remedies for Clogged Ears

Clogged ears can be annoying to deal with, and simply picking at your ears with your fingers won't help. Using cotton swabs to unclog your ears often won't help either, and might in fact lodge the ear wars further into your ear. Your ear could be clogged for a variety of reasons from a buildup of earwax to an ear infection.

In all mammals there is a connection between the airways and the inner ear that is called the Eustachian Tube. It is an ancient remnant of gills and used in mammals to equilibrate the pressure in the inner ear to the outside pressure.

What are clogged ears and its causes

We feel this equilibration as a “pop” when we e.g. go down 50 floors in an elevator or in airplanes. An equilibration can also be done deliberately by gently blowing into the nose while holding the nose closed. This technique is often used by divers to equilibrate their inner ear pressure to the increasing pressure under water with increasing depth. Yawning or chewing gum can also help with the equilibration process.

Clogged or stuffed ears are usually caused when the Eustachian tube is clogged preventing successful equilibration. This can usually be felt as a slight discomfort and it can impair hearing to a certain extent or make the sound appear hollow and muffled. In cases where a large pressure difference appears e.g. in diving, airplanes or in elevators of skyscrapers, the discomfort of not being able to equilibrate the inner ear pressure can quickly become acute pain that can be so severe that people have deliberately punctured their ear drum to release the pressure.
 

What are the causes of clogged ears?

Often, the Eustachian tube can become clogged as a result of upper respiratory tract infections like the flu and the common cold and other conditions that cause congestion in the nose, as the swelling of the mucus membranes in the nose often also involves other areas of the upper respiratory tract and the Eustachian tube. Allergies can also cause airway congestion that involves the Eustachian tube and cause clogged ears. Clogged ears can also be caused by an inner ear infection, which can appear as an isolated inner ear infection or as a consequence of an upper respiratory infection. In the case of an inner ear infection there is usually not just the slight discomfort of clogged ears, but a moderate to severe ear ache. Another common cause of clogged ears is build up of ear wax in the middle ear. Ears can also feel clogged if they contain water after e.g. swimming or bathing and showering.
 

What home remedies can be used for clogged ears?

The home remedies that work for clogged ears depend on the causes of the clogged ears. If water in the ears is the problem it usually clears up in a few hours by itself. Holding the head on the side while gently pulling the ear lobe repeatedly can help to drain fluid from the ear. Holding the ear over the hot steam of a cup of boiling hot water can sometimes help unclog ears that contain excessive ear wax. Ear wax can also be loosened by a mixture of equal parts of saline solution and 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. For this home remedy, 2 tablespoons of warm saline and 2 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution should be mixed and put in the clogged ear while the person lies on the other side. The solution should be left in the ear for 10 to 15 min and drained by holding the head to that side and gently pulling on the ear lobe repeatedly. Ear specialists do not recommend the use of cotton swabs for the removal of excessive ear wax from clogged ears as they can push the earwax further into the ear making things worse, or they can even injure the ear drum, if they are inserted to deeply into the ear.

 For ears that are clogged because of an upper respiratory infection, there are many home remedies that can help with the congestion. Inhaling of warm moist vapor is a good way to relieve upper airway congestion and can help with clogged ears due to a cold. The addition of different herbs to the boiling water for the hot vapor can add additional benefits:  chamomile reduces the inflammation in the airway and can thus reduce the swelling in the nose, sinuses and the Eustachian tube. Chamomille is also antibacterial which can be beneficial even if the original cold was caused by a virus, as many bacteria like the ones that cause strep throat can easier latch on to the mucus membranes, when they are already damaged by a virus infection. Other herbs like thyme and sage are also antibacterial and the essential oils can be calming on inflamed and swollen upper respiratory tracts. Mint oil or peppermint leaves are a very effective decongestant in inhaled hot vapor. Rubbing a mint and/or camphor containing ointment on the chest can also not only bring relief for congested noses, but also for clogged ears. Holding the affected ear directly into the vapor over a cup with hot water or herb tea can bring additional comfort. 

These all natural home remedies can often also bring relief, if the clogged ears are due to congestion caused by allergies.

In all cases of clogged ears trying to induce equilibration by chewing gum, moving the jaw from side to side, yawning, and gently blowing into the nose while holding it closed might bring at least temporary relief.
 

What can I do if I have used home remedies for clogged ears, but the ears are still clogged?

If the natural home remedies for clogged ears do not help in cases of colds or allergies there are numerous over the counter allergy and cold medicines that contain highly effective decongestants available in drugs stores everywhere. However, if the clogged ear persists, or develops into a painful ear ache or comes with a high fever, an ear specialist should be consulted.