How to Relieve Ear Congestion at Home, and When to Get Medical Help

Your ears may seem plugged for many reasons, including sinus congestion, changes in altitude, issues in the middle ear, excess earwax, and more. If you also have pain, balance disturbances, or hearing changes, a clinician can determine the root cause.

Ear blockage occurs when the eustachian tube becomes clogged or fails to work correctly.

The eustachian tube is a narrow passage linking your nose to your middle ear. It helps balance the pressure inside the middle ear.

If the eustachian tube is blocked, you’ll notice a sensation of fullness and pressure in the ear. Muffled hearing and earache are common. Symptoms can also originate from the middle ear or the ear canal.

Continue reading to discover potential causes of ear blockage, ways to ease it, and when to seek professional care.

Ways to relieve ear congestion

Treating ear blockage begins with identifying its cause. Below are various causes and suggested remedies.

Sinus-related causes

Any condition that causes sinus swelling can also lead to ear fullness. These include:

• common cold
• influenza
• allergic reactions
• sinusitis (a sinus infection)
• irritants such as cigarette smoke

To reduce sinus swelling and associated ear pressure, try these steps:

• Use a nasal decongestant for no more than 3 days
• Blow your nose gently
• Rinse your nose with a saline solution or use a nasal irrigation device
• Run a humidifier, since dry air can aggravate nasal passages
• Avoid smoke and other irritants
• Stay well hydrated, especially in the evening, to thin mucus

Water trapped in the ear

Water entering the ear while showering or swimming can produce a plugged sensation. Try these tactics to expel water:

• Gently tug or jiggle your earlobe while tilting your head toward your shoulder.
• Lie on the side with the affected ear down to encourage drainage.
• Place a warm compress on that ear for 30 seconds, remove for a minute, and repeat several times.

Earwax accumulation

Earwax is produced to moisturize and protect the skin of the ear canal. It typically doesn’t need removal unless it causes symptoms.

Methods to remove stubborn wax include:

• Soften the wax by instilling a few drops of olive or mineral oil into the ear.
• Use over-the-counter ear drops or an earwax removal kit.
• Use a bulb syringe with lukewarm water or saline to irrigate the canal.

Allergic reactions

Allergies can lead to ear fullness when mucus backs up into the eustachian tube or middle ear.

Antihistamines and decongestants may ease ear pressure and other allergy symptoms. Steroid or antihistamine nasal sprays, or sprays combining both, can also be helpful.

Travel-related pressure changes

Fast shifts in air pressure during flights, particularly at takeoff and landing, put stress on the middle ear and eardrum.

To prevent or relieve airplane ear, chew gum or hard candy, swallow, or yawn during ascent and descent.

Other options include:

• The Valsalva maneuver: gently blow with your mouth closed while pinching the nostrils. Repeat as needed.
• Wearing pressure-regulating earplugs during takeoff and landing to slow pressure changes.
• Using an over-the-counter nasal decongestant spray about 30 minutes before takeoff and landing.

Object blocking the ear canal

If you think a foreign body is lodged in the ear canal, don’t try to extract it yourself. Seek care at an emergency department or urgent care clinic.

Infections of the middle or outer ear

A middle ear infection can produce a sense of congestion, dizziness, pain, and sometimes fluid drainage. These often follow colds or other respiratory infections that travel to the middle ear via the eustachian tube.

External ear infections (swimmer’s ear) commonly arise when water stays in the ear after swimming or bathing, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Symptoms can include pain, itching, redness, clear fluid, or pus-like discharge.

Ear infections often improve on their own. Over-the-counter ear drops and pain relievers may ease symptoms. For severe or persistent symptoms lasting beyond two days, a healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics.

Other medical reasons for ear blockage

Ongoing or intense ear fullness may indicate a medical condition that requires targeted treatment.

Meniere’s disease

An inner ear disorder that causes intense vertigo and hearing loss. It most often affects people aged 40–60.

The exact cause is unknown, but symptoms are linked to fluid accumulation in the inner ear’s labyrinths.

Cholesteatoma

A cholesteatoma is an abnormal growth in the middle ear that can develop due to poor eustachian tube function or repeated middle ear infections.

Acoustic neuroma

A slow-growing, benign tumor on the nerve between the inner ear and brain. It may cause tinnitus (ringing), dizziness, and balance issues.

Fungal infection of the outer ear

Fungal infections in the ear are more frequent among swimmers, people in humid climates, or those with diabetes or chronic skin disorders.

Besides ear fullness, fungal ear infections can cause ringing, swelling, pain, itching, and hearing difficulties.

Serous otitis media

Also called fluid in the ears, this condition involves clear (serous) fluid accumulating in the middle ear and can impair hearing. It sometimes follows an ear infection or a cold.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

The TMJ are the jaw joints along the sides of your jaw that let you open and close your mouth.

TMJ problems can produce sensations that seem to come from the ears. These issues often stem from jaw misalignment due to injury, arthritis, or chronic teeth grinding.

When to see a healthcare professional

See a clinician if ear blockage persists for more than two weeks or occurs with:

• fever
• fluid draining from the ear
• hearing loss
• balance disturbances
• intense ear pain

Frequently asked questions

How can you naturally relieve a plugged ear?

Gently blowing while pinching your nostrils and keeping your mouth closed can help equalize ear pressure and ease packing sensations.

Inhaling steam from hot water or taking a warm shower can loosen mucus. Applying a warm, moist cloth to the affected ear can soothe pain and encourage drainage.

How do you clear sinus fluid from the ear?

Oral or nasal decongestants can reduce nasal swelling and help fluid drain from the ears. A neti pot can also rinse nasal passages to promote drainage.

How long do plugged ears last?

Ear fullness from a cold or allergies may clear within a few days to a week as the underlying issue improves.

But if the cause is chronic sinusitis, persistent eustachian tube dysfunction, or an ear infection, the problem may persist longer and need specific treatment.

What conditions cause ear congestion?

Ear fullness is commonly linked to allergies, sinusitis, the common cold, and other short-term conditions.

Contributors can also include smoking, environmental pollutants, and anatomical problems with the ear or eustachian tube.

Bottom line

Prognosis and treatment depend on the cause, but many cases of ear blockage respond to home measures or over-the-counter remedies.

However, some infections and disorders, such as Meniere’s disease, may require medical intervention.