If it feels like water in ear for more than a week or so, you most likely have a build-up of earwax in your outer ear canal. Earwax causes a blockage in your ear canal that can make sounds muffled. You may feel like you have water in your ear, especially if the wax is close to your tympanic membrane or eardrum.
Chew, yawn, shake and tug.
You can also gently tug on the outer portion of your ear to straighten out the ear canal and allow water to drain out.
Fluid in the ear
Anything that leads to fluid buildup in the middle ear can make your ears feel plugged. The most common cause of this is middle ear infection, like acute otitis media. But fluid in the ear can also build up after the infection has passed. ETD usually causes otitis media.
Swimmer's ear usually isn't serious if treated promptly, but complications can occur. Temporary hearing loss. You might have muffled hearing that usually gets better after the infection clears. Long-term infection (chronic otitis externa).
When water accumulates in the ear and doesn't drain properly, you risk developing swimmer's ear, surfer's ear or another type of infection that can cause hearing loss if left untreated.
Will swimmer's ear go away by itself? No, it won't. Swimmer's ear is an infection in your ear canal that won't go away unless it's treated. Left untreated, a swimmer's ear infection may spread to the base of your skull, your brain or your cranial nerves.
Common causes include fluid in the middle ear, hay fever, allergies or over-excessive nose blowing.
If the water stays trapped for more than a day or if you experience pain, swelling, or discharge from the ear, it's important to see a doctor as it could be a sign of an infection or other underlying condition.
Clogged ears can also result from swollen or blocked eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the throat. This can happen for brief periods during air travel, but also due to allergies, sinus or ear infections, or other respiratory viruses (including COVID-19).
This pain might worsen with chewing and pulling/pressing of the outer ear, and might become too severe for relief from ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The outer ear might look red or swollen, and lymph nodes around the ear can become enlarged and tender to touch.
Sleeping with swimmer's ear can be uncomfortable. Elevate your head and sleep on your non-infected side. The less pressure put on the ear, the less pain you will experience. Using an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be helpful in addition to your prescription ear drops.
Muffled Hearing in One Ear
When the condition occurs in one ear, it's likely a sign of a single-sided ear infection, a clogged ear or earwax buildup.
Swimmer's ear may resolve on its own but is typically treated with antibiotic drops. If it is very painful, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery guidelines recommend alternating between age-appropriate doses of Tylenol and Motrin every few hours.
Massage – can relieve the pain associated with ear pain but can also induce fluid drainage from the ears.
Keep your ears as dry as possible. Use ear plugs when you are swimming or showering. Don't scratch or clean your ear canal with cotton swabs, your fingers, or other objects.
If left untreated, ear infections can spread to the base of your skull, brain, or cranial nerves. Diabetics, older adults, and those with conditions that weaken the immune system are at higher risk for such dangerous complications.
The health care provider will look inside your ears. The ear canal area will look red and swollen. The skin inside the ear canal may be scaly or shedding. Touching or moving the outer ear will increase the pain.
Symptoms of swimmer's ear usually appear within a few days of swimming and include: Itchiness inside the ear. Redness and swelling of the ear. Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear.
To do this, just gently massage the outside of the ear using circular movements. That way, the impaction will soften, which can help the earwax drain more easily. Once you've finished making these circular movements, pull your ear slightly backwards, from the lobe to the top of the auricle.
If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.
Fluid often builds up inside the ear during a cold or allergies. Usually the fluid drains away, but sometimes a small tube in the ear, called the eustachian tube, stays blocked for months. Symptoms of fluid buildup may include: Popping, ringing, or a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage may include: Earache. Feeling of fullness in the ear. Ringing or noises in the ear (tinnitus)