There are many cases when your hearing is becoming muffled, and you have a blocked ear. But in many cases, this is not a real problem with your ears. This is a condition when your ears are blocked.
In most cases, the biggest cause of blocked ears is the cold. This annoying feeling should be treated as early as you feel it because if you leave it untreated, you risk your ears’ health.
This condition attacks people of all ages, but in most cases, when children have colds, the risk of getting a blocked ear is increased. You can try using many natural remedies if you suffer from blocked ears.
12 Home Remedies for blocked ear
Contents
Olive oil
When people are suffering from blocked ears, then they have wax which is in large amounts inside of the ears. In this case, those people can use olive oil as their natural remedy for blocked ears.
The wax can be easily softened if you use olive oil as your natural treatment [1].
In this case, you can easily remove the wax from your ears. You should warm a small amount of olive oil. You will need to use a dropper if you want to apply this remedy. Put a few drops of the lukewarm olive oil taken with the dropper inside of your ears. You should let this lukewarm olive oil stay in your ears for 10 minutes.
This remedy will soften your earwax. You should keep your head sideways. Then, you should use earbuds to remove the earwax and the olive oil from your ears. But you should be careful when doing this process because ears are very delicate organs that can be hurt easily. If you do not want to use olive oil as your natural remedy, then you can use mineral oil and baby oil.
Valsalva Maneuver
This is a very effective home remedy to get rid of the blocked ear. It will help you a lot to reduce the pain and stiffness which are caused by this condition. Your mouth should be closed. You should close your nostrils with your fingers. When you have done these steps, you should take a breath (the breath you have taken should be a deep breath). Then, you should blow the air out of your nose. With this step, you will regulate the air pressure.
When people suffer from blocked ears, their Eustachian tubes are not open. When this happens, the pressure between the atmosphere, which is outside of your ears, and the pressure in your middle ear is not equalized. You should use Valsalva Maneuver because this remedy will help you to open your Eustachian tubes again.
When doing this therapy, you should be careful how much you are blowing your nose because if you blow it too much, you risk your ears having damaged ear drums. There are many techniques in which you can use this remedy. But you should consult with your doctor about any side effects.
Alcohol and apple cider vinegar
This is a very powerful combination of destroying bacteria that are the reason for serious ear infections. Make a mixture from these two components. You will need equal amounts of both remedies. You should lie down on one side of your head. You should use a dropper to put a few drops in your ears.
When you are in this situation, you should place a cotton ball on your ear because otherwise, this mixture can be easily spilled out. You should leave this mixture in your ears for ten minutes. After this period has passed, you should use earbuds to remove the earwax. If both ears are blocked, then you should do this process with the two ears.
Warm compress
When your blocked ears are caused by sinus congestion or cold, then the perfect natural remedy for your condition is the warm compress. When you use this natural remedy as your treatment, your pain will be reduced, your ears will be unblocked, and the congestion from the sinuses will be lost [2].
In warm water, you should soak a washcloth. Then, the excess water from the washcloth should be wringed out of it. Let this remedy stay in your ears for 5 – 10 minutes. When you are using this remedy, your pain will be reduced. Also, the drainage of the fluid will be promoted. In a thin towel, you should wrap the bottle with hot water. Let this bottle stay at your ears for 5 – 10 minutes. This will help you a lot to reduce the pain, and also, your ears will be open.
Steam
When you have blocked ears caused by colds, you should inhibit steam. It will help you a lot in the treatment of the blocked ear. This remedy will help you to relieve the blocked ear because it helps to thin and lose the mucus [3].
Also, the earwax, which is the cause of this condition, will be lost. In a large bowl, you should pour hot steaming water. Then, you should add a few drops of lavender essential oil to this water. You should cover your head with a towel when you have done these steps. When your head is covered with a towel, you should inhale the steam because it will help you a lot in opening your ears.
Also, when you suffer from a blocked ear, you should have a hot shower for ten minutes. It will help you a lot in the treatment of blocked ears.
Hydrogen peroxide
When your ears are blocked, and the main reason for this blocking is earwax, then the perfect natural remedy for your condition is hydrogen peroxide.
You should use 3% hydrogen peroxide. You should use a dropper to apply this remedy. Put these drops in the blocked ear. In a few minutes, you will have a fizzing feeling. You should let this remedy stay in your ear for 10 minutes or until you are not feeling fizzing. When this period has passed, you should tilt your head because, in this way, the earwax and the hydrogen peroxide will be out. You should not use this remedy a lot because you risk damaging your ears. [4]
Warm water
You should flush your ears with this home remedy when you suffer from blocked ears. It is an effective home remedy for treating the blocked ear.
You should put in a cup warm water. Then, you should fill an ear syringe with this water. You should tilt your head on one side (or on both sides if you have two blocked ears). Your ear lobe should be down because, in this way, your ear canal will be open. In the ear opening, you should put warm water with the ear syringe. You should do this in a gentle way because if you are not watching how you are doing this step, you can easily have serious problems with your ears.
Wax will be released because water has done its job. You should let the water stay in your ear for ten minutes. After this period has passed, you should tilt your head to the other side because, in this way, the earwax and the water will go out from the ear.
Yawning
This is a very effective natural remedy for treating blocked ears. When you do this method, the muscles that open the Eustachian tubes are active again, and the air pressure in your ears decreases when you are yawning.
You should open your mouth, and then you should yawn until you feel a pop inside your ears. When you have yawned the first time and are not feeling better, you should repeat this method until you feel better.
Chewing gum
When you are feeling sudden pressure in your ears, which in most cases is compared with the pressure, you feel when you are landing from an airplane, you should use chewing gum [5].
Your ears will be open. The excess pressure in your ears will be relieved, and the Eustachian tubes will open.
Gargle
When you are gargling with hot salt water, you are helping your ears to be unblocked, and also, if the main cause for this situation is nasal congestion, then you are easing this cause.
You should mix one teaspoon of salt water in a glass of warm water. You should gargle with this mix for fifteen to thirty seconds and then spit this mix out of your mouth. You should repeat this step until the moment when you have the feeling that your ears are unblocked.
If these home remedies are not helping to improve your condition, then you must talk with your doctor.
Nasal spray
A nasal spray is also an effective natural remedy for your condition. When you are using nasal spray, you are clearing your sinuses which is the reason for the blocked ear.
Garlic oil
This is also a very effective natural remedy for blocked ears. You will need two garlic cloves. Mash them with a spoon or knife.
In a saucepan, you should heat two spoons of olive oil and add the garlic which you have previously smashed. You should make this mix like lukewarm water.
Then, you should lie down on one side and put this mixture in your blocked ear. You should live this natural remedy to stay in your ears from forty-five seconds to one minute. Then, you should drain this kind of oil out of your ears. You will have better results and feel relief from the pain due to blocked ears.
References
[1] Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ. Ear drops for the removal of ear wax. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;7:CD012171.
[2] Cai P, Li L, Hong H, et al. A Chinese medicine warm compress (Wen Jing Zhi Tong Fang), combined with WHO 3-step analgesic ladder treatment for cancer pain relief: A comparative randomized trial. Medicine. 2018;97(11).
[3] Nanda MS. Efficacy of steam inhalation with inhalant capsules in patients with common cold in a rural set up. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences. 2015;14(1):37-41.
[4] Gal K. How does hydrogen peroxide remove ear wax? Medical News Today. 2018.
[5] Beaman CP, Powell K, Rapley E. Want to block earworms from conscious awareness?
B(u)y gum! The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 2015;68(6):1049-57.