Cleaning inside your ear canal, especially with cotton swabs, can push wax deeper into the ear. That can cause a wax buildup (cerumen impaction) that can make it hard for you to hear with the affected ear.
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.
How Long Does Muffled Hearing Last? Muffled hearing can be temporary—lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the cause—or a permanent condition.
In many cases, a muffled ear will go away on its own. This is especially true for conditions like airplane ear, or sickness-related hearing loss.
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 ear feels clogged and muffled, you may have a Middle Ear Infection, also known as Otitis Media. You may even see fluid visibly draining from the ear, and it will probably also be sensitive to touch. In more severe cases, it can cause nausea and vomit.
In almost all cases, your blockage will take care of itself after a few days. But the general rule of thumb is that if things last more than a week or so, it might be a good idea to see a specialist.
Since the eustachian tubes in the infected ears can only drain into the throat, try keeping the infected ear elevated by sleeping on the opposite side of the one infected. This way the tube will be above the throat, and the ear will most certainly drain sooner.
Causes of Sudden Hearing Loss
If fluid buildup behind the eardrum is not treated in a timely manner, it can eventually cause enough pressure to rupture the membrane. Sudden hearing loss is less often caused by more serious conditions. These can include viruses, tumors and strokes in the inner ear.
The irrigation method uses a syringe to gently pump a solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water into the ear. This softens the hardened earwax and flushes it out of your ear canal. Once the cleaning process is complete, you may start to feel slight discomfort and sensitivity in your ears, which is normal.
A few days is normally enough time for your body to get rid of any blockage. But the basic rule of thumb is that if things persist for more than a week or so, it may be a good idea to come in for a consultation. Early signs of hearing loss can also feel like blocked ears.
People can often treat ear congestion with home remedies and OTC medications. However, a person may want to speak with a doctor about their ear congestion if: their symptoms persist despite using at-home or OTC treatments. they develop a fever.
Your ear congestion may have happened during an ear infection and never went away, or may get worse when eating certain foods, or they may have become plugged at the onset of an autoimmune condition.
Allergies, head colds, pregnancy, and air pressure are some common reasons it may feel like your ears are full.
Try propping yourself up on a stack of pillows, or better yet sleep in a reclining sofa or armchair. As long as you're upright enough to allow the ears to drain more successfully, you should notice an improvement in symptoms and be able to sleep much easier.
You can buy over-the-counter eardrops that break up earwax. The water-based ones contain ingredients such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Oil-based products lubricate and soften the earwax.
Soften and loosen the earwax with warm mineral oil. You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days.
a ringing or buzzing sound in your ear (tinnitus) earache or ear pain. itching in your ear. clear fluid, blood or pus leaking from your ear.
Although ear pressure buildup is a common issue with many causes, there can be serious conditions that are causing this issue. If you're suffering from a serious condition, your doctor can work to treat the issue and alleviate the pressure in your ear.