Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSinus-Related CongestionAllergiesWater BuildupWax BuildupAltitude ChangesEar InfectionsMénière’s DiseaseEustachian Tube DysfunctionOther CausesComplicationsWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Sinus-Related Congestion
Allergies
Water Buildup
Wax Buildup
Altitude Changes
Ear Infections
Ménière’s Disease
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Other Causes
Complications
When to Seek Care
Ear congestion is the feeling of clogged or “stuffy” ears. This feeling occurs when the pressure changes inside the ear. It may also result from a blockage of theEustachiantubethat connects the middle ear and the upper part of your throat. Congestion may be related to inflammation in the ear canal.
A number of factors can cause ear congestion including viral infections, bacterial infections,allergies, flying, or having too much wax in your ears. In addition to causing sounds to be muffled and feeling pressure in your head, these conditions may cause pain and discharge.
Often ear congestion resolves on its own or with self-care, but if your symptoms persist, you should see a healthcare provider. You may need prescription antibiotics; in some instances, surgery is necessary.
Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images
How to Unclog Your Ears
Sinus-Related Ear Congestion
Sinus congestioncan affect your ears as well as your nose.
A number of conditions cause tissue and blood vessels to become swollen. These lead to a blockage of the Eustachian tube and a buildup of fluid in the middle ear. Common causes include:
Treatment
If your symptoms don’t improve with those methods, these over-the-counter medications may help ease symptoms.
Allergies are your body’s natural reaction toallergens—substances that cause your body to have an allergic reaction. If you have an allergy and are exposed to that specific allergen, your immune system responds and you may have a number of symptoms.
In addition to ear congestion,allergy symptomsinclude watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, rash or hives, or a more serious, life-threatening reaction known asanaphylaxis.
Preventing exposure to irritants helps you keep your symptoms at bay. Adopting these habits can help reduce exposure:
In some cases, medications such as decongestants or antihistamines may make symptoms worse. Visit your healthcare provider if your ears are still congested after using these medications.
Water can get trapped in your ear during bathing, showering, or swimming. This can create pressure on your ear and make your ears feel plugged up.
Ifwater is trapped in your earafter showering orswimming, try turning the side of your head down while gently pulling your earlobe in different directions.
Applying a warm washcloth or a heating pad set to low on the affected ear may provide relief. Make sure there is a cloth between your skin and the heat source to protect your skin.
Earwax(cerumen) is needed to protect your ears, but too much of it can cause congestion. Earwax can build up to the point where it blocks your ears.
If you have a lot of earwax or it is impacted, you can try some home remedies to clear your ears:
If you continue to have problems, see an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) to have the wax manually removed. Don’t try to do this at home.
A Warning About Earwax RemovalDon’t insert anything into your ear, including cotton swabs (Q-tips), which can push the wax down further.Avoid using ear candles. These products claim to pull wax and debris out of the ear, but there is no evidence that they work, and they can cause serious injuries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against their use.
A Warning About Earwax Removal
Don’t insert anything into your ear, including cotton swabs (Q-tips), which can push the wax down further.Avoid using ear candles. These products claim to pull wax and debris out of the ear, but there is no evidence that they work, and they can cause serious injuries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against their use.
Don’t insert anything into your ear, including cotton swabs (Q-tips), which can push the wax down further.
Avoid using ear candles. These products claim to pull wax and debris out of the ear, but there is no evidence that they work, and they can cause serious injuries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against their use.
Usually, the pressure inside your ear is the same as outside your ear. However, changes in altitude like when you’re flying, driving in the mountains, or scuba diving, can cause the pressure inside your ear to be different from the pressure outside your ear (barotrauma). This causes a blockage of the Eustachian tube that prevents the air from equalizing.
You may be able to clear your Eustachian tubes with some facial motions such as yawning or holding your nose while blowing through the nasal passages. When the Eustachian tubes open, you mayfeel or hear a “pop.”
Other tips include the following:
Why Do My Ears Hurt?
Anear infectioncan occur in the middle ear or external ear.
Amiddle ear infection(otitis media) is when the middle ear becomes infected or inflamed. Ear infections are fairly common. Often the cause of ear infection is a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection, or allergy. Children are most likely to develop an ear infection, but adults can get one too.
Swimmer’s ear(otitis external) is the common name for an external ear infection. Swimmers are often affected because when water gets trapped in the ear, fungi or bacteria can grow and cause infection.
You may not need treatment for an ear infection, but some go away on their own. If symptoms aren’t getting better, contact a healthcare provider.
Medical treatment for a middle ear infection may include:
Treatment for an external ear infection may involve:
Ménière’sdisease is a disorder of the inner ear.Symptoms of Ménière’s diseaseinclude severe dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière’s disease most often affects only one ear and occurs in adults aged 40 to 60 years.
An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist can help make a diagnosis. Sometimes Ménière’s disease gets better on its own. Other times medication, lifestyle changes, or other treatments may be needed.
Prescription medications include:
Alternative treatments may include:
Treatment for this chronic blockage depends on the severity and underlying cause. Your healthcare provider may first recommend trying a nasal decongestant or antihistamine, but in severe cases, one of these surgical procedures may be needed:
Additional Causes
Ears can become congested for other reasons as well:
Rarely, a blocked Eustachian tube can indicate a more serious problem, such asnasal polypsor neoplasms (abnormal growth of tissue).
How Long Does Ear Congestion Last?The time it takes for congestion to go away varies, but you can usually expect the following outcomes:Ear congestion following a viral infection usually clears up on its own within two days (48 hours).For a bacterial infection, your body can usually fight off the infection in two to three days, but if you’re not better in that time, you should see your healthcare provider about starting a course of antibiotics.If congestion is due to swimmer’s ear, you will usually be better in seven to 10 days with treatment.
How Long Does Ear Congestion Last?
The time it takes for congestion to go away varies, but you can usually expect the following outcomes:Ear congestion following a viral infection usually clears up on its own within two days (48 hours).For a bacterial infection, your body can usually fight off the infection in two to three days, but if you’re not better in that time, you should see your healthcare provider about starting a course of antibiotics.If congestion is due to swimmer’s ear, you will usually be better in seven to 10 days with treatment.
The time it takes for congestion to go away varies, but you can usually expect the following outcomes:
Severe Ear Congestion and Complications
If congestion does not clear up within a few days or following basic treatment with prescription medications, or if an infection is left untreated, complications can occur. These include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Contact a healthcare provider if you or your child experience the following:
Summary
Ear congestion is usually a result of blocked Eustachian tubes. Common causes of blocked Eustachian tubes include illnesses (such as colds) that cause nasal or sinus congestion, environmental allergies, pressure changes (such as in an airplane), andear infections. A buildup of earwax can also cause the ear to feel full.
Ear congestion can often be treated at home with strategies such as swallowing, yawning, chewing gum, nasal flushing, applying heat, washing the ears, and using a humidifier. In some cases, medications such as decongestants or antihistamines may be helpful. A prescription antibiotic may be needed. If noninvasive measures don’t relieve ear congestion, you may need surgery.
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